A MUSICIAN from Greenock who is set to release his first solo album this year says it will explore his memories of growing up in the town.
Paul McArthur, 37, was raised in the east end before moving to Glasgow at the age of 19.
With his dad and stepdad being in a number of local bands in the 1980s – including The Hardy Boys, Distemper and Safe Houses – Paul's love of music was fostered from a young age locally.
Now he is making a name for himself in the industry.
Paul told the Tele: “The fact my family were so musically inclined meant I had access to instruments and extensive record collection.
“My mum also worked in Greenock institution Rhythmic Records, so that helped too.
The front cover of Praise Team, embroidered by Manchester-based artist Victoria Merness (Image: Diminishing Returns)
“I started out as a drummer, joining pretty much any band that would have me, but soon picked up the guitar instead.
“I would gig around places like Rico’s, The Steamie, Connolly’s and Club 204.”
Over the years, Paul has played in acts such as Salò, Thin Privilege, Damn Teeth.
Now based in Edinburgh, he has recorded his first solo project with help from Damn Teeth bandmate Niall Sinclair.
The album is due to be released on September 13 under the name Praise Team.
Paul decided to undertake the project as he wanted a change of scenery from working with a band.
He said: “Being in a band can be a slow, frustrating process sometimes.
“You’re working around other people’s schedules, there are a lot of logistics involved, and sometimes the creative spark can be hard to fire up.
“The process for Praise Team was frustrating on purpose. None of the material – except lyrics – was written down.
“Nothing was rehearsed, everything was just layered up into a songlike shape as quickly as possible using the tools at hand and based entirely one what I was hearing in my head.
“This must have worked because the end result does seem to have the uncanny, sketchy, not-quite-right energy I was looking for.
“The drum tracks you hear on the album were literally the first time I’d touched a drumkit in about a decade.
“I can definitely hear how rusty I am at points, but that’s the nature of the beast.”
Memory is a major theme of the ‘loosely biographical’ album, which explores childhood traumas which follow a person into adulthood.
Paul said: “’Strict’ is about being haunted by a physical space that becomes a psychic one, specifically my late grandparents’ home on Finnieston Street.
“It's somewhere that I haven’t been able to access in nearly twenty years – someone else lives there now – but which recurs constantly in my dreams.
"'Fishies’ is an assortment of memories from my childhood bedroom in John Street, including multiple occasions where my anxious child’s brain thought death was imminent.
“There are only a couple of songs that aren’t Greenock-centric in a way.”
The first single from the album, titled Red Balloon, will be released on June 14.
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