A Conversation With pMad

Q: Hey, can you tell us a bit about where you come from, and what made you want to start a career in music?

A: I am Paul Dillon a solo artist called pMad from the beautiful part of the world of Portumna, Co. Galway, Ireland. 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. If there was never pMad which there very nearly wasn’t I would still be loving music and record here and there.

Q: Did you have any formal training, or are you self-taught?

A: Oh all self taught, messing around over the years on various instruments. I enjoy all types of sounds and noises. Great fun piecing together basslines, riffs, etc in to a tune, that I like! Crossing lots of genres, like the music I listen to from metal to rap to grunge to whatever it is Tom Waits makes these days.

Q: Who were your first and strongest musical influences?

A: My musical influences are so broad and I think it will come across in the singles and album.

Dark goth, new wave/80’s, metal, indie and alt rock. A sucker for a bass line.

Big Cure-head in the day and still Goth (The Cure, The Sisters of Mercy, etc), that looked out of place at Indie ‘A House’, Fugazi / Sonic Youth / Dinosaur Jr, loving Tom Waits to Suicidal Tendencies. Varied inspiration coming out in what I create.

People will hear different influences in the music, they will hear what they are familiar with.

Influenced by what I was listening to at the time!

Q: You have just released your new single, ‘Sisters’. Why the name and is there a story behind it?

A:  Well, the song could have been called ‘Sisters’, ‘Brothers’, ‘Father’s’, ‘Mother’s’ or anyone in your life that has passed away too soon (the good always pass too soon) and left a huge impression in your life, influenced you and now you appreciate all they did for you and you feel yourself doing the good they showed you. My father and youngest sister died way too young but I can feel and know that my life has been affected and influenced for the better.

We all have our devils and our demons and so did they, none of us are perfect, but by being who they were, they showed you what good can be and now you are now using what they showed you, in your actions and deeds, that you know they are not that far away.

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

Q: Can we expect a new EP or even an album from you in the near future?

A: Most definitely, pMad debut album ‘Who Why Where What’ will be released on CD and all streaming services on 11/11/22, it will include all the singles, a few unheard tunes so far, ‘Except Me’, ‘Youth’, a few remixes and extended version of ‘Sisters’ too. Chapter one of the pMad story. Have been in the studio all summer putting together the next pMad singles and album, almost there now and then off for mixing and mastering! pMad will be around in 2023 too!!

Q: What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?

A: It has been called honest music I suppose, it comes from the heart and deals with all the subjects we all suffer with, just through me! I think people resonate with that, none of us are perfect, we are all just trying to do our best (well most of us anyway).

People will hear different influences in the music, they will hear what they are familiar with.

An 80’s sound/vibe with modern twist, is how I feel it could be described as.

It has been described as ‘The child of The Cult and The Mission’ or a modern mix of Matt Johnson (The The) and Cathal Coughlan (Microdisney and The Fatima Mansions). I will happily take those comparisons.

For me it is music I like, that is what pMad is for, to create music I like and if I like it, maybe a few people around the world will like it also!

Q: Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfilment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more?

A: I expect nothing from anyone other than myself. pMad has more than paid me back in what I have learned, experienced, achieved, etc. If it was for the money or fame, well, I might as well try the X Factor or Love Island!! A huge amount of work has gone into pMad, it does take a huge amount and it sometimes seems like making the music is the easy part. Being an Indie / Independent artist and solo at that, I am musician, producer, gaffer, goffer, promotions, marketing and all those wonderful titles rolled into one.

But when you hear pMad on shows that I used to listen to before pMad and on shows with my favourite artists, that is just amazing to me!! I am a music fan!!

Chatting here and giving interviews, talking to people that love music and they want to hear and talk to me. People spending their hard-earned cash on pMad music, it is all just amazing and humbling!

Q: Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song?

A: Process, not sure there is one, I am on my own and just find a bassline I like or a guitar riff or drum beat and go from there, or it is a chorus / lyric ! and then thanks to technology I can start piecing things together. It is funny how an idea evolves and becomes what it ends up as. I have so many snippets of recording and beats, bass lines, etc that it can take a while to just find the one that suits. Then put a modern twist on it. There is no formula, I can start in reverse or start from the start. And some are just full new clean slates, a few songs on the album, will surprise people and so will some of the new tunes. As long as I like what is completed, that will do me!

Q: What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?

A: Life is what it is, life. You don’t know what goes on behind closed doors, every house, no matter what you think of the people in it, will have their own problems. Whether you think it is minor or major, it is a problem to you, that is not easy!

There are billions in graveyards that would love to have the same problems I have!

So, I just get on with it, solve it as best you can, learn from it and move on.

I have not found life enduring, nothing I would change, I have been incredibly lucky to have had the life I had. Not problem free, not without fault but I have managed to try and be as good as I possibly can. Not perfect, broken, needing medicine but I know who I am and I can accept that.

If I have to endure anything, I just get up and move away from it or take a nap (bad movies)!! Too many things in this life to enjoy, why should you endure anything you can get away from.

Q: On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?

A: Proud of who I am and all those around me, I have so many wonderful, beautiful people around me, just amazing! That is success to me. I have a lovely life! But things just do not happen, you have to work hard at it everyday but it is worth it!

Musically like I said before, it is just amazing to be on shows I love and hearing pMad played with the music legends of the world. WoW!!

To chat here with you, none of this could be possible without pMad, what’s not to be thankful for!!

I thank you Bored City for listening to me and all your support!!

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