'I come away from this record reminded that life is beautiful'. Singer-songwriter Pearse McGloughlin (Nocturnes) introduces his new album, Keg.
I started recording Keg in August 2021 and completed it fully only a few weeks ago.
I had a collection of songs I’d written over 2020/21 and Mark Willis of Bluestack Records suggested approaching producer-engineer Julie McLarnon. We had in mind a well-structured session, to be recorded to tape without too many takes and with a band of musicians to add fibre to the ghosts of the songs.
I also wanted to use drum machines, at least at the early stages of recording, to create a foundational momentum. I was nervous; at that point, the country was waking up from the pandemic and like everyone I’d been quite sheltered.
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Listen to Keg by Pearse McGloughlin, via Spotify
At the first session, I learned of the heart-breaking news that a very close friend of mine, Gregory, had died suddenly. I was devastated. I'd made quite a few arrangements to set up the session and decided to push on, despite everything. For that reason, I will never forget the recording. I figured that I could use the drug of grief and channel it into something.
As it happened, I had two songs which referenced my friend, something none of my other albums had, so that was uncanny. They were weird to record but maybe cathartic, too.
I come away from this record reminded that life is beautiful. It always throws up the unexpected, sometimes unbelievably difficult things.
To be honest, in the initial weeks, while I carried on with the sessions, I was definitely all over the shop but I dived into it and pretended to know what I was doing. Working in the analogue way was a strange document to have of this whole moment, a sort of photograph in time, as emotions were committed to reel tape…
Being on tape meant a different approach from prior albums, fewer chances to go back and change things. You also have more technical limitations in terms of tracks you can record. You can work around all this but there is a certain psychology that comes with it.
I found it tough and felt quite close to abandoning it, as I wasn't happy with certain takes and idiosyncrasies which mine and Julie's approach elicited.
Julie said something during the recording: ‘Everyone is always posting pictures of the great time they are having in the studio. But it's meant to be hard! I have worked on albums where people are really pushed to their limit and these are the best ones'. Julie has a superb back catalogue and is a gifted engineer. Pressure makes diamonds I guess.
I called the record Keg in memory of my friend. When we were kids my little brother used to call Greg 'Keg'. People's immediate thought is of a beer keg and revelry. I liked this as a title as it sounds throwaway and frivolous, and that was the opposite of what I felt. It's a lot more catchy and immediate than some of my past work though. I also think of a powder keg, of something powerful.
I come away from this record reminded that life is beautiful. It always throws up the unexpected, sometimes unbelievably difficult things. I want people’s hearts to swell when they hear this album. I want tiny optimisms to take root and grow.
And I want them to think the record’s a bit weird too! Ha!
Keg by Pearse McGloughlin is out now - find out more here.
