Chart-topper Calum over the moon at ‘Crazy’ song success

INSPIRED Duleek teenager penned No.1 hit during lockdown

A Duleek teenager says he was "over the moon" to discover that a song he wrote and recorded in his bedroom during lockdown made it to number one in the Itunes charts.

Calum Agnew (17) a student of St Mary's Diocesan College in Drogheda was inspired to write the song ‘Crazy’ after seeing the wartime movie, 1917 early this year and used the free time during lockdown to record the chart-topping song and music video. Commenting on his success he said:

"I wasn't expecting it at all, I recorded the song because I wanted to put something of my own out there but I wasn't expecting it to reach number one on the Itunes charts at all, it's thanks to my friends and family and everyone who follows me.

"I wrote the song back in January, I inspired to write it after seeing the wartime movie 1917 and I wrote it from the eyes of a soldier looking back on happier memories they had so really for me it's a metaphor for anyone looking back on happier times in their life."

Calum says he used his birthday money to buy the equipment needed and learned what to do from YouTube videos:

"I bought the music equipment and software for my birthday and from there I learned from online forums and youtube tutorials. One of my good friends Stephen is hoping to study music production so he was able to guide me on what equipment to use.

"It was really just the basics on how to record a simple enough song and then just expand it from there."

As well as recording a song, the talented teen also made a music video.

"I somehow knew I was going to record a song so I was planning ahead on what I wanted my video to be like so I took a few old-style film memories on my phone using an app so all of that was done on my iPhone and then in the video there is a current shot of me in a field in army uniform and my friend Stephen helped film that and edit the video."

The Duleek singer/songwriter could quite nearly sing before he could talk as his dad reminds him.

"I have been involved in music my whole life

"I wrote my first song when I was nine and I learned how to play the guitar from a teacher in primary school.

"My dad always says that he remembers that I could hum tunes before I could speak words.

"He used to get me to hum the Star Wars and Batman tune and I'd be able to tell which one was which.

" I really want to keep at it, I'm always going to write music, I'm always going to come up with melodies, music is my life.

"I'm over the moon with getting a number one, hopefully, it won't be the last time."