Interview with Tony McLoughlin

Interview with Tony McLoughlin

Christian Lamitschka for Country Music News International Magazine & Radio Show

1. Tony McLoughlin:  You Look to Me –I wrote this song in 2009 while preparing to record the new album. It’s about the observations I subconsciously made about a friend of mine: her character, behavior and life. The song has some mystery within, which even I don’t fully understand, but I like that. The rhythm and feel is inspired by the riff which reminded me of a rocky, Neil Young style. My friend, Ben Reel, contributed some lyrics and ideas and is therefore credited as co-writer.
2. Ride the Wind –This is dedicated to the memory of the late, great Warren Zevon. His songs and albums have greatly influenced my style. He passed away a few months after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer, but during his battle he created his final album, The Wind, which was recorded during his last few months. I’ve had the honor of occasionally working with a musician from Bristol, England, Katy Salvidge. By coincidence, Katy played on Warren’s previous album, My Ride’s Here. Sadly, another coincidence, her husband also passed away from the same cancer that took Zevon’s life. The song is full of optimism while expressing the sadness of losing people close to you. I took this half finished song to Tommy Womack during a writing trip to Nashville, TN in 2007. I explained my idea to him, and we completed it in less than 20 minutes!
3. You Look For It All –This is a song about two people falling in love while having different intentions and opposite perspectives. I completed this song in Nashville, TN in 2006 with Davis Raines as co-writer.
4. Not Too Far From Memphis –While driving on the Interstate, somewhere outside Nashville in 2006, I looked up to find a huge sign saying “Memphis-60 Miles.” I remember touching the dashboard, scorching hot from the midday sun, and the lyrics and rhythm of jungle blues jumped into my head: “I’m not too far from Memphis, and I’m burnin’ in this crazy sun.” Later in the week, during a co-writing session in Nashville, TN with Davis Raines, we developed and completed the song. We based it around the idea of a convict escaping from prison, somewhere near Montgomery, AL. He steals a car and starts driving towards freedom with his girlfriend and Jackson! Davis had previously worked as an officer in a high security prison in Alabama. I asked him about the conditions, atmosphere of the jail, etc. while working in a facility with high security, and transitioned his answers into the first few verses of the song. They are absolutely accurate and true—don’t go to jail!
5. Mother’s Son –This is a very personal song. It explores everything about the journey of life and the experiences gained along the way.
6. Deep Under You Spell –When powerful, love attractions collide they invade your senses…what more can I say?
7. I Like The Way–Another love song: inspiring, positive and a little ironic.
8. Soul Brother Soul Sister –I wrote the majority of this song 8 years ago while living in France, and completed it in 2006 during a co-writing session in Nashville, TN with Thomm Jutz and Frank Goodman. The main theme of the song is we should show support and solidarity to others in our lives. Sometimes society and the pressures of living in it push us away from this idea.
9. Let The River Run –Several themes run through this song. One theme in particular is nature should run its own course. Perhaps the point of this song is to provoke thought. I recorded this in one take at Tommy Flack’s Studio in Monaghan, Ireland, with Ronnie O’Flynn on bass and Michael Black on drums. I added the ‘rock-out’ electric guitar later, and John McCullough from Belfast added keys (with the hint of The Doors at the end). Listen to the end of the song! The energy of the band just keeps it rolling and we left it all in—it’s organic!
10. Treeline –I wrote this in Thomm Jutz’s wooden cabin near Hermitage, TN during a co-writing session with Sergio Webb. I had learned an interesting tuning from watching Gurf Morlix in concert earlier in the week in Nashville. I then found a beautiful riff and melody using this tuning. That is the musical basis of this song. The lyrical basis is interesting: Sergio told me about a mystical tree, Aspen, which grows in the mountains near New Mexico. It grows high up where the other trees do not survive, above the “Treeline.” He described its unusual hues, its great height and how it is believed to have special spiritual properties. Legend has it that its roots reach out hundreds of miles to connect with other family members. We felt that, sometimes, it seems to be the same with people.