{"id":88809,"date":"2024-11-05T12:30:54","date_gmt":"2024-11-05T11:30:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/?p=88809"},"modified":"2024-11-05T12:54:53","modified_gmt":"2024-11-05T11:54:53","slug":"interview-gareth-dunlop-talks-northern-ireland-music-prize-nomination-for-welcome-to-the-house-of-i-dont-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2024\/11\/interview-gareth-dunlop-talks-northern-ireland-music-prize-nomination-for-welcome-to-the-house-of-i-dont-know\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW: Gareth Dunlop Talks Northern Ireland Music Prize Nomination For ‘Welcome To The House Of I Don’t Know’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We caught up with Gareth Dunlop, one of Belfast’s most renowned singer-songwriters, on his nomination for Album Of The Year at The Northern Ireland Music Prize, what the prize means to him, and the incredible uprise of local talent.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Congratulations on your nomination for Album of the Year at the Northern Ireland Music Prize! How does it feel to have \u2018Welcome To The House Of I Don\u2019t Know\u2019 recognized in this way?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m never sure if something I write is going to translate or connect outside of the studio\u2026 so to have the album recognised in this way means a lot to me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I always have that underlaying feeling of \u2018am I barking up the wrong tree\u2019 when I\u2019m putting a project together. Getting a nod of approval is always a great feeling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This album has been described as your most reflective, honest work to date. What motivated you to explore resonant themes like nostalgia, home, and self-discovery?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think I went into this record with more questions than answers\u2026 questions about myself, my beliefs, my upbringing and the things that matter most to me. I\u2019ve spent a large part of my career writing songs to fit neatly into scenes of a TV show or a movie\u2026 or write songs for other people to sing. I wanted to close the door on all that stuff for a while and start picking at the things I want to say with no parameters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can you tell us a bit about the creative process behind \u2018Welcome To The House Of I Don\u2019t Know\u2019? How did your experiences traveling across America and working in Nashville influence the album\u2019s sound and themes?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I spent the guts of a decade working in Nashville as a staff writer for several publishing companies\u2026 and I think that left some good marks on me\u2026 I think it taught me good disciplines of turning up to face the blank page every day\u2026 the majority of the songs on this record wouldn\u2019t be written if I didn\u2019t make myself sit down to search for them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of \u2018sound\u2019 – I think what I did in America was something I wanted to run away from. A lot of the work I did out there was quite solitary\u2026 just me in a studio over-dubbing against myself. An important thing for me on this record was to get a band in a room, have some fun and \u201cplay\u201d together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Gareth