In this interview spotlight, I chat with pMad about the latest release, the impact of the pandemic technology and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and how do You describe your style of music?
pMad is the title of my solo project, my name is Paul Dillon and I am from Portumna, co. Galway, Ireland. Portumna, Galway & Ireland is well known for its music but not so much for the genre of music pMad has created. It has been described as lots of things by lots of people. But that is not the question and that makes it all the more difficult. I have mixed so many different genres of music from so many different pieces of music I have put together over the years that it has probably moulded into an 80’s type goth rock style, though through the album you will get the feel of some metal, alt-rock, synthwave, etc. So really a wide variety of influences to my style of music.
How did you get here? As in, what inspired or motivated you to take on this journey through music and the music biz?
I am a music fan first and foremost. So the love of music has had me over a lifetime producing my own snippets of tunes, lyrics, etc and recording them, but never getting the inclination or time to go any further. But with lockdowns, through the love of music and wanting to know more, I set up The Best of Irish Indie on Facebook and created a series of polls over the lockdowns which delved deep into the history of Irish Indie music. A huge success with a fantastic group that is still running and expanding to this day. But having seen what can be created by other Irish artists, the possession of more time and the incredible advancement of technology – the time was used to dig out the old recordings, lyrics and add to them with new ideas and sounds to create an album, which I am hugely proud of. The album is a journey through music for me, the music biz part is the next learning process for me and that seems even harder to manage than the music making part. So I will see how the next step goes! The album is for me and the hope is that if I like it, others around the world may also too!!
How does your latest project compare/contrast with your previous release(s)? Were you setting out to accomplish anything specific, follow a specific theme, or explore different styles of creation?
Being that all this is new to me, I have absolutely no references to go by, I am truly learning every day. Plan A at the start was create a song, then everyday it grew until I am at this point, readying the release of my 2nd single on 1st February ‘Medicine’. Still astounded each day when I see ‘Who am I’ in a chart, played on the radio, reviewed, etc!! It was always for the amazing artists of the world to get that and for me to be listening, reading about the great tunes of the world. So for a song of mine to be out there and something thinks it is good……well, just so flattering. A friend and I have a band The Greeting running at the moment also, recording that album is happening while all this is going on, it is more grunge/pop-punk type vibe/music, so heading down a whole different genre to pMad really but the similarities and learnings and failings of pMad will be put to use when releasing The Greeting’s singles and album. So all a bit hectic at present. We take each day and each release date as it comes and we learn from there, which is all pMad can do!
Name the biggest challenge you faced as a creative during these unprecedented? How did you adapt? How have you kept the creative fires burning during all this?
The challenges were all before Covid actually. The unprecedented actually gave me the unprecedented time to even think about going further and that was needed to get the project up and running, recorded and released. Adapted fairly well I would say, it gave me the time and creative fires to create, produce and with the help of some very talented friends, Liam, Dominik and Pepe we got the pMad sound sorted and released. I am fairly thick and single minded when required and if a job needs doing, well get doing it. Every day we listen back to the tunes, there will always be something that maybe could be tweaked here and there, but it will never be perfect anyway, it is pMad and if anyone wants to remaster the album in time, then we can look at it, but for now, ‘who Am I’ is out there and ‘Medicine’ is next, that is just it!
What was the last song you listened to?
Sonic Youth – Youth against Fascism, love Sonic Youth, the noise, the variety of songs, from the profound to the ‘What was that’. Just happens to be the tune listened to just before this interview. It could have been anything really, I am a music fan as I said. At present, big in to, Benefits, Bob Vylan, Amyl and the Sniffers and lots more, still making great music. My collection goes from Tom Waits to Dinosaur Jr, The Fall to The Sisters of Mercy, The The to The Chapman Family. All day everyday listening to music. Love it
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? 8-tracks? Cassettes? CDs? MP3s? Streaming platforms?
Don’t care, depends where I am, use them all, have records, cd’s, cassettes, MP3’s and I delve in and out of them all, car, office, attic, depends. I do use streaming services but find them no good if I want to specifically find out more about the tunes of a certain band. I refuse to pay to join the streaming services, I go by freebie. They will pay me next to nothing for my music or other artist creations so why should I pay them!! Cause even if I join they will pay no more to the artists.
So I use it to find a tune or two of a band I like and then I go off to Bandcamp, the bands website, etc and get more info and purchase from there. At least the artist is more likely to get a decent percentage of what I paid rather that improving the coffers of already wealthy billionaires.
Nothing will change unfortunately until the consumer decides that also.
Where is the best place to connect with you and follow your journey?
You can find pMad in all the usual places, even though pMad is slightly different, it is no different in having to go onto the socials, streaming services, website, Bandcamp, Youtube, etc to get the word out there. @pMadtheband
https://linktr.ee/pMadtheband – will get you to the one you use the most. Why not give pMad a like, comment, follow, share, stream, view, email – I am loving the emails in all fairness, people have been hugely supportive and I have loved getting back to them, from the four corners of the world, brilliant!
I really appreciate Your time. Anything else before we sign off?
The sales pitch!! – ‘Who Am I’ was released on 3rd December 2021 and available in most reasonable places, would be delighted for you to check it out. Thank you.
Next up is ‘Medicine’ on 1st February 2022, it will be available to stream but also on CD with ‘Who Am I’ and a free download of a remix of ‘Who Am I’. The CD can be purchased from Bandcamp from 7th January 2022, so I will have it to you before or on release date.
‘Medicine’ is a pulsating mix of pMad’s inspirational and aspirational lyrics sung in his haunted & gloomy voice, accompanied by dramatic keys, killer bass lines, guitars and all tied together with a pulsating drum groove
What would you say to life in a day? What is your special time?
Can we escape the vicious circle?
They hand you the script but all it leaves is you is black and white and red and green……
Can we help ourselves?
pMad is using hope as the medicine and letting us all know, the power is within!!
