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Nothing New Under the Sun – Official Video

March 4, 2021

Nothing New Under the Sun – Official Video
Directed and shot by the husband and wife team of Lucy Jones and John Hennessy of Kerbute Productions.

The official video for “Nothing New Under the Sun” came to be in the same way as just about everything else in the Universe:

One small idea led to another, and that to another, and on and on until before I knew it I was standing in the cavernous space of an unused cinema in my Mullingar hometown with the camera rolling.
The idea began from a simple impulse. I wanted some kind of video representation of the new single, even something as simple as using a still of the cover artwork as the audio played. Put in on YouTube and call it a video. Then I thought about the clouds in that photo – the cover image is by Guggenheim Grotto / Storyman songwriter Kevin May – and if perhaps we could get kind of fancy and have those clouds moving for the video. I reached out to my good friend John Hennessy of Kerbute Productions and put this idea to him. He came back to me shortly after and suggested that we try to find a way to make an actual music video. John had the initial concept of involving projections in some way, possibly inspired by the lyric in the song “I sit back and let the projector run”. We thought maybe we could make the video at my home place, maybe firing the projector at some of the old farm buildings or stone walls about the place. You’re always looking for a great space to make a video, somewhere with character and atmosphere. It wasn’t a huge leap then from projector to making enquiries about using the old cinema here in Mullingar.

When I was a boy the Ritz cinema was coming to the end of it’s era but I did catch a few blockbusters there in my time. Before my time, my parents courted in the glow of the enormous screen. I’m told that the space was used regularly for live music too and that in the 50s and 60s there was a stipulation that there had to be an interval in every feature where musicians would take to the stage and perform. I believe the great Joe Dolan was a regular performer here. All this is to say that the building is filled with a great history of film, music, community and young love. It was a real treat to spend a few hours there making this new video.

The building today is home to a clothing store on the ground floor (The owner is a friend of mine) but the upstairs is still very recognizable as a theatre space, albeit one that has been stripped of some of it’s furniture and the great velvet curtain that would have hung on the back wall. A small side note of history here: that very curtain was donated to The Blizzards some years back, to help them control the room sound for an early recording project of theirs. But the space still holds an echo of it’s former glory, and definite potential for rejuvenation. Here there are parallels between the building and the song itself. “Nothing New Under the Sun” deals with the idea of being caught in a state of suspended animation, repeating yourself, trapped in time. But bubbling under all that is the feeling that you want to shake yourself free of this lethargy and make a charge again for love or art or whatever calls you.

When we got into the space which is huge and well ventilated and very covid safe, we spent a little while setting the scene. It didn’t take much, a little tidying up here and there, some lighting, a little bit of smoke and mirrors and we were ready to rock. We projected a selection of beautiful old archival footage onto the back wall and rolled camera. The original plan was for me to simply sit in one of the old cinema seats and let the projector beam shine on me and that would be that. But given that we had all this space I started to move about the place. I picked up an umbrella that was randomly on the floor and started playing with that, using it as a sword, imagining it was a bird or a beating heart or a jellyfish. Encouraged and guided by John & Lucy, I started roving around the theatre like a drunkard in a dream, spinning and dancing and enjoying the motion of it all. I think it was just some sort of release after the last year of rolling lockdowns and being at home for so long. It felt good to be doing something creative and to have room to dance and to dream. It felt like waking up.

—

Wedding Bells & Glaciers

June 13, 2016

I’ve been meaning to write something new on here for months now, but alas my mind has been on other things.

A lot of my attention this year has been given to the business of getting married. After thirteen years with my good lady we finally went official on the 5th May 2016. Read More

Tour Announcement: Ireland 2015

March 19, 2015

Up Close & Personal Promotions Present:

Peter Doran Irish Tour 2015

Mullingar Singer-Songwriter Peter Doran takes his new album “Outlines” on the road from April -June with a series of intimate shows across Ireland, with all roads leading to a headline show at The Sugar Club in Dublin on June 20th. Read More

The death and life of an acoustic guitar

February 20, 2015

With my martin J15 / Photo by Luke Danniells

January 20, 2011.

The fog was heavy and thick and we could hardly see the road in front of us. I was in the passenger seat staring out into the fog, a little nervous now and uncomfortable. This was not a night for driving. Out of the blackness on our left came another car. It cut across the road directly in front of us. It was too close and there was nowhere to go, we swerved, but our car hit the other and we both spun.

Read More

The Songwriter’s Guide To Album Release Day:

October 24, 2014

Today is the 24th October 2014. This is the day that “Outlines” my fourth studio album, is available for the first time in digital stores the world over. You’ll find it on itunes, amazon, spotify and a host of other places that albums go to wait for hungry music-lovers (OR music-hungry lovers!) to come along and snap them up. Read More

The World is Wide

September 3, 2014

“The World is Wide” official video (By Lucy Jones) coming this month… Listen to the album track and see stills from the video below:

Lucas and Zakk Baker in the Official Video for “The World is wide”


I’ve got a friend called Lucy. Lucy is a video maker, and a saint. Last year at a show, she heard me play a song called “The World is Wide”  and she was struck with the idea to make a video for it. Well I’m delighted to tell you that she’s done it! She followed through and turned the idea into reality, and it looks beautiful. Read More

A Film-Maker, A Songwriter and a Grandmother walk into a Room…

August 25, 2014

Written by Peter Doran for peterdoran.com. Sign up for free newsletter here

Last month I had the pleasure of spending a day with Myles O’Reilly, an Irish Film-Maker whose work I’ve been a fan of for a long time. I knew that good things would come from the day but the resulting 11 minute film is greater than I could have ever wished for. I am so excited to share this with you:

“Brilliant 11 minutes. So much more than a music video. Bone-marrow Irish but some how also Universal. So Fine.” – @Stilpix via Twitter

Read More

Have you heard Alela Diane?

August 21, 2014

“Your eyes were green, your skin was darker than the colour of my own. We took a shower in the dark. Your Mother wasn’t home. O I think of you sometimes. Of the snow, and that Colorado Winter Blue.”

Alela Diane

Every now and then I come across a song or an artist that entirely captivates me. A voice or a mood that calls me in and holds my attention with force. It happens rarer than I’d like, but that’s what makes these things special. Music like this isn’t to be found at every turn, and when you do find it, or it finds you – be thankful, and devour it. Read More

Tea, Chocolate, Music, Books.

June 5, 2014

My mouth tastes of dark chocolate and green tea. I’m at the kitchen table listening to Jeff Buckley’s “Grace” record, a life-shaking album if there ever was one!  I’m not feeling in full-blown essay mode this week, but I’d like to share some of the interesting things that have crossed my mind, eyes and ears in the last week or so:  Read More

Exceptional Irish Songwriters – Emmett Tinley

May 15, 2014

In this series I take a look at some of my favourite Irish songwriters. Some you may know, others you may not. With any luck you’ll make some new musical friends along the way… Please enjoy… MR. Emmett Tinley

“Remember what was beautiful, not the dark inventions of your burning sorrow” – Polichinelle, The Prayerboat.

BALLAD OF A TIN MAN

Emmett Tinley is one of my favourite Songwriters. Irish or otherwise. He makes insanely beautiful music and has a voice that simply soars … I first heard this voice was on an album called  “Polichinelle” by “The Prayer Boat”. Emmett was the band’s singer and principle songwriter. It’s a gorgeous record, stunning. In my opinion there are no weak songs on Polichinelle, and it contains a number of absolute gems. Read More

The Rattle in your Puzzle Box

May 7, 2014

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 Recently, I went through a bit of an Alan Watts obsession. He got me thinking about the self, the ego and all that good stuff. A lot of these ideas spilled out into a song called “Puzzle Box”.  The finished song will be on my new album “Outlines” which is coming this September. For now though, for a taste and a tease, I thought it would be fun to give you a glimpse of the song in raw form. Read More

Dreamland for the Evening:

April 30, 2014

 

Hiroshi Sugimoto, Avalon Theatre, Catalina Island, 1993. Gelatin silver print.

I’ve been going to live gigs since I was 12 years old. Music doesn’t get any purer than a magical live performance. What could be better than looking your hero in the eyes and having them sing right to your soul. Last weekend I went to three different gigs, in Mullingar, Waterford and Dublin. Over the three nights I saw four very different songwriters and one band.  Every one of them had a story of their own and each one was trying to move as gracefully as possible through the maze that is the music business…

Read More

You want the Moon?

April 24, 2014

“Last Night I was dreaming about you my love, last night I was dreaming of you. In the morning you didn’t materialise, in the morning you didn’t come true” – Peter Doran , “Moon”

Come close, I’ve got a new song for you…

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“What is it you want, Mary? What do you want? You want the moon? Just say the word and I’ll throw a lasso around it and pull it down. Hey. That’s a pretty good idea. I’ll give you the moon, Mary. ”
― George Bailey

Read More

Exceptional Irish Songwriters – Pearse McGloughlin –

April 16, 2014

“You and I have hearts that are lonely hunters” – Pearse McGloughlin, “Spherosphere”.

I decided recently that I would take more care with this little website of mine. The plan is to add something new here each week. I want the site to grow, to give value, to entertain! Today, I want to introduce you fine people to some new music. Read More

Zen & the art of album making

April 9, 2014

09.04.2014

“What would you do, if you were to, start over?”

As I get close to finishing my fourth studio album I find myself thinking a lot about my first. I released “Wood” in 2006, I was twenty two. As I wrote in the last post, the album that I’m working on now has been recorded in a place that I have a history with. It was in this small house in the country that I made some of my first recordings; we started recording “Wood” there around 2004. My thoughts go back to that time now. Read More

Outlines, Visions, Plans.

April 3, 2014

It’s a bright morning in Dublin, I’m listening to the new album by Marissa Nadler and drinking Pomegranate Tea. I’ve been awake since 6:55 am. I decided that this month I want to see more early mornings. That’s not very rock and roll but there you have it. Read More

SongNotes #2 – “Things you’re dreaming of”

November 6, 2013

 

This song came along really quickly, it’s a simple enough thing but I’m really enjoying singing it.

Here are a couple of the early audio sketches recorded on iPhone.

Hope you enjoy. If you do, please share, send your friends here. 

~Peter

Read More

SongNotes #1 – “Do what I do”

October 23, 2013

 

I’m currently working on a bunch of songs for the next record.

I will be sharing various demos and sketches here on the website in the coming weeks and months. These sketches will consist of  raw iPhone recordings, live takes and home studio demos.

This is how songs are born, for me at least. I hope you enjoy.

Peter

Read More

VIDEO: Live from Holland

June 19, 2013

We had an absolutely amazing time in Holland and Belgium last month…
Here’s some footage from our show in Oude Leije.

Tour: Holland & Belgium

April 12, 2013

Next month I hit the road for a 19 day tour of Holland and Belgium. I will be travelling with my trusty musical side-kick Brian Murphy (Lap Steel, Electric Guitar, all round hilarity). Flights and transport are booked and the set is shaping up nicely!

Read More

Writing:

January 11, 2013
    I’m happy to report that I have a number of new songs coming through.
    Some pretty much finished, others still gestating. Here’s one that I’m kicking around at the moment 🙂

    20130111-095026.jpg

The Dragon Interview

December 6, 2012

Filmed during the recording sessions for “Overhead the Stars”. Peter talks about the musicians who made up the band for the new record.

Every Little Thing (Video)

October 19, 2012

Recorded in a very pretty Antique shop in Dublin town. So much fun. Enjoy!
( : S H A R E : )

Overhead the Stars

September 22, 2012

Download/Discover the new album below:

The album is availble below as a name-your-price Download.
There is also standard & Deluxe Physical CDs availabale.

REVIEWS:

“…eclectic batch of songs that mingles folk, alt-country and sonic rock in one heady mixture. Opener ‘Perfumed Letter’ channels Jeff Buckley’s ‘Grace’ with great aplomb. ‘Julia’ and ‘Kicking and Screaming’ showcase a voice located somewhere on the spectrum between David Gray and Ray Lamontagne”

– Shane Leahy, MusicReviewUnsigned.com

“Mullingar’s Peter Doran has been around for a while. His third album Ovehead The Stars marks a change of direction as it’s much more a full band affair than his previous two offerings. Recorded at the famed Grouse Lodge in his native Co. Westmeath, it boasts a big budget sound. The songs, meanwhile, vary in texture and approach, from the mid-tempo pop of ‘Perfumed Letter’ to the plaintive, chiming ‘Julia’ via full blown rocker ‘Out Of Here’. Doran’s appealing voice, which can hit an impressively high register, lies between Damien Rice and Glen Hansard. His songwriting approach is not dissimilar either. With ‘Falling Trees’, the album’s memorable closer, a particular highlight, this is an impressive outing”

– Colm O’Hare, Hotpress Magazine, Ireland.

“this album is not only enjoyable but thought-provoking. These days it is rare to come across an album or Album you can easily listen to from start to finish. With thousands of songs available on one device it takes a special set of songs to keep a listener interested for the entirety of a record and that is exactly what ‘Overhead The Stars’ does. It’s a beautiful, varied, incredibly written and artistic collection of songs.”

– Claire Kane, Golden Plec Blog.

Deluxe Edition Of New Album

September 1, 2012

September 14th is growing ever closer… I am so excited about sharing the new record with the world. This is the best work I’ve done by a distance and I am so proud of what we achieved with this project. To celebrate the release of the album there will be a deluxe limited edition version. This run will be limited to 500 copies only. Each one will come in a  hand-numbered and signed black envelope with hand-drawn stars on the front. The envelope itself will hold the DigiPak Cd album along with a letter (signed) and 6 high-quality postcards of the musicians who played on the record. More photos and details of pre-orders next week!

 

~Peter

Overhead the Stars (Press Release)

August 29, 2012

Some albums defy classification. Sometimes that’s a good thing. Peter Doran can’t seem to settle on a genre for his third studio album Overhead the Stars. But that’s one of the record’s strengths.

Never one to compromise, the Mullingar-born musician has drawn on 28 years of musical influences. The album hides glimpses of everyone from Neil Young to Radiohead, Bob Dylan to Pink Floyd. Overhead the Stars stands apart from typical singer-songwriter fare. It keeps listeners on their toes.

A folk sensibility holds the album together. Peter and his acoustic guitar sit at the root of every track. But Overhead the Stars is a product of true collaboration – the 11 song collection was crafted with the help of an all-new band and with the support of fans worldwide on PledgeMusic.com.

The record features a core group of musicians who join Peter on his upcoming tour. Their diverse influences come across in an album that ranges from heavy electric-guitar and drum led tracks, to soulful offerings inter-laced with subtle piano lines or bluesy guitar and lap steel.

Overhead the Stars was recorded at the idyllic Grouse Lodge Studios, Co. Westmeath (Muse, R.E.M. Michael Jackson). The band surrounded Peter in the studio’s Live Room as the core of each track was laid down. Filippo Gaetani produced and mixed the record – his second collaboration with Peter. With “Overhead the Stars” Peter and the band have succeeded in capturing the intensity and dynamic of their live performances.

Through PledgeMusic.com Peter built a community around the recording process. His time in the studio was chronicled by Dublin film studio Kerbute Productions. Intimate listening parties and the upcoming nationwide tour will help Peter hit the ground running this September.

Perfumed Letter

August 22, 2012

The Opening track from “Overhead the Stars”. Listen, Enjoy, Comment, Share 🙂

Wood Album Free Download

April 8, 2010

Click on album art to go to go to bandcamp.com and get your free download

Recording @ Grouse Lodge Studios Jan 2010

January 26, 2010

I am delighted to report that we made Great strides last week with the recording of my second album.

The session took P1020997place at the wonderful Grouse Lodge Studios in Co. Westmeath (Ireland). Situated pretty much in the middle of nowhere and  reachable only  by navigating a network of winding roads and dirt tracks, the studio boasts some incredible sounding rooms and a collection of microphones to do these rooms justice! Previous bands and artists to have recorded here include Michael Jackson, Muse, Snow Patrol, REM, Manic Street Preachers… The list is long and impressive.  It was a great honour to record in the same rooms as these great artists.

I was joined for the session by Italian producer Filippo Gaetani and some friends and members of my live band.

We arrived early on a Tuesday morning and worked (for the most part) pretty intensely until late into Thursday night, heading home in the early hours of Friday morning. We squeezed in a whole lot of recording in this time!

The first song we worked on was  “The Composer”, which is sounding pretty groovy, faster than the original demo version, and mostly electric-guitar driven. Gerard Toal put down some cool Cello stuff on top too which sounds Great!

The next song I think was “Abstract Man” which again is a little more up tempo than the original and quite a bit heavier, lots of dirty electric guitars on this one, lovin’ it!

We also worked on “Twisted Freak” a song about that little voice inside your head, hypnotic grooves on this one.

The more mellow tunes we recorded were “Eternity” , “When You Can”  &  “Sleepless Street”. Really lovin’ “Eternity” at the moment, most definitely the nicest acoustic guitar sound I’ve ever had. Beautiful. “When You Can” I recorded piano and vocals in one live take late at night (after watching my beloved Tottenham being soundly trashed by liverpool, still hurting!) and Ger & Cani overdubbed some really great Cello and double bass parts. Sounding pretty magic! For “Sleepless Street” we put down Drums, upright bass and some electric & acoustic guitar parts, this is another of my favourite tracks on the album. It’s clocking in at over the 7 minute mark ! I’m also considering “Sleepless Street” as the album title…

The last song we worked on was “Moan & Complain” which really occupies a different world to the rest of the tracks. Kinda of a drunk singing in the corner of a saloon type feel. I recorded this in a live take on upright piano…

So that’s pretty much it, from the horse’s mouth so to speak,

still got some bits and pieces left to do (strings, vocals etc.), I’ll keep all updates on here.

Video Footage coming soon 🙂

Best

PD

Studio Diary – Pathways Guitars

December 18, 2009

 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt5B9dwk5lg

New Video _ Abstract Man

December 4, 2009

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJRbSFqJtvY

Album 2 update:

October 13, 2009

So, just to keep you up to date with what’s going on with the new album…

Things took a very exciting & positive step forward recently!
I am just back in Ireland after spending an amazing weekend high up in the Hills of Tuscany, Italy. A weekend of Lightning storms (first night,very epic!), stunning scenery, breathtaking sunsets, beautiful food & wine and of course music.

P and F shadowsWhy was I in Italy? I had been invited to come visit by the incredibly talented Producer Filippo Gaetani , who had happened upon my songs on thesixtyone.com and made contact. One thing led to another and next thing I knew I was on a plane and on my way! Over the course of the weekend we discussed the songs and got to work on some recordings. Ideas and music were flowing freely and the songs were grooving like an unstoppable sexy train 🙂 !

And so it was agreed, Filippo Gaetani will produce my second album (still need a title!!!!), and I couldn’t be happier!! Recording will continue over the coming months and I will keep updates on here. Some of the other artists he’s worked with recently include Adrina Thorpe and Tessa Drummond & he is one half of the alt-rock project Loom.

New Song, New Video – "When you can"

October 7, 2009

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1dOqa7MpFQ

Download "Wood" for $2.22

October 2, 2009

For a limited time my debut album “Wood” can be downloaded in full for the very special price of $2.22 at cdbaby

Every sale will go towards funding for my 2nd album!!!!

Spread the word!
P

New Website

August 25, 2009

So this is the brand new peterdoran.com! (Trumpets Sound). It’s still being fleshed out at the moment but will soon be bustling with sights, sounds & all the latest news and info from PDHQ! When completed it will be even more powerful than the first death star… ahem.

My main hope for this site is for it to be a way to keep people up to date with what’s happening with my second album, there’s a lot of songs written and constantly burning away in my mind, I’m itching to get recording again and will be keeping regular updates on here.

You can also purchase my debut album “Wood” from the store here too.

any question/suggestions email info@peterdoran.com

New Album

August 20, 2009

DSC00868

I am currently working on new songs and recordings for the new album. As it stands there’s around 15 songs in contention… these songs are being pulled to shreds and reassembled hourly… It’s going to be a survival of the fittest for which songs make the grade!

A bunch of songs have already been recorded, some of which are keepers and some will be redone.  I hope to get back into the studio in October to get it all wrapped up.

In the mean time I will be continuing to demo the new material at home and should get some tracks and vids uploaded on here soon.

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