There’s a lot to cherish in Jamie McDonald’s musical output. Among a global trend calling for uber-polished records, the Irish talent pursues a much more authentic and meaningful artistic identity, laying sharp and witty storytelling on a bed of gritty guitars and pure, unfiltered rock and folk stamina. Oscillating between acoustic, minimal pieces and uplifting and punchy anthems, McDonald guides the listener into old-school territories, yet incredibly familiar and refreshing.
‘Magistrala’ is the project’s upcoming record, a stunning ten-track album showcasing everything we mentioned above. From playful and mellow items, such as ‘Blue Hotel’, to electrifying gems (such as ‘Can’t Stop Breaking My Own Heart’), everything screams eclecticism and charisma, something that’s reiterated by McDonald’s sharp and evocative vocals.
Expected for February, ‘Magistrala’ configures itself as a worthy listen – give it a chance! Intrigued by the project, we caught up with Jaime to find out more about his artistry and future goals… Interview below.
Jamie, how is it going? where are you based in the world at the moment, and how’s life treating you?
Hey, all is well indeed, as the fella said, ‘I couldn’t bear to be better!’ I am currently in Sofia, Bulgaria, where I live, live, write and create!
We dug deep into your bio, and it’s clear that you have a long history of militancy in the music field; What first drew you to making music?
I think I drifted into it. Trying to find my way in life and yet, all the time I was playing and writing and exploring music. Then one day I glanced back and noticed this was one thing I had been doing no matter what. My family always celebrate with music and so it was somewhat inherited and somewhat learned. Either way, I wanted to explore the melodious magic and connection that comes through music. It’s a rare art form in that it comes out of nowhere and fills a room only to disappear in an equally mysterious way.
There are a couple of EPs from 2010 on Spotify, with the next one released in 2019; what were you up to in the timeframe between them?
Oh, easy one this, I was making even more music. In the case of Spotify, I like to keep some stuff for die-hard fans — over on Bandcamp. Some things are kept there where I can make connections and sales in a more intimate way with fans.
We appreciate your melodious and eclectic style, built on a plethora of influences in the rock’n’roll and pop fields. Is there any specific influence you can share with us?
From an early age I was obsessed with many diverse forms of music, Beethoven, the Beatles, The Beastie Boys –(I had a big poster of them on my wall and knew all the words) also other acts that didn’t begin with B …. But honestly, I think family had such a big influence as they exposed me to their music tastes which ranged from classical to jazz, to pop, rock, rap and beyond.
You have finally returned to the music landscape with a new long album, ‘Magistrala’; due to be released on February 14th. From what we hear is pretty fierce and dynamic, with wide instrumentation (such as saxophones and horns). What does the record mean to you?
This is a massive record for me. Basically, I approached it with the view that I would not compromise on what I was hearing in my head. I found the best musicians around and the finest studio and when I heard theremin in my head, then I didn’t rest until I had a theremin on the record. At every step, I wanted to make sure the songs and songwriting were on show to the ninth degree and show people just what this journey I am on is all about. Magistala is a long arc of life, music and discovery, love, life and death. We are all on a journey and this album is describing just some of the many roads I have been down and how they have shaped me.
Do you feel more confident writing music alone, or within a team?
I write non-stop about 3- 5 songs a week, sometimes more and so I am used to doing that alone but when it comes to recording and developing the sounds and Ideas I love having a team around me. On this record, I was blessed with an absolutely heavenly group of players and a support team in the background who made it all easier. Music is a spiritual gift for me, but like all gifts, it needs to be shared. Having a team stretches the canvas and brings the music to a new place of communion and communication.
On the drums, we had the wonderful Mr Borislava Boyadzhiev who is a session drummer par excellence, but not only that he has such a soulful approach and joy in his music. On bass, and de facto band leader was Alex Linares who is a real musicians musician. He plays virtually everything and brings a groove and warmth to proceedings along with a vast musical knowledge and love. The lead guitar was performed by the scientist of music that is Kiril Koev, who followed my musical meanderings from style to style and made the songs zing, sing and sting! Along with the core band, I was also so lucky to have my long-term musical collaborator Jeff Groves come on board not only on sax but also mixing and mastering.
Jeff has a ton of experience having been in the alternative bands Fastball and the Small Stars and has such a great vibe to bring. On top of these guys, I was also blessed with the secret weapons of Boyana Zhelyazkova and the amazing violin and viola skills, which brought depth and soulfulness to the songs. Adriana Benova not only gave her amazing theremin voice to If The Moon, but also her wonderful backing vocals. And last but far from least, I was overjoyed to have the vocals of Alex Kirov, join me on this album. He brought a counterpoint, power and grace to my own vocals and opened the songs up in immeasurable ways…
Artistically speaking, what challenges have the last two years presented you with?
Oh, artistically, it’s been about rooting out weaknesses and fears, as always. Making myself find new ground that is scary and equally exciting. This album is the first where I played electric guitar only, and that was just one small step for me. There were also a lot of songs that pushed me to be uncomfortable and share new aspects of myself.
What are the next steps for your project? Anything exciting on the horizon?
It’s all very exciting, every play, gig, share, review and sale. The next step is to share with more people and to connect with even more people across the globe. And of course, to work on the next album (or next few!).
