Paul Mulligan: gtrs & voc. Jimmy Fitzgerald: gtrs, backing Voc. Rob Stein: pedal steel, Paul Jonson: bass. Bruno Stahelin: drums, Paul Gunning: accordion, Ivor Ottley: fiddle. Brendan O Regan : Mandolin & Bouzouki, Tony Trundle and Mette Jensen and Elaine King on Backing vocals.
Influences
Growing up in the Ireland in the seventies, lying in the midddle of a field looking up at the stars at night , learning to play my guitar quietly in the dark after lights out in a boarding school......discovering the music of John Prine, Tom Waits,Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan,Randy Newman, James Taylor, Hank Williams, , JJ Cale,
Johnny Cash, Gram Parsons, ...........the falling leaves, snow on a rope, the wind and the rain, the sun through the leaves of the overhanging trees, the sticky sound of my car tyres on a hot tar road..................to be continued!
Sounds Like
Pauls album "Strong Friend" is available now on iTunes. There are two duets with John Prine. Click on the links to preview and purchase individual tracks or the whole album.
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Blue Cortina
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Strong Friend
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Voices
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Aimless Love (featuring John Prine)
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Small Town
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My Time Is Not My Own
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Butterflies And Moths
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Fifteen Years (featuring John Prine)
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Trouble On My Mind
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Back Home To You
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Monsters
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Do It Right Now
"Galway-based singer-songwriter, Paul Mulligan, may not be a
name that's familiar to many, but it's pretty certain that many will be
familiar with the name of John Prine who contributes vocals and guitar
to a couple of tracks on Strong Friend -- one of which is Prine's own
song "Aimless Love."
You can possibly imagine what Strong Friend might sound like just from
that opening paragraph. Mulligan brings his easy, story-telling into a
predominately acoustic musical setting that draws subtly on both his
native Irish tradition and the American country influences that one
might associate with Prine. Of his fellow countrymen, Mulligan is
probably closest in style to Christy Hennessy in both the personal,
reflective nature of his lyrics and the delicate, sensitive delivery of
his vocals.
Strong Friend is a beautifully understated collection of dreams gone by
and the usual unrest with everyday life. The songs are both penned and
delivered with poise and sensitivity, asking the right questions and
tugging at the right heartstrings."
Mike Wilson-folking.com
"This, his debut album, reveals a talented and sensitive
songwriter - Mulligan plays excellent acoustic guitar backed up by a
bevy of capable musicians -The music inhabits the territory between
Hank Williams, James Taylor and Christy Moore, painting an aural
picture of personal angst without touching the hell realms of Damien
Rice et al."
Keith Fitton-Rock and
Reel magazine
Paul was born in Dublin and grew up in Kells Co. Meath. He moved to
Kinvara Co. Galway in 1996 where he set up the
“Audiomonkey” recording studio and record label. He
has been working behind the scenes in the music business there since.
His music has been recorded byIrish singers Ealanor Shanley, Niamh
Parsons, Mary McPartlan (Mojo folk album of the year 2005}, by Scottish
band ‘Fine Friday' and by California based singer
Sylvia Herold (Cats And Jammers)
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