Monthly Archive for July, 2008

Let me introduce you to Mr D, otherwise known as Paul Mclinden. This is his debut album and if you didn’t know he was from Glasgow like i’ve just told you, you would immediately presume he hailed from the sun drenched west coast of America. From the very first note on the opening track fools fall in love what we have here is sweet and lazy country pop at it’s finest. He’s picked a great day to grant YCD an interview as today looks like it could be the beginning of our so far awful summer. I’ve got this album blasting through my speakers, window down with the sun belting through and about to pour my first beer of the day, perfect. I would like to say there are bluejays singing their lonesome tune and lovers canoodling on the lawn outside just to put the finishing touch to this setting but the truth is there are seagulls going mental in someones left out garbage. Still, the music is loud enough to drown most of that out, hopefully more album sales will be generated from the whole of the street hearing it too.

This album has a real 70’s country sound to it with the Eagles being the first band that springs to mind especially on Island Girl, as an influence, also maybe some byrds too. If you wanted a more modern day comparison you would perhaps look towards The Thrills but where i think they maybe found country later in their lives i get the feeling Mr D has been listening to this stuff all of his. His soft gentle vocals are kept at  just the right level to compliment the lush acoustic melodies which are maintianed from start to finish and even the instrumental Ode to Geraldine keeps you interested with it’s heavier bass line, Strings and some great acoustic guitar work. The 10 songs on this album in total make up just over 31 minutes with the longest track coming in at a staggering 3.26 !! It’s actually quite refreshing to hear 3 minute pop songs again just like you did back in the times when albums that sounded like this were around. Anyway, rather than me try and describe to you the who’s, the where’s, the how’s and the when’s of this and other future albums let’s hear it from Paul himself.

YCD – Hi Mr D, How’s it going?

Mrd D – Hi it’s all going great at the moment…but for how long I wonder.

YCD – Ok, might as well ask you now, promoting anything right now or recently released anything?

Mr D – Yes I’m currently promoting my debut solo record ‘Wings & Wheels’ and am in the process of getting myself ready for the follow up.

YCD – So where can we get a hold of this?

Mrd D – It can be bought from all the usual places: iTunes; Emusic; Amazon etc. All the info is on myspace.com/misterdreadmusic or www.mrdmusic.com – to be honest though someone’s probably making it available for free somewhere else online but I’m not gonna help you find that.

YCD – You are from Scotland so what or who influenced you to make sunshine coast country music?

Mr D – Well I think it’s no coincidence that I and a lot of my fellow Scots make music that’s influenced by the country/Americana scene. I reckon country music is very closely related to Celtic folk music and both use much the same techniques so it’s always seemed very natural to me. I try not to sing in an American accent though…

YCD – What are the biggest obstacles you feel a singer/song writer like yourself faces today?

Mr D – It depends really what you mean by obstacles. It’s always been quite a hard game to make any headway in but i don’t let that get me down to be honest. I think as long as you’re getting your music released you’ve managed to hurdle all the obstacles out there. Sometimes when i look at big star’s; their success seems to have become the biggest obstacle. Hard work is the key. As a great man once said –hard work only beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.

YCD – Ok, I don’t know if you are aware but they have recently found an old law that says all musicians since time began are allowed to take any song from anyone they like from any moment in time and claim it as their own, Which one are you having then? Only one mind you.

Mr D – Well this answer would change every few weeks but right now id love to have written Owed T’Alex by Captain Beefheart. What a song!

YCD – What’s your guilty pleasure?

Mr D – Listening to ‘They Don’t Know’ by Tracy Ullman on repeat all night. Winston Churchill used to play the same songs over and over all night as well so I’m in good company.

YCD – What’s your best musical experience so far and why?

Mr D – Sitting with a bottle of wine listening to ‘In the Wee Small Hours’ because it’s unadulterated Sinatra and never fails to impress me. Its one of my favourite ever albums.

YCD – Who’s currently rocking your stereo?

Mr D – Grauzone, Willie Nelson, Sluts of Trust, George Jones and many others.

YCD – What band/artist would you most like to play with?

Mr D – I was playing bass guitar for a guy who lives near me who is in my opinion a genius and I don’t use that word lightly. For various reasons he has withdrawn from making music just now. It’s very sad for me to think that the world won’t get to hear his music and if I achieve any sort of success I will be trying hard to make sure that doesn’t happen.

YCD – What are your hopes and fears for you in the future, musically?

Mr D – My hopes are to be in a position where i can keep making music and putting it out the way i want to. I also feel it’s important that I make a better record than the last one each time. My fears are that someday that won’t be possible.

YCD – What did you think the last time you looked in the mirror?

Mr D – The last time i looked in the mirror? Oh that’s a hard one. I try and avoid eye-contact as much as i can – even with myself.

YCD – And finally, are you working on anything at the moment?

Mr D – Yes i’m working on my next record and hope to go in sometime before the end of the year to begin recording it. Think Billy Rae Cyrus meets Garth Brooks and you will be on the right track.

Many thanks for the interview and we here at you crazy dreamers wish you all the best for the future.