Jermain Jackman has spoken about how strange it is to finally hear his songs playing on the radio, after the launch of his new album.

Hackney Gazette: Jermain JackmanJermain Jackman (Image: Archant)

The 19-year old from Woodberry Down secured a £100,000 record deal when he won the BBC’s talent show The Voice this time last year, and has been “pouring his heart and soul” into creating his first self-titled album ever since.

Now the fruits of his labour are paying off, and his first single How will I know? is playing on radio stations like Magic where it was chosen as the ‘song of the week’ and played every morning.

“It’s so weird to hear your song – you were there at the beginning of it, writing it and screwing up the paper and throwing it in the bin and finally you get a song on the radio,” he told the Gazette.

“I got in a cab last week, it had been a terrible morning and when I got in the car they started to play my song on the radio, the driver was tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.

“I said: ‘Do you like this song?” and he said: ‘Yes I love it but I don’t know who it is’, at the end he looked at the booking info and he caught my eye and I grinned a bit, and he said: ‘Oh is that your song?’ and I said: ‘Yes’.

“I’m really happy and really enjoying it.”

Jermain explained how the song is about “being in a relationship where you don’t want to take the plunge because you aren’t sure if she will take the plunge with you, when you want to put your all into this relationship, heart and soul.”

He continued: “At the end it’s a hopeful type of feeling actually that this is the one, this is finally it, maybe she is the one. The message throughout the album is hope.”

“I broke up with my girlfriend just before I went into The Voice, now I’m single and I’m ready to mingle,” he added.