Rising Irish star on the heartache that inspired the songs behind his sudden rise
Bradley Marshall's career took off after posting music on TikTok during Covid
Bradley Marshall's career took off after posting music on TikTok during Covid
He's on his way to becoming Ireland's next big pop star, but Bradley Marshall is taking it all in his stride. The 24-year-old singer and songwriter from Dublin's Tallaght today reveals the personal challenges and heartaches that keep him grounded.
Bradley tells Magazine+ that he was bullied at school, had his heart broken in relationships and has been coping with the trauma of psoriasis skin disease.
His career took off after he started posting music on TikTok during Covid. And he wrote his debut single, Lost, during lockdown.
Bradley Marshall on stage
Since then, Marshall has gone from strength to strength. His 2023 hit, Perfect For Me, became a global phenomenon, was featured as the soundtrack to a scene on Love Island and is a popular wedding song earning him a dedicated fanbase along the way.
His songs often draw from his own experiences, tackling themes of love, loss, and self-discovery with unflinching honesty.
Looking back on his early life, Bradley says that his reputation as a singer made him popular with girls at school, which in turn led to him being taunted by his male contemporaries.
'I had a great childhood, great friends… kicking football on the road for six or seven hours a day,' Bradley recalls as he chats by Zoom from his home in Tallaght.
'But growing up singing wasn't easy, to be honest, because around this area being a man and singing wasn't the normal thing. If you sang as a male here you were gay… that's the type of stuff I used to get thrown at me a lot in the school corridor.
'I used to sing in the school yard and girls would chase me around the yard to sing songs. Looking back now I think the reaction of the guys was jealousy.'
Bradley Marshall's career took off after posting music on TikTok during Covid
Before becoming a full-time singer, Bradley studied business management in college. 'I was also an electrician when I left school,' he says. 'And I worked in a bookies, a cinema, a pet shop… I had so many jobs, but always in the back of my mind was the music. You need all those experiences to be able to tap into songs.'
Speaking about dealing with psoriasis he says: 'Growing up and having psoriasis affected my mental health because of my appearance.
'It's a really hard condition to get by with. When I was in college at 18 or 19 years old it was all over my hands. I used to wear gloves to college, so it was quite a tough time for me.
'But I'm starting to embrace it now. I guess it's who I am, it's just a part of me. I'm also letting other people know who have psoriasis or eczema that it's OK to be yourself. Showing your vulnerability is really important.'
Marshall says he has 'manifested' his success as a recording artist and singer. 'It's down to hard work and believing in yourself, but also putting it out to the universe,' he explains.
'I always believed in myself and getting signed last year [by Capitol Records] was always something that I believed would happen. Having a positive mindset all the time when negative things are happening is so important.
'But success to me is touching people's lives with your songs. I got a message off a girl not too long ago about my song called You'll Be Okay. A friend of mine tried to commit suicide a few years ago and I wrote a song to them saying basically, 'you'll be okay.'
'The person told me that they were in a car, they really wanted to drive into a wall and then they heard the song on the radio and that stopped them from doing it. People talk about numbers in terms of your success, but if you can touch someone's heart and change their perspective on life that's success to me, that's what I really try for.'
His songs of love and loss also come from a personal place.
Has he had his heart broken? 'Yeah, absolutely I have,' Bradley admits. 'I think that's the story of my life to be honest, but maybe I'll fall in love soon and the happy songs will start coming out.'
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