The Baker's Dozen #36 Gareth Dunlop

As the world seemingly came to a grinding halt due to a global pandemic, there was still plenty happening in Gareth Dunlop's own Sycamore Studios in Northern Ireland as he produced impressive releases from Foy Vance and Lee Rogers. He also found the time to complete a very fine album of his own in ‘Animal’. Gareth is now busy on the road as a solo performer and as a member of Foy Vance’s band, but we were able to catch up with the singer/songwriter to get a few thoughts on the lockdown, an early love of Lynyrd Skynyrd and his fledgeling attempts at being in a band - which will sound very familiar to some of us. So, over to Gareth Dunlop for the latest edition of the Baker’s Dozen here at Red Guitar Music.

1. What is your earliest musical memory?

My grandfather playing the harmonica along with my dad on mandolin… I would have been around 3 or 4 years old… I can remember being at my grandparents’ house with everyone sitting around in the tiny living room, while my dad and my Grandpa played through old Irish ballads. 

2. Do you remember the name of your first band?

Yep! “Rugandi” How that name came about I can’t remember… Three piece blues cover band… basically a self-indulgent outlet for me to badly play blues solos in the minor pentatonic on my low slung Les Paul copy. 

3. Which current artist do you hear and just go Wow?

The Killers latest record “Pressure Machine” floored me… still can’t get enough of it. Sean Rowe’s latest album “The Darkness Dressed In Colored Lights” is another incredible album I’ve been living with lately. 

4. Do you sit down to write songs or do you wait until your mojo comes to get you?

A bit of both… waiting for the moment of creativity to strike in the midst of everyday life can sometimes take a while. I like to try and make time most days to at least open the door for something to happen… even if it doesn’t it’s still time well spent. 

5. Big venue or small venue - what’s your favourite to play?

There’s something about smaller venues that I’ve always been drawn to. Some of my favourite shows have been in smaller clubs where the distance between the mic stand and the audience is mere centimetres…There’s almost a more instant connection being so close to the audience. 

6. Who is the one artist you wish you could share a stage with (past or present)?

I’d have to go with Paul Simon… simply because it would be the best seat in the house. 

7. Bowie, Prince, Sinatra, Elvis which departed great means the most to you?

Out of these four greats I’d say Prince meant the most to me… I was always aware of the hits growing up as a kid… but it wasn’t until much later that I discovered how much of an insane guitar player, drummer, bassist, pianist and producer he was. He had it all and did it all differently to everybody else. 

8. The musical landscape could change markedly due to the Covid-19 pandemic. How has the situation affected you and what do you feel will be its impact on the music business/live performance going forward?

On a personal level I leaned into the hiatus and really enjoyed being at home with my family for an unusually long period of time. An odd silver lining in the mess of it all… Musically it was a giant pause button… everything stopped for everyone. No touring, no studio gigs and releases dried up… I think the aftermath of it all is still being uncovered… There’s two years of cancellations, postponements and re-bookings happening now that venues and festivals are back open… and there’s a long list of acts and artists playing shows they should have played years ago. I think it’s going to take time for the wheels to get back up to speed. 

9. Should music be free?

No I don’t think it should be free. If it was free then there wouldn’t be a lot of music out there to listen to.  Outside of the obvious places like radio, streaming and gigs - we consume music in so many different ways whether it’s the soundtracks to TV shows & movies or the scores behind Console games or even the musical alarms on our phones.  It takes a lot of skill, imagination, time and effort to create music…being able to keep the lights on while you’re making music that people are consuming isn’t unreasonable in my mind. 

10. Can you remember the first record you bought and what have you bought recently?

First record I bought was a Lynyrd Skynyrd ‘best of’ album… I was around 13… I heard “Sweet Home Alabama” in a movie and walked up to my local music shop and sang what I could remember of the song to the girl behind the counter. She pointed me towards a “Best Of” because I might have liked some of their other songs too! Last album I bought was “Time Well Spent” by Matt McGinn… A great album by a great songwriter from Hill Town in N.Ireland! Well worth checking out! 

11. What was the last song that made you cry actual tears?

“Into the Mystic’ by Van Morrison…a song I’ve heard a million times and turned off half a million. It takes on a different weight at a funeral though. 

12. Do you binge watch Netflix / Amazon / DVD box sets (any recommendations)? Do you

have a guilty pleasure in Film or TV you’ll admit to watching and loving?

Late to the party but I recently got into “The Boys” on Amazon! Sheer insane, brutal brilliance… It’s like Tarantino & Larry David were forced to make a show together. 

13. What is the most important thing to you that you can see from where you are right now?

I can’t see them from my studio at this exact moment but I can hear them giggling, chatting and playing in the living room next door. My kids Joanie and Wilson. 

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