pMad
Paul Dillon from Portumna, Co. Galway in Ireland is solo artist named pMad. Following a path of introspection with a unique view of the world & what we are doing to ourselves and the planet!
'Sisters' now delves into the feelings we have, when people we love leave our lives too soon. The special thing is Paul in bands The Suicidal Dufflecoats to The Greeting & now pMad, records ‘Sisters’ in the middle of a pandemic and it is created in Ireland (self-released on Zedakube Records), in collaboration with Germany (Protonaut Studio) & Mexico (Elith Mastering Labs) without ever being in the same room together.
"Sisters" sounds amazing, personally it's my favorite track of pMad, what's the story behind it, what was your inspiration respectively?
Like all pMad songs up to now, they have been created from pieces of recordings I have made over the years. Pieced together during the pandemic and re-recorded and made coherent. The inspiration for ‘Sisters’ was my youngest sister Keira who just dropped dead one day! Too young and too good to die, yet she did. We mourned but the world will spin with you or without you. So, life goes on but she left an indelible mark in my life, like my father and relations and friends that have died.
Lyrically it all came together in remembrance of her and even though she was you, she thought all she knew so much. She was a cool, calm character and had some great sayings and thoughts on life. Of course, she like me and any of us was not perfect and had her own few demons to conquer too. The one great thing she always said, if some was mean to her or anyone, ‘be kind to them, you don’t know what they are going through right now’.
She always seen the good in people. A bit like as you grow up, you hear yourself saying things your father or mother said and you stop and say oh Lord I am turning into them, well that is the influence people have on you, so I am lucky to have had the influence of such wonderful people now passed and they have influenced and helped me to be who am I am today even with all my own devils and demons!!
How is it to work with you in the studio, do you know how it should sound or are you open for some input?
It is just me only in the studio, so it I will have to say I am wonderful to work with!! It is long distant collaboration with Dominik (Protonaut Studios) and Pepe (Elith Studios) so quick difficult to get into a fist fight! I create all the demo’s of the songs and we produce them together then over time. We have 5 of the 8 songs completed for the 2nd set of singles and album for 2023, just to be mixed.
Demo’s of the last 3 being finished as and when I get a chance with the release of ‘Sisters’ and the album ‘Who Why Where What’ in November taking up most of my time these weeks!! So after all that, it is probably quite boring to be with me in the studio, though you might learn lots of new curse words!! I am fluent in bad language!
If you take a look back, what was the last "turning point" in music history?
There is a turning point in most generations in my opinion, Rock & Roll to Punk to Grunge to Rap to Rave/Techno back to one man and his guitar to Drill & Grime. Music may not be reinventing the wheel but it is certainly moving on and then there is the mix of genres that comes out of it all.
People always want to put labels on things and pMad gets the Gothic, Post-Punk, Indie, Alt, Rock labels, it does because is crosses the genres, my influences will do that. Everyone will have their own turning points in their musical history, for me, there are loads of points.
My parents record player and loving to put on Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison as a child. Cousins coming to the house and playing Status Quo and Genesis. My first cassette purchase with my own money ‘Human Lib’ Howard Jones (my first concert too). To being introduced to The Smiths & Tom Waits by my cousin Mikey F. Discovering The Cure and becoming a Curehead. Watching TV and ‘Freak Scene’ Dinosaur Jr and ‘Monkey Gone to Heaven’ The Pixies, just blew me away. Find Public Enemy, wow, just amazing, so inspirational.
If you could choose one famous person to talk about music, who would it be?
Probably would be Tom Waits, he just excites me with his music and lyrics. He has got to have so many amazing stories about life. Most artists sort of wane off during their career, it so difficult to just keep writing and producing great music without it all just sounding the same or so completely different from where they started.
Tom Waits has created music later in his career that is better than anything else he has done that made him famous to start with. His Bone Machine album is one of my favourite ever, not a bad song on it, so many weird and wonderful things to it! All the way up to Bad As Me, just love Hell Broke Luce. And, of course I love all his stuff but to keep making some much great music, just amazing and to be such a fascinating character as well. He is my choice.
The Indie Scene in Ireland is ...?
The Indie scene in Ireland is booming at present, so many amazing artists making amazing music. For such a small country we truly punch above our weight. Though like in the world it is hard to know what is actually Indie and what is well backed by the big labels calling itself Indie. That is the same the world over I suppose.
The country is producing some of the best music it ever has, though it would be very hard to compete with the legends of A House, Therapy?, The Frank and Walters, That Petrol Emotion and so on. But Just Mustard, Big Boy Foolish, First Class and Coach, Klubber Lang, One Morning in August, NewDad, Trouble Pilgims, Ava Vox and so many more burning the Indie candle bright!
As a scene, like lots and lots of places around the world it is getting smaller and smaller to hear these wonderful artists, too many places closing and too few radio stations/shows not playing Indie music!! The music you have not heard is more than likely better than the music you have heard……..but commerce and profit they believe is in the boy bands, formula music, music by numbers, the same olde shite that has always been triped out!!
Indie for a reason I suppose. Damned if you don’t, sell out if you do!
What are your Top 3 Songs at the moment?
Wow, that is tricky, these few songs worth listening to, but anything by these artists are great
Bob Vylan – Pretty Songs
Amyl and the Sniffers – Guided By Angels
Arab Strap – Fable Of The Urban Fox
What can we expect from you in the near future?
I don’t know!! What is expected of pMad. Not even a year going in the public eye, it has been amazing! A huge thanks to all that have helped pMad get this far, Nene’s Butler has been instrumental in it, thank you so much. Well what I can tell you, is what will happen!!
Another single ‘Except Me’ another twist in the sound of pMad to coincide with the release of my debut album ‘Who Why Where What’ in November 2022. The album will be available on CD as is always in the modern day on all the streaming services.
Singles and album number 2 “I in Power’ have been recorded and are currently being finalised and going for mixing and mastering, that will fill 2023 full of pMad music.
After I do not now, others will decide pMad’s future after that. It could be just hang up the boots and walk off into the sunset or play loads of festivals, gigs and make more music! I would prefer the later, but again, others will decide. Offers are coming in, but nothing to over excite me at the moment.
Bring on the future !!
‘Who Why Where What’ out in November – pre-order will be out soon, keep an eye out for it – for all things pMad follow this link: https://linktr.ee/pMadtheband
