By Chinedu Onyejelem

It has not been an easy path for Grenadian musician Adrian Lenz, who arrived in Ireland in December 2011 to join his spouse. At first he had to put his musical ambitions on hold, taking up employment in the fast food industry. Within a year he was promoted to supervisor, a position he maintains to date.

The stability of his new life afforded him the opportunity to enter third level education in 2016. “I studied architecture technology in DIT for one year and then I made a personal decision to withdraw,” he says, adding that he has no plans to return in future. “I am focusing on music – I am a singer and songwriter, as well as a performer.”

Lenz traces his movements in the music business to the middle of the last decade. “In 2006, in Grenada, I started in the music business even though I was singing before then. I released a song ‘Not Because’; it went viral and I had to be on all the TV and radio shows.

“That’s when I realised that I had that ability to write, to create songs that can touch and influence people. I realised that I had that talent.”

Lenz elaborates that it was this realisation that led him to be more creative and to spend more time on music.

Since relaunching his music career in Ireland in 2016, Lenz says he has pretty much picked up where he left off — and his family and friends have been his biggest supporters.

“In 2017 I won a best male artist prize with ‘Play My Love’, which I also released the music video for. I have been doing shows all over the place. I performed at different shows in Ireland and the UK.”

His biggest show was in London last July. “I headlined alongside Abbas Kubaff, a legendary Kenyan hip-hop artist, and DJ Spaqz at the Kenya and Friends in the Park attended by over 9,000 people.”

Indeed, he tells Metro Éireann that 2018 was his best year so far in terms of his songwriting, singing and music releases. As of October last year, he says his highest viewed video is ‘Cover Me’, followed by ‘What Ah Joy’, ‘Play My Love’, ‘Get On It’, and ‘Excited’ featuring fellow Irish-based musician DJ Spaqz.

“It has been a very interesting and successful year,” he adds. “I am doing the music that my heart desires – I’m happy doing what I am doing and following my passion with passion. I was originally doing soca music but now I am doing reggae, dancehall and Afrobeats.

“I have also been able to break into the European market. I want people to always expect the unexpected from me – I have new stuff coming.”