Niall Horan moves in two directions as he juggles golf agency with his solo music career
Former One Direction pop star Niall Horan is on the lookout for a rising Aussie golfer for his new venture as he launches his latest single.
Music
Don't miss out on the headlines from Music. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Irish pop star Niall Horan is heading in a new direction – golf management mogul.
His Modest! Golf agency is on the lookout for a rising Australian golfer to add to their books as their roster expands.
The 26-year-old musician, in Australia to launch his latest single Nice To Meet Ya, said he fell in love with the sport after it gave him an opportunity during his One Direction days to “get away from the madness”.
He recalls that sanity saver was dashed during One Direction’s first tour of Australia and television news helicopters buzzed he and Harry Styles to the point where the down drafts were pushing their balls around the greens.
“There’s some serious talent down here, the love for sport in this country is huge so that’s the next thing for me. I want to try to sign an Australian golfer and then break the agency into America,” he said.
“It’s like signing a new music act, I’m, just waiting for the right person. The agency was a lot harder to get off the ground than you think, in terms of perception.
“The golf world is so small and people are now coming to us because of the work we are doing with our talent.”
That’s not to say he is giving away his music career any time soon.
MORE NEWS
Anger as Google lifts ban on ticket reseller Viagogo
Elton’s drummer on farewell tour
My incredible 50-year friendship with Elton John
Horan has defied the odds to enjoy phenomenal post boy band solo success, with his debut album Flicker generating three million in worldwide sales and nearly 3.5 billion streams.
Nice To Meet Ya has already clocked up 100 million streams since its October release.
The song will get another boost courtesy of a remix and video from Diplo, one of the world’s biggest DJs and producers.
Diplo shocked the singer by making his own video, a hilarious rip-off of Horan’s own black and white vertical clip, imitating the pop star’s dance moves shot for shot.
“I get so much love off artists that I wouldn’t have thought (like me), especially Diplo, one of the cooler DJs on the planet, great producer who has his hands in so many different pies and is always asking to write together,” Horan said.
“That’s really cool for me because it means I am being accepted for my writing and allows me to then ask him if he wants to do remixes of my songs.”
Horan’s reputation as a down-to-earth artist who doesn’t mind a laugh and a pint has also attracted famous fans including Robbie Williams, who regularly trolls the Irishman on Instagram.
Name a better friendship, we'll wait 🥰 @NiallOfficial x @LewisCapaldi pic.twitter.com/cXtXzuGQw4
— UMUSIC (@umusic) November 27, 2019
He was one of the first people to discover breakout Scottish singer and songwriter Lewis Capaldi and his debut single Bruises – when it still only had a couple of hundred YouTube views – and the pair have become firm mates who will join forces on an American arena tour next year.
“We kept saying to each other after a few pints, ‘C’mon, let’s do some shows together’ and then we’d forget about it because we were hungover,” he said.
“One day I literally sent him a text saying ‘On a serious note, should we go on tour together in North America; it would be a great laugh doing arenas.
“And he said yes.”
Horan plans to return to Australia in early 2020 to launch his new record with a tour expected later in the year.
Originally published as Niall Horan moves in two directions as he juggles golf agency with his solo music career