At 14 years old, Colin Lynch picked up a guitar with one goal in mind: to be better than his older brother. Now, the Pennsylvania-born country singer is building a career of his own, playing gigs from the Jersey Shore to Europe.
On the “15th of October Darlin,’” Lynch visited Seton Hall to perform at the Student Activities Board (SAB)’s Music Under the Stars event in the University Center (UC) Amphitheater.
Lynch released his debut single, “Aida’s Smile,” in February, breaking quickly into the country music scene. Some of his popular songs include “4th of July Darlin’,” “Beach Fire Embers” and his latest single, “In Due Time,” released on Oct. 2.
In an interview with The Setonian before his performance, Lynch said he was excited to have the opportunity to perform at SHU.
“It’s a pretty cool thing,” Lynch said. “I’ve never been here before, but everyone’s been super nice to me so far; they’ve been treating me good.”
From supporting Megan Moroney on her “Cloud 9” tour this year to performing at SHU, Lynch has grown rapidly in his career. However, he credits his family with providing the foundation for his success.
“I don’t have any of my career without them. They’ve been so supportive,” Lynch said. “They’ve been to every single one of my gigs since I started playing bars since I was 17. Without them, I don’t have anything.”
Beyond supporting his dreams, Lynch’s family also sparked his interest in music.
Lynch said he picked up his first guitar at 14, inspired by his older brother.
“I wanted to be better than him at something, so I picked up the guitar and I loved it,” Lynch said. “I just couldn’t stop playing it.”
Although Lynch is from Pennsylvania, he spends his summers in New Jersey. He got his start on the shores of Sea Isle City, playing his first shows at local bars while working summer jobs.
Lynch said his modern country sound is inspired by influential Jersey-raised musicians, such as Bruce Springsteen.
“I grew up with my parents; they were very into music,” Lynch said. “My dad was obsessed with Springsteen. My mom was a metalhead when she was younger.”
While his parents helped shape his musical tastes, social media has allowed Lynch to share his sound with a global audience.
Social media has played a crucial role in the early success of Lynch’s career. His most popular TikTok is a video of him singing “4th of July Darlin’,” which received 463,400 views.
“It’s had a very large impact, just having my voice be heard to thousands and thousands of people and it’s gotten me most of every opportunity I’ve had,” he said.
Lynch said maintaining a social media presence has been key in reaching his audience and connecting with listeners.
"It's just how people blow up now in the music industry; being on social media is so crucial to having a music career,” he said. “And it’s kind of messed up, but this is how it is.”
Reflecting on the rapid growth of his career, Lynch said he underestimated how successful he could become, prompting him to set higher goals for himself.
“Now that I’m doing way better than I thought I was going to do, I think there’s nothing I can’t do now,” he said. “You got to have confidence in yourself, right?”
Lynch’s music has drawn comparisons to contemporary artists such as Noah Kahan and Zach Bryan. Students at Music Under the Stars said they recognized similarities between his sound and that of the two artists.
Kali Rankin Zelada, a freshman visual and sound media major, said she was unfamiliar with Lynch before the event, but wanted to attend because she enjoys country music.
“I love that he had a Zach Bryan vibe,” Zelada said. “It’s totally my thing, so I was super excited to come.”
Katelyn Morrow, a sophomore finance technology and wealth management major, praised Lynch’s strong stage presence.
“He’s really good at performing live, so I’ll definitely listen to him after this,” Morrow said.
Charlotte Segreto, a sophomore biology major, also enjoyed his performance, which exceeded her expectations.
“He’s a lot better than I thought,” Segreto said. “I didn’t know what to expect coming into it…now he’s a new artist I'm going to listen to.”
While some students were drawn to Lynch’s country sound, Sean Donlon, a sophomore diplomacy and international relations major, noted the emotional depth of Lynch’s lyrics. Donlon said he believes that ability to convey emotion is an important part of music.
“I think music is kind of an art, and it’s something I’m very passionate about,” Donlon said. “I think people can relate to the emotions portrayed in his songs…it’s universal.”
Other students emphasized the significance of campus events as midterms begin and academic workloads increase.
Caitlin Talt, a freshman biology major, said she had a midterm exam before the performance and looked forward to unwinding at the concert with her friends.
“I had a midterm today so I needed something [relaxing],” Talt said, “and my friends were going, so we decided to have a fun night.”
Zelada added that events like Music Under the Stars give students a chance to step away from their academic routines.
“I think it’s a good way to get us out of our dorms, get us out of our normal routines of studying and give us something fun to do and get us out of our comfort zone,” Zelada said.
“It’s a way to come out and see people, listen to music, have fun,” Madeline Fournier, a sophomore psychology major, added. “You might pay money to go to a concert like this in the city. But [here] you don’t have to pay, you don’t have to leave campus. It’s fun.”
Michela DiLorenzo is the Head Editor of The Setonian’s News section. She can be reached at michela.dilorenzo@student.shu.edu.
