TV People have released their new single, Die Down. We asked guitarist and singer Paul Donohue the BIG questions . . .
TV People is the project of Paul and Brendan Clarke (drums) and since forming in 2019, they have played Whelan's, The Button Factory and Mike The Pies.
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Die Down follows previous releases, Circle, You Were Loved and Kitchen Sinking.
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
My name is Paul, I sing and play guitar in TV People and I'm a Libra.
How would you describe your music?
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Our music is fairly dark and moody and tends to be on the more emotional side of the spectrum. I find that I am at my most creative when I am struggling with my emotions, so most of our lyrics tend to be themed around exploring and making peace with the negative feelings and experiences that plague everyday life, including bereavement, isolation, addiction and existential anxiety. I view songwriting as a way to process these feelings and to channel them into something positive. Myself and Bren (our drummer) write all of the songs together. Our process is very collaborative and there’s a lot of trust there. We have been writing together for many years and we’re both very passionate about the music that we make together. You need to have absolute trust in a band when you’re sharing so much of yourself in your music. It’s not always easy, but it’s really important to be vulnerable and to express yourself honestly and truthfully. We always try to maintain that honesty and truth in our songs, even where the reality might be somewhat grim or depressing.
Who are your musical inspirations?
Myself and Bren bonded over our shared love of indie rock. We grew up listening to the likes of The Strokes, Interpol and Arctic Monkeys and they have all undeniably been a huge influence on our songwriting process. When I was a teenager I also listened to a lot of Thin Lizzy and Guns N’ Roses and I think that their influence definitely creeps into some of the heavier sections of our songs at times. Recently, I’ve been turning to the likes of Sonic Youth, Jefferson Airplane, The Sound and Radiohead for songwriting inspiration. Bren introduced me to a lot of electronic, jazz and hip-hop music when we first started the band, so there’s a fairly eclectic mix of influences at play when we’re writing.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
I was in my late teenage years before I went to my first gig. My parents aren’t as into music as myself, so I didn’t have too many opportunities to go to gigs when I was a kid. I think that the first one that I ever went to was The Stone Roses in Phoenix Park in 2012. It’s hard to beat that as an introduction to live music. It was such a privilege to get to see John Squire’s guitar playing in the flesh and I was completely blown away by Ian Brown’s stage presence and command of the crowd. I remember coming out of that gig and being 100% certain that I wanted to be in a band.
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What was the first record you ever bought?
Appetite for Destruction by Guns N’ Roses. I’ll always remember the first time that I heard the intro to Welcome to the Jungle on VH1. I picked up the album in Virgin the next time that I was in town and fell in love with it. The energy of the record soundtracked the excitement of my early teenage years but I eventually drifted away from it as I got more into indie and alternative rock. Since seeing Guns N’ Roses at Slane in 2017 I’ve started throwing it on a bit more frequently and I still love it as much now as I did back then. Great record.
What’s your favourite song right now?
Handshakes by Do Nothing is one of my favourite songs from the past few years. Do Nothing are a great band from Nottingham in the UK and their music is excellent. They have recently released their debut album and I really hope that they get the success that they deserve from it. I have a lot of happy memories of myself and Bren sitting outside of our rehearsal room in Dublin and listening to this tune while having a few beers in between writing sessions. Listening to it never fails to bring a smile to my face.
Favourite lyric of all time?
"And one day we will die/And our ashes will fly from the aeroplane over the sea/But for now we are young/Let us lay in the sun/And count every beautiful thing we can see" - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel. This song perfectly captures the fleeting beauty of life. The closing lyric of "Can't believe how strange it is to be anything at all" is my favourite single line of all time. Beautiful tune.
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Exit Music (For A Film) by Radiohead. This is one of my favourite Radiohead songs. You can’t listen to it without feeling something and being moved. The emotion in the song is absolutely electrifying. I don’t think that I could ever get tired of listening to it.
Where can people find your music/more information?
Spotify, Bandcamp, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok.
Alan Corr @CorrAlan2
