Pearse McGloughlin
... is a musical artist and wordsmith who crafts songs of exquisite beauty and depth. His album ‘Keg’, a collaboration with Julie McLarnon, showcases his talent and versatility. Pearse has also lent his musical skills to the cinematic realm, composing soundtracks for films such as ‘Shine’ and ‘Around Here’.
His work has been exhibited in the prestigious Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, alongside his brothers Kevin and Páraic, who are also artists. He has created music for commercial purposes as well. Pearse’s music has received acclaim for its captivating, elegant and nuanced style, and has been featured in various media outlets such as The Irish Times, the BBC, RTÉ Radio and TG4.
He has also performed at festivals such as Electric Picnic, and his songs have been interpreted and released by his peers, such as Fia Rua and Robin James Hurt. The Sunday Times lauded his ‘songs of autumnal ambience, bringing shades of a serene Sigur Rós or Beach House in their better moments’
How did your passion for music begin and what are the main influences behind your musical style?
Music and songwriting is an avenue for me to explore ideas, it's the conduit for my creativity and self expression. As a teen, writing my own songs was always important and although I enjoy learning other people's songs, I'm more interested in bringing my own visions to life. Musically, my main influences are writers like Leonard Cohen or Nick Cave but more in their approach than in their songs or sounds.
What was the inspiration behind your latest single, “Six”, and what’s the story behind it?
It is a response to 'The Gulag Archipelago' - that brilliant work by Alexander Solzhenitsyn. A lot of the song is written from his point of view, his political and personal struggles. I like that this song is jangly and quirky, it's a fun juxtaposition to a serious philosophical work. This song has had a great response.
The song is also part of your album “KEG”. How would you describe it for our readers?
The album was recorded to analogue tape by a producer called Julie McLarnon. The initial recording was quite a strange and sad time in my life but I think the songs have an immediate and classic feel. Musically it is influenced by several acts: John Lennon, Nick Cave, Bright Eyes, Deus, Elliot Smith, PJ Harvey, to name a few.
How do you decide when a song is ready for a release?
Great question. Well there's the writing side of things- that requires a lot of finessing, working with lyrics, melodies and progressions. And then you hope you realise your initial vision for the song in the studio setting. Here I find you must employ a certain amount of surrender once you have done all that's in your control. When I finish a song I'm always excited about the next project or song. I tend not to listen to things too much once they're finished.
What do you do when you get stuck in the middle of a song?
I just let it come in its own good time usually. Or I give myself a deadline to get it over the line. Like if I have a studio session booked, well, I just have to finish it. So I'll spend time immersing myself in the song. Just listening to it again and again. Solutions present themselves often when you step away and stop thinking. I guess I just put in the work to finish the song. Sometimes it's quick, sometimes it's months or even years.
If you take a look back on "Busy Whisper", how would you describe your songwriting evolution?
Better! I loved that first album of mine, it actually was a great friend in my career. It's a great question again though. My melodies are more interesting and I've developed a style which is quite intertextual - I am inspired by books and the poetic world very often and I guess I have a certain contemplative philosophy in my writing which wasn't very obvious in 'Busy Whisper'. But there's a playfulness in Busy Whisper and I think I've continued to embrace that too as I've evolved. Thanks for doing your research, I appreciate it!
What are some of the challenges that you face as a musician in the current music industry?
There's so much music all of the time and it's so hard for people to digest it. It can make it difficult for thoughtful stuff to push through. Maybe. Flip side is music blogs in Austria can come and ask you to do a Q and A! Which is great, the internet can bring your music to audiences further afield, outside my native Ireland.
What are your goals for the future?
I've been focused on albums for years...I'm doing a sound design for a big spoken word production here in Ireland and I want to do more of that in future. It's very different from songwriting. I did a tour this summer to promote 'Keg'. I love playing live and I feel I've got a good handle on it at this point in my career. So I want to do more of that.
Also, some of my music has been used in film and visual, so I want to do more of that as it's exciting. Thanks so much for the interview Wolf and the considered questions.
