A 16-year-old singer-songwriter from Hampstead is highlighting the challenges facing musicians because of the coronavirus and urging people to engage with artists in new ways.

A 16-year-old singer-songwriter from Hampstead is highlighting the challenges facing musicians because of the coronavirus and urging people to engage with artists in new ways.

Rising pop star Denis Coleman, who was due to support singer HRVY on a UK and European tour next month, is performing regular livestreams on his Instagram channel.

As a DIY musician with a young fanbase, this is not new territory for Denis. But with concerts being cancelled all over the world, artists including John Legend, Pink, and Coldplay’s Chris Martin are giving livestream performances to fans at home.

Denis told the Ham&High: “It’s a difficult time for a lot of artists – and not just the artists but their tour managers, sound teams, promoters etc – who are quite badly hit.

“One big way people have been supporting each other is by spreading awareness, describing the challenges we face.”

Denis, a familiar face on CBBC and Nickelodeon, has been using his 40.6K Instagram following to amplify important intergenerational and community-spirited messages.

He said: “As a little baby, people my age are generally the least affected, which means we have the most responsibility to help people out, and to try and stop the spread.”

Though disappointed by the likely tour cancellation, Denis said: “I think it’s important to see the silver linings in any situation, like the communities springing back to help people around them.”

After a year of travels and studio tours, Denis is rediscovering how great it is to spend time with family. With the Colmans’ isolating, cockapoos London and Nutmeg are spending more time in the garden than the nearby Heath.

Musically, he is taking the opportunity to practice his violin and explore previous generations: “One of the greatest dudes is Johann Sebastian Bach.”

Whilst his immediate future hopes centre on seeing an end to coronavirus, Denis vows: “I will keep creating new content that can cheer people, and provide fun in people’s day to day lives.”

Denis Coleman’s latest track ‘Without You’ and other tunes are available on Spotify. Live shows are announced on Denis’ Instagram.