8 April 2024
Every Monday I will be bringing you an interview with an independent band, duo or music artist. This week, I caught up with Glasgow band The Paul McKenna Band to find out more…
Who is in the band, how did you meet, where are you from and how did you come up with the name?
We met and formed in Glasgow in 2006, brought together by the scene and our shared love for dynamic compositions and traditional music. We are fronted by Paul McKenna (vocals, guitar), hence the name, who performs alongside Ewan Baird (percussion), Conor Markey (banjo, bouzouki, guitars), Conal McDonagh (pipes, whistles) and Robbie Greig (fiddle).
Who were your musical influences when you were growing up and who are your influences now?
We are inspired by a number of Irish and Scottish folk legends, whose sounds and music thrilled us from a young age and still influence us today. Christy Moore, Dougie MacLean and Archie Fisher are all artists we admire and have grown up listening to so we wanted to pay tribute to them on this EP. The incredible Dick Gaughan and his passionate social conscious has also always been a major source of inspiration. These days we all listen to quite a broad range of music from pop to old time and bluegrass music from across the pond which has had an influence on the band since first touring the US many years ago.
How would you describe your sound?
Our sound is rooted in Scottish and Irish traditional music with contemporary influences from the worlds of folk, pop and Americana.
What is your latest release called and what was the influence behind it?
Setting Sun is the name of our new six-track EP. It’s our love letter to the folk music tradition and really lets us share our take on some of the most admired and cherished folk songs in our music collections. Each track has been thoughtfully selected for the record and we hope it will give people a chance to reconnect with some classics and enjoy the angle from which we’ve approached them.
What’s your local music scene like?
We are incredibly blessed in Glasgow to have an absolutely thriving music scene which is home to some of the most exciting folk music talent in the world. The city is also a real melting pot of different musical influences and styles, which we love, and there are so many opportunities for collaboration. Each year kicks off with Celtic Connections, Europe’s premiere world, folk and roots music festival, so right from the off in January the city is filled with opportunities to perform and experience sensational live music and that’s a really special thing.
What do you have planned for the next 12 months?
We have a few dates planned for this summer and then a short run of shows around Scotland and England in September. Paul is getting married in May so our spring has been fairly quiet, but we hope to confirm a few more shows in the summer if we can, including our first trip to Norway.
Is there anyone you’d love to collaborate with?
This list has the potential to be extremely long. Paul has collaborated with many artists including Tim O’Brien, Dave Gunning and Liz Stringer in the past and we have shared the stage with many great artists over the years. We have always wanted to do a song with the amazing Cara Dillon so hopefully that can happen one day.
Any funny stories surrounding your live performances?
We’ve been performing since 2006 and touring since around 2008. We have some great stories from the road but most probably happened off stage rather than on! We performed at Tiree Music Festival a few years ago, a gig we were all really excited about, but during our first song there was a power cut of some kind, and we lost all lights and sound. Looking back now it’s easier to laugh about it!
What is the one thing that you want readers to know about you?
We are passionate about the music we create.
You can find out more about The Paul McKenna Band on their website or via Apple Music, Bandcamp, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, X (Twitter) or YouTube.
HOME 