Paul J Bolger | Paul J Bolger

Paul J Bolger began writing and performing his songs at an early age. Moving between the arts since leaving college he has made a successful career in publishing and film, most recently as Art Director on the forthcoming animated Riverdance movie. Latterly however, he’s returned to recording and releasing new music for the first time after a number of years. Like a musical fox PJB has returned to his song-writing den.

The songs contained on this album are a mix of old and new. They were worked up from ideas and demos PJB brought with him when he went to visit producer Hugh Christopher Brown on Wolfe Island, Ontario in summer 2018.

While the songs are not connected as such the underlying motifs of personal loss, tongue in cheek bravado and astutely observed stories tie the album together. Whether the writing reflects hidden or slightly vague truths or flights of fiction the songs work on singular concepts. The lyrics are clear and often conversational – a person recalling a past event, asking a question or speaking direct to a loved one lost or won.

If there any recurring themes to the record they might be love, life, death and most important of all – survival.

Celtic Rock legends Horslips coined the term “Bog Gothic” to sum the genre PJB explores with his song writing. This album is a testament to that – even if we are not quite sure what the genre is other than to say it more than tips its hat to Old World sensibilities set to New World sounds.