Here comes the judge

Sitting in the quiet opulence of Dublin’s Four Seasons Hotel on a sunny Friday afternoon, Sharon Corr is enjoying a rare hour or two away from the treadmill. It’s certainly been a busy few months for the violinist, singer and songwriter with The Corrs – now a solo artist in her own right. Sipping a skinny latte, she explains how she juggles her commitments as a working musician, a mum, and more recently, as one of the star judges/coaches on RTÉ’s hit TV show, The Voice Of Ireland.

“I’m kind of travelling at high speed right now and I love every minute of it,” she says. “In the last couple of months alone, I’ve done a UK tour, a European tour and then I did the whole of Australia. Two days after I got back from Australia, I went to LA and then it was back home and straight into The Voice.”
Is she enjoying her role as talent judge?
“It’s all very exciting,” she says of The Voice, the project which has taken up most of her time in recent months. “It has been a rollercoaster. We’re in every Saturday and Sunday doing the show. Then you’re working with your artist on maybe Monday and Tuesday and you’re picking songs all week. I’m doing a lot of promotion, interviews etc., and obviously I’m minding my children and writing my new album as well.”
She reflects out loud on the fact that, for a younger generation in particular, she’s now better known for being a judge on a TV talent show than she is for being a member of a multi-million selling pop group. “Oh it’s definitely true and I think it’s terrific,” she says. “It allows me to get to a younger audience and to stay relevant. I’m about to record my second solo album and it’s helped me to understand my passion for music. And it’s not tied to The Corrs – it has its own momentum.
“It’s important that there is another audience out there for me,” she adds. “What’s very different is that when you’re in a band, the sum of the four is the picture rather than the individual. True, the lead singer is more recognised. But you don’t really get to know each member individually.”
As The Voice heads towards a conclusion, with the semi-finals and finals due over the next two weekends, Corr says her initial decision to take part in the show is more than justified.
“Why I liked The Voice when I was asked to do it, is because it nurtured the artists,” she explains. “The format didn’t discriminate from the get-go. Because we couldn’t see the performers, my ears decided that I liked this or I didn’t like that. You couldn’t discriminate because of looks or attitude or strut or outfit or anything like that. And I loved the fact that we all had to perform, as it created an equal playing field. The only difference between me and say, Nollaig or Vanessa or Kim on my team, is that I have more experience of the industry and I can help them how to navigate it better.”
Doing the show has, she says, confirmed her own belief that there is another aspect to her personality – one that she might explore in the future.
“Yeah, it definitely endorsed a couple of things I probably knew already about myself,” she ruminates. “I knew that I loved TV and that I was always incredibly comfortable in front of the cameras. A lot of bands hate it but I was never shy of it with The Corrs. I enjoyed being interviewed and the whole creative process of TV. When you get good TV and good music – I think it’s a fabulous cocktail and it works really well. I didn’t realise how comfortable and capable I would be, doing a complete show unscripted.
“In the past I was always a guest and I knew what I’d be asked – this time I’m coming up with stuff myself. I’m at that stage in my life where I’m literally approachable on doing anything. It’s a good way to be. Life changes constantly and you have to change with it. I’m open to everything – unless I decide it’s not good for me.”
Meanwhile she has been busy working on her new album, the follow-up to her solo debut Dream Of You. “I’ve been working with Don Mescall who has written for Celine Dion and Rascall Flatts and lots of other acts. We work really well as a duo. I would say it’s more rootsy and more organic than the first album. I’m heading towards something quite raw this time around.
“As soon as I finish with The Voice I’m going to spend the month of May writing with various different people. Then I’m doing festivals throughout Europe, in July and early August. Then I’ll record the album. I’m with Warner UK. It’s a worldwide deal and I realise that I have to deliver a great album.”