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Panarts Celebrate Emerging Young Song Writing Talent
This years Katherine Brick Award for Young Songwriter of the Year is Belfast's own Gareth Dunlop.
It's been an amazing year for one of our most talented writers. In a special award concert at February's festival, Gareth performed on stage with Brian Kennedy and Scottish hit writer John Reid. Back in March 2010 we brought Gareth over to Nashville Tennessee to take part in our annual Panarts Belfast Nashville Songwriters Showcase. He played an 'In The Round' set at the Bluebird Café with Iain Archer (Leona Lewis, Snow Patrol...), Thin Lizzy frontman Ricky Warwick, Mark Selby ('Blue on Black') and Tia Sillers ('I Hope You Dance') in one of the most magical concerts I've ever experienced. Afterwards, leading Nashville publishing company Moraine Music offered Gareth a publishing deal that has led to several music industry deals.
Already, many of his songs have featured in several American television shows and thanks to Moraine, he has showcased his music in several states across America. With songs like 'Firefly', 'Tangled' and 'Miss Previously Loved' Gareth is proving to be a world-class songwriter with a very bright future. Well done Gareth, 2011 Katherine Brick Young Songwriter of the Year!!! - Belfast Nashville Songwriters
Currently in Nashville recording his new album, Gareth has been signed to a joint venture publishing deal with Moraine Music Group and Nettwerk One Music, so it looks like things are going well for the Bangor born singer songwriter.
Gareth can be found playing venues such as the John Hewitt. Visit www.garethdunlop.com for more information on his return from the states. - Go Belfast
Northern Ireland native Gareth Dunlop has been signed to a joint venture publishing deal with Moraine Music Group and Nettwerk One Music. His songs have been featured in the television series Cougar Town, Private Practice, One Tree Hill and Life Unexpected. Brent Maher is producing Dunlop’s debut LP, to be released later this year. - Music Row Magazine
The Peninsula Acoustic Club meet at the Ivy Bar Newtownards this Friday, January 8. The club proudly welcomes Gareth Dunlop to the club this week.
Gareth has played with some of music’s biggest name’s including Foy Vance, Jeff Beck, Imelda May, Paul Carrack, Jools Holland, Snow Patrol, Iain Archer.
Other gigs lined up for him this year include ‘In the Round’ with Nanci Griffith in February at The Empire, Belfast and the world-renowned Belfast Nashville Songwriter’s Festival (playing Belfast in February and Nashville in March).
With album due for release around March, this will be an exciting year for Gareth. This gig at The Ivy is perfect chance to see one of the province’s top new artists in an intimate venue.
Doors open 8pm, admission just £5. Come along and enjoy a great musical start to 2010.
- News Article
LOCAL talent Gareth Dunlop is currently recording his debut album in Dublin's famous Windmill Lane Studios.
The studios are known for producing talent such as U2, The Cranberries and Sinead O'Connor.
Twenty-one year old Gareth is a familiar face on the Bangor music circuit with weekly residencies in Wolseys, Betty Blacks and Jenny Watts. "I had my first ever gig in Belfast when I was 15 but Bangor gave me my first residency, you could say it’s where I've crafted my skills. I studied music at the Tech here, it's a great town and has been extremely kind and forgiving to me the last few years,” he told the Spectator.
Belfast born but currently residing in Holywood, Gareth has decided now is the time to make the transition from bar singer to recording artist. "I love gigging but it's tough playing everyone else's music six nights a week, it will be nice to try and make an impression with my own," he said.
For unsigned Gareth it's not about commercial success as much as personal achievement. He revealed, "I released a 4-track EP last year and got a great response so recording the album just seemed like a natural progression."
Gareth promoted the EP supporting Bangor musician Foy Vance when he toured across Ireland last year.
The EP, recorded in Belfast's Rotterdam Bar, was well received by critics and music fans alike. RedTrack Music editor, Robert McNamara said, "His debut EP is a well recorded, acoustic and soulful effort. His vocals are spot on, the songs are well written and it’s far enough away from the middle ground of singer-songwriter territory to be original."
Downtown Radio presenter, Lisa Flavelle, described Gareth as, "An exciting breath of fresh air with a soulful repertoire of songs." And Radio Ulster's John Toal said his voice was, "simply spell-binding."
Gareth's style has been compared to artists such as Bob Dylan and Ray LaMontagne and everyone else in between. With the album scheduled for release in May, Gareth describes his sound as predominantly acoustic but is keen to avoid the cliche of the singer-songwriter label. "It embraces a lot of styles and genres, it's rootsy and funky and while I wouldn't like to label it as soul music, it definitely has a soulful sound."
His own inspirations are many and varied, including Stevie Wonder, John Martyn, Miles Davis and Elbow.
A producer from Windmill Studios described him as, "An exciting new talent I thought his voice was fantastic but was blown away when I realized his songwriting skills."
Rejecting the current trend of reality style shows and mass marketing Gareth said, "Ultimately it's a bunch of men in suits invading people's privacy with their product and resulting in over-exposure. I don't want to put anyone down but those artists have never faced the reality of trying to tame a crowd that has never even seen, never mind heard you before.
"I think you can hear honesty in music and for me I like the idea that good music just sort of creeps up on you and gets inside your head. It's a sweeter notion than simply having it thrown at you."
Modest Gareth is keen to avoid accusations of grandeur or pretension, "There are probably a thousand of me in this land alone, never mind the rest of Britain. I like that. Bangor has a great music scene, there aren't too many towns where you can go out any night of the week and get great live music - Rachel Coulter, Ken Haddock and Warren Reed to name a few. Northern Ireland definitely has a good reputation for supporting and encouraging local artists."
Natural talent is all well and good but it's no substitute for hard work, something that Gareth is quick to recognize, "It's a lovely thought but I don't believe in the idea that the song chooses you. Writing needs to be constant, it's an ongoing process. The more you do it the more it improves.
"Choosing songs for the album is difficult, I have a massive back-catalogue of material that gets added to on a nightly basis. You want to make your music relevant to yourself and your own feelings but at the same time you hope others can relate to it."
Gareth counts himself lucky to have the support of some of Northern Ireland's top musicians working with him on his debut album. "Working with me in the studio is Paul Hamilton, Gareth Hughes and John McCullough. Individually they have worked with a variety of artists including, Claire Sproule, Ken Haddock, Foy Vance, Kieran Goss and Henry McCullough so to have them putting their stamp my album is a privilege."
- THE SPECTATOR – Belfast by Claire Craig
Discography
2010 - Rooms EP
2011 - Devil Mocks Me EP
Photos
Bio
Gareth Dunlop was born in 1987 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The youngest of four siblings, he grew up in working class East Belfast listening to the music that his brother and sisters adored.
At the age of fifteen, the discovery of a collection of classic vinyl LPs and 45s sitting in a neighbor’s bin bag ended up being a pivotal point in Gareth’s career in music. From soul to rock to pop, his eyes and ears were suddenly opened to a variety of genres and styles of music.
“That summer was a real education. I played record after record, over and over gain. I loved reading the covers and taking in who played on what session, and was fascinated by the names of the producers and studios where each one was recorded. It made me fall in love with music and the recording process.”
Inspired by some of the all-time greats, Gareth, who had been playing guitar for about a year, set about learning lots of Beatles and Dylan songs and playing “as much Jimmy Page as I possibly could”. Before long, he started performing in local pubs and clubs playing cover songs with his band, whilst also playing a few original gigs along the way.
It was at Belfast’s legendary Rotterdam Bar where Gareth’s first live EP was recorded. Upon it’s release, both media outlets and fans alike started to take notice. “The depth and maturity of his writing shine through…and melt the heart of the harshest critic,” wrote Robert McNamara of The Red Press. The BBC Radio Ulster recognized Gareth’s talent naming him, “ONE TO WATCH in 2010.”
Between touring and recording, Gareth and his friends also fulfilled a life-long dream when they finished building a recording studio out of an old cow shed. It was at “Hill House Studios” where Gareth recorded his solo EP "Rooms" featuring the songs “Firefly” and "Tangled up."
“Firefly,” soon came to the attention of Northern Ireland superstars Snow Patrol, who decided to cover the song at a sold-out gig at Belfast's Waterfront Hall, and invite Gareth to join them on stage to sing. “It was incredible and a proud moment,” Gareth recalled.
An invitation quickly followed for Garth to participate in a songwriting exchange between the sister cities of Belfast and Nashville, which put Gareth on stage at the famous Bluebird Cafe. His talents as both a singer and uniquely gifted songwriter caught the attention of the Nashville music community and he was offered a publishing deal soon after.
The immediate buzz in the U.S surrounding Gareth’s music lead to several songs from his EP being placed on such hit television series as “Cougar Town,” “One Tree Hill,” “Private Practice,” and “Life Unexpected.” Then, on the heels of his first international EP release, Gareth went on his first U.S. tour opening a string of dates for Angus & Julia Stone and the Grammy-nominated, Steeldrivers. Recognition for Gareth’s talent as a songwriter was later acknowledged at the 2011 Belfast Nashville Songwriter’s Festival where he was presented with the “Young Songwriter of the Year Award.”
Earlier this year, Gareth’s band flew to Nashville to record with six-time Grammy winning producer, Brent Maher. Maher said, “recording with Gareth and his band was a wonderful experience...they are a brilliant group of players.” Gareth’s “Devil Mocks Me” EP also features some of Nashville's finest studio musicians including Glenn Worf and Michael Rhodes on bass, Nir Z on drums and percussion, and John Jarvis on Keys. Reflecting on the whole studio experience, Gareth said, “I was looking around the studio and pinching myself at the caliber of people involved.”
Brent Maher added, “Gareth is one of those rare artists who captures a great vocal while playing and singing with the band. In my career as a record producer, working with Tina Turner set the bar for me as to how an artist should drive a rhythm section while delivering a brilliant performance. Gareth has that same passion and power to create a moment in a song you will always remember."
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