Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Paul McGonagle experiences culture first-hand. He lives, breathes, shares and experiences culture 24/7. Whether he’s playing drums with the pop-folk trio Simple Things, indie rock artist Alky, alt-pop group Find-Joy, or the Celtic folk-pop duo Carron, or organising sessions at his The Bunker Studio in Dublin, McGonagle is an Irish chameleon.
Born in Derry, he began playing drums at age eight and went on to start original projects that led to performances at venues including The Olympia Theatre and Vicar Street, and to supporting artists such as Bastille, Mumford & Sons, and Mark Owen. Working in many of Ireland’s top studios with producers including Rob Kirwan and Stefano Sofia, Paul absorbed the qualities that make these studios world-class and has used them as the foundation of The Bunker Studio and The Nest, both of which he owns.
In addition to The Bunker and his drumming duties, Paul has a visual arts degree from IADT and creates design and branding work for the music industry with his business OffBeat Graphics, as well as looking after artist management & PR through 101 Management. In short: someone who understands, lives and breathes the industry from the inside.
In late April, Chaoszine met with McGonagle via Zoom to discuss his upcoming gigs as a drummer, the cultural role played by The Bunker in Dublin, his many artistic roles (musician, designer, studio manager, producer, songwriter, you name it), what makes a good song, drummers who have influenced him, and more. An in-depth interview with a leading figure on the Irish cultural scene:
Tell me a little bit about your bands. You have a big gig with Simple Things and The Coronas on May 29 in Limerick. Then you also play with Alky. What else?
Paul McGonagle: At the moment, they’re the two main ones. There’ll be more gigs coming up. Simple Things are also playing the Bank Holiday next weekend (This interview took place on April 22). We have a headline show in Killarney, and then we’re playing Greenfield Festival. There’ll be a busy summer for the lads and for me with them. I’m playing with Alky then, he sold out Whelan’s recently and with Find Joy as well.
What struck me first about you is all that you do: you play the drums in various bands and own The Bunker Studio, The Nest and 101 Management. What’s your secret to managing it all?
Paul McGonagle: I’ve just been doing it so long that to me it’s all together. It’s all a circle; everything is connected. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I will have to say no to some things. The focus needs to be on the main thing. And the last few years, that’s been The Bunker. So yeah, it’s a balancing act. I really enjoy doing it. And when you see it working and paying off, that’s a massive plus. It takes a lot of years to work at it. Figuring out where to focus at certain times rather than say yes to everything that comes in endless emails. I’ve gotten better at managing it and just going with what’s a priority now. It’s all connected to me. You take on a bit of the management, booker, and promoter roles… Fighting for your corner, doing that for many years, I think it becomes second nature. To me, it was always the ambition of trying to make it whatever that is now or whatever that is for people. For me, it was always like stadium-level touring and things like that. And I’m making a good living from it. I always just pushed myself to do that.
What I like about The Bunker Studio is that I get the sense there’s a real sense of community among the bands that play there, as if there’s a great feel of belonging. Am I right?
Paul McGonagle: I started working on it 5 years ago. It was a rehearsal space for the band I was in at the time. The guitarist and I kept it on, but it wasn’t what it is now. My intention was never to make The Bunker a thing until it was around Covid. I took over the space, and I knew the demand for rehearsals and good rehearsal studios in Dublin. I just wanted to create somewhere that I was happy with. There’s a great music community in the Irish music scene here in Dublin and across the whole island.
I know.
Paul McGonagle: Everyone’s very supportive, so there’s already kind of a community buzz. It’s a small network; generally, everyone knows everyone. When The Bunker opened, it happened naturally. To be honest, I just wanted to turn it into a business and have people book the space. But it has evolved into this, and people have said over the years that it’s a great community buzz here. Everyone feels they’re part of the same thing, which is lovely. I like to give back to artists as well. I think that does help. It’s a support network, a community, I think that really helps everyone; it’s good for them and for me.
Where is The Bunker located?
Paul McGonagle: It’s in Dublin 1, just two minutes away from O’Connell Street on a street called Talbot Street. It’s also very close to all the main transport hubs, which is great. I get a lot of touring acts coming in from places like New Zealand and Canada who are starting their European tour here. They come to The Bunker for a warm-up and pre-production rehearsal after they arrive. They’ll kick off their shows here in Dublin and then go on to perform in the rest of Europe. But, because it’s so central, they can rehearse here, pack up their gear, and then walk to the venue.
You split your time between Derry and Dublin. What do you think of the Irish music scene at the moment? I think the scene is really thriving, and there are some great bands in Ireland nowadays. What’s your view on that?
Paul McGonagle: Yeah, I absolutely agree. There are tons of acts. I see acts coming in here from the music college and then working their way up, getting management and things like that. There are really good quality artists, bands, solo acts, duos, whatever. It’s amazing. The only small downside is that some venues are closing or have been shut down in Dublin. But there are gigs every night. And culturally, I’d say we’ve always been good, but it’s prime time for the Irish culture.
You’ve worked in Ireland’s top recording studios and with leading producers such as Rob Kirwan and Stefano Soffia. What does a song need to have to be really good? I’m talking about the sound and the composition.
Paul McGonagle: There’s definitely a formula, but I personally think one thing, and I’ve heard other artists talk about this in different ways. There’s energy in something a bit imperfect. You need things to click track, and depending on the style of music, of course, that has to be done. But you must not overthink, not try to go back and perfect it. That can be hit and miss. It’s all about authenticity and energy in your music. You must remain true to yourself as an artist. You need a good production for sure, a good team, band, and musicians. You can try to work with the formula, but sometimes magic happens.
Sometimes you just have to let it flow.
Paul McGonagle: Indeed.
I remember the first track of Miles Davis’ “Kind Of Blue”, “So What”. The drummer hit the ride cymbal so hard at the beginning. It was a mistake, but great to the record.
Paul McGonagle: Yeah, they kept in. Those little things become part of the song and the story that people love. Sometimes you make mistakes, but I think that’s your intuition and your subconscious acting for you.
Name me three albums that brought you into music.
Paul McGonagle: I was lucky that my parents had good musical taste. Peter Gabriel‘s “So” (1986) is a must. I’ve seen him live, amazing. Incredible production levels, perfect experimentation and great musicians… Another one would be “Born To The USA” (1984) by Bruce Springsteen. That was the first tape that my dad had in the car, the first music that I drummed to. Max Weinberg is brilliant. And I should mention U2‘s “The Best Of 1980-1990”. Larry Mullen Jr is unique. He doesn’t get a shoutout that much because U2 is a machine, but as a drummer, the stuff he came up with was so unique. I will add Michael Jackson and Van Morrison as well.
Name two Irish drummers who are your favourites.
Paul McGonagle: I’ll say Larry Mullen again. As a drummer, I play Yamaha drums because when I was 8, I was like: “Oh, he plays Yamaha. That’s what I’ll get“. Same with Paiste cymbals. And then Brian Downey from Thin Lizzy. He never gets put in the top ten of drummers, and he does not get the props he deserves. Next level!
What advice would you give to someone who wants to pursue a career in music in Ireland?
Paul McGonagle: Be prepared for a lot of hard work these days, especially for not much return at the start. As ridiculous as that sounds, that is the reality. You see people come up who sometimes don’t realise the work involved. You have to put in that grunt work and really push it. Be prepared to be away from home a lot. But that pays off in my mind. It’s tough; you must surround yourself with good people and try to be in the same networks. Just get yourself out there, meet people, connect with people that you want to play music with or that you want to work with in music. Everyone generally loves what they do in music here, so people are very open. It’s just a matter of making those connections. Keep writing songs and keep putting them out.
More about Paul here.
