A singer-songwriter whose composition about coming out was adopted by Amnesty International in the marriage equality referendum is hoping the song will continue to help promote acceptance.
Jack O'Rourke (30) said he was delighted that his song Silence was picked up by Amnesty International as its campaign anthem in last month's referendum. (Listen to the song on YouTube.)
“I came out when I was 25. and it always kind of interested me that whole journey that people go on regarding coming out – it hadn’t been explored in popular music,” said O’Rourke, from Ovens in Co Cork.
A classically trained pianist, O'Rourke – who cites songwriters like Joni Mitchell, Tom Waits and Neil Young as among his influences – says that even coming out in an accepting family can be difficult.
“My own family is very liberal, and yet I had to go through my own journey growing up in a very accepting house – it took me until I was 25 to accept it myself and the song is about that,” he said.
"It wasn't a sort of conscious decision that I was going to write a coming-out song . . . but Silence did seem resonate with a lot of people, both men and women.
“I got a lot of feedback from people, including from middle-aged men up the country, who might never have come out themselves, but it seemed to strike a chord with them.”
Limited radio play
Although the BAI requirement for balance in the run-up to the referendum limited the amount of radio play the song received, O’Rourke hopes its inclusion on his debut EP,
The Other Side of Now
, will gain it a wider audience.
“I am hoping more people will pick up on it – [broadcaster] Fiachna Ó Braonáin, who did play it a lot, said it could be about any type of silence. The lyrics are quite explicit in terms of dealing with sexuality but it could be about any type of suppression and I think that’s why it spoke to a lot of people.”
