A Chat With Peter McPoland (24.06.19)
Singer, songwriter and an indie artist to keep your eye on, Peter McPoland is set for stardom. Sitting on the telephone, the young man was able to speak with The Other Side Reviews’ writer, Alex Leff. Talking about his music style, who he would tour with, and when he started writing music, here is what he said.
OSR: How/what got you into making your own music?
PM: It’s something I’ve always had an attraction towards. Nothing specifically drew me to it; I just found it. I did some musical theatre in school.
OSR: If you had to describe your style in three words, what would they be?
PM: I would say the best words would be independent, folk-y and rock-rooted.
OSR: Who influenced your style of music?
PM: Elvis, Springsteen and John Prine. I also love Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits. He’s my favourite guitarist.
OSR: If you could tour with anyone, who would it be and why?
PM: *laughs* Am I allowed to say John Prine? He’s brilliant at songwriting.
OSR: Where would you like to be in five years? Would you like to stay in music or do you have other ventures you’d like to pursue?
PM: I would like to still be doing music. Fame isn’t the goal, but I’d like to be able to sustain myself.
OSR: What was it like playing Warped’s 25th Anniversary Tour?
PM: It was everything I could imagine! Like a dream come true. We drove up to Cleveland, dropped our stuff off with the other bands’ instruments and opened for the other bands:
OSR: What was your inspiration for ‘Sweetheart Shoobop’ and ‘Lady Bird’?
PM: ‘Sweetheart Shoobop’ was actually written solely for the Rock Off. I wanted to write something to get people dancing. ‘Lady Bird’ is a song I wrote about a year ago and is about the beautification of wildflowers on the side of the road back in Texas.
OSR: How old were you when you started writing music?
PM: Well, I’ve been playing the guitar since I was in the eighth grade. After that, once chords were being strung together, I started writing songs. My junior year of high school was when the songs I was writing were eligible. I kept a stack of all my old songs in a shoebox, and as I look back as I’m packing for my move, I can’t imagine what I was thinking!
OSR: Any more plans regarding music for 2019?
PM: Yes. I am releasing my first EP within a month or two, so, hopefully, by the end of July. I’m planning on keeping it folk-sy, but I may wake up one day and put out a reggae album. I’m also moving to New York.
Thank you to Peter for speaking with us! For more from this talented youngster, check out his Facebook and Spotify.
