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The Great Trade

June 22, 2016

Introducing “The Great Trade”

 

For the past couple of years, in fits and starts, with great bursts of creativity quickly followed by long periods of distraction or working on other things, songs have been coming together for a new project called The Great Trade. These songs have been co-written with my friend Brian Murphy, a fellow Mullingar native who has contributed electric guitar and lap steel on my last two records.

The first beginnings of this project came when we were on tour in the UK and Holland in 2013. We were both looking for a way to play some shows outside of Ireland and somehow this tour came together. The entire tour lasted about three weeks I think and in that time we spent a lot of time together in vans, trains, hotel rooms, back stage areas and coffee shops. So much of being on tour involves waiting. You’re always waiting for the show to start it seems. Hurry up and wait. We filled these spaces with chatter and dreamings and wandering conversations. Out of some of these conversations came songs, or the beginnings of songs, the outlines of ideas.

It was interesting to be kicking around song and melody ideas with another human being for a change. It was exciting and had a speed and energy that I don’t often encounter when working on my own. This was the first signs of something coming together. There was a feeling, still is, that we could write some good songs together and more importantly enjoy challenging each other to write well.


The Great Trade

The Great Trade



After this 2013 tour I went on to write and record my “Outlines” album and then tour that. Brian has been busy with his other original project “Arrow in the Sky” and playing guitar with the band Cronin. In this way the time gets filled. We grabbed some time here and there in 2014 / 15 but have really turned our attention back to the project this year. In April we recorded our first video with the help of Mark Bennett and Darragh Glennon. The song is called “Blackberry Wine” and was inspired by a book I read about the life of Billie Holiday. I hope you enjoy:

Please let me know what you think. Does it sound different to my solo stuff ? If you have a moment to share the track on Facebook / Twitter so other folk might here it that would be super!! Songs get lonely too you know. Share it aboot.

Good wishes and thanks for reading

~ Peter


Blackberry Wine (Lyrics)

Meet me in the after-hours We’ll drink blackberry wine
There’s a place not far from here I think you’re gonna like
Caroline has fixed a little something for your mind
I’ve picked a dress to match your eyes
You’re gonna sing tonight

Let’s go to the good time house where the wine never spills
Let’s go to the good time house where nobody sees in
INTO this LOW HEAVEN

Pull the sheet from the piano they wanna hear you sing
Fly on up there don’t be frightened, show a little skin
Try anything you like
Little Bird don’t be shy

Let’s go to the good time house where the wine never spills
Let’s go to the good time house there’s no such thing as sin
DOWN in this LOW HEAVEN

-solo-

Fire cracks, opera echoes, Suzie cuts the deck
Horn players all blown out just blown in from the night
Here on top of the world
Little bird why so still

Let’s go to the good time house where the wine never spills
Let’s go to the good time house where nobody sees in
I won’t hit you too hard honey no just a little sting
HERE in this LOW HEAVEN

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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

Exceptional Irish Songwriters: Damien Rice

February 11, 2015

In this series I take a look at some of my favorite 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. Damien Rice


Damien Rice – Manhattan.
photo by Lisa Carpenter Photography

There Once Lived a Beast and Beauty

I remember it well… The first time that I saw.  He was wearing a duffel coat the color of sand, hood-up like a monk. It was a winter night in Mullingar and Damien Rice was opening a show for a songwriter called Hally, who had just released an album called “A fascination with Poppy”. I was around seventeen years old, with a great love for music, but no particular interest in songwriters. But something about this Rice guy caught my attention. It may have been his intensity? his voice? the songs? Probably all three. There was  a sense of mystery about him, a story… That story was that he had walked away from a band seemingly on the edge of success (Juniper), travelled around Europe, and even spent some time living as a farmer in Tuscany. So far, so romantic. Read More

Diving with a clear mind + Album release dates

July 23, 2014

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

Swedish high diver Arvid Spangberg at the 1908 Olympic Games from the fourth Olympiad.

I was chatting with a friend recently, let’s call him Brian – because that’s his name – we were listening to my soon-to-be-released album “Outlines”. I told him that I was starting to feel a bit stressed out about what to do next. The recording process had been so natural, organic and peaceful the whole way through, but now that the record was done I was starting to feel overwhelmed about next steps. Read More

Exceptional Irish Songwriters – Rhob Cunningham

July 16, 2014

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

Photograph by Tristan Hutchinson

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. Rhob Cunningham. Read More

Video: Live From a Dublin Café

July 9, 2014

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

New songs “Things You’re Dreaming of”, “Always Kind” & “Tug”, filmed live in Dublin May 2014.

A few weeks back, I played a show at Bewley’s Café Theatre, one of my favourite venues in Dublin. Musicians With Cameras, the good people behind the “Every Little Thing” video, were in the crowd on the night and made this short musical film:

“From the opening swaying notes of ‘The Things You’re Dreaming Of’, Peter Doran’s music seems to fill the venue as the soft ambience of shimmering guitar backing the songwriter’s gently performed vocal. With the camera work cutting from Doran and his band performing to reactions from the captivated crowd, the musician’s clear talents are visually conveyed to great effect.”

– The last Mixed Tape Blog


Enjoy the Video? Feel like being awesome?…

Help us get the music to more people by sharing the video on Facebook / Twitter / etc.  Grab it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Thiu_o-SpRo

I hope these songs bring you some kind of joy. ~PD


 Credits:

Filmed at Bewley’s Café Theatre, by Luke Byrne and Stephen Allen, Thursday 29th May 2014. Edited by Stephen Allen

All songs by Peter Doran. Performed by Nicky Brennan (Electric Guitar), Darren Sweeney (Bass) and Peter Doran (Acoustic Guitar & Vocals)


I’d love to hear your thoughts on the songs and the video! Would you like us to do a show in your town? Write to me at peterdoranmusic[at] gmail [dot] com or use the comment box below. I will get back to you.




Casey Black – “I’ve spent my whole life”

June 25, 2014

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

Every now and then a song comes along that completely grips me and won’t let go. Read More

Shooting the Lighthouse: Video Day 1.

June 11, 2014
Written by Peter Doran for peterdoran.com. Sign up for newsletter and get free music here.
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On shoot for “The World is Wide” Video – Photo by Lucy Jones, June 8th 2014.

I’m feeling a bit hyper and caffeinated this morning. Last night was another late one. It came after a long but enjoyable day of trekking and adventuring with Lucy Jones and John Hennessy of Kerbute Productions (Video-makers extraordinaire). It was day one of making a video for a song of mine called “The World is Wide”.  The song is about two children with adventurous hearts. We spent the day at Howth, a picturesque village on the outskirts of Dublin.

Read More

The Story of Sleepless Street

May 28, 2014

 My second album “Sleepless Street” celebrated its fourth birthday this week. If you haven’t heard it yet, now is the perfect time to discover it… For a little while, “Sleepless Street” is available as a free download over at bandcamp.com.

> CLICK HERE TO GET SOME SLEEPLESS STREET IN YOUR LIFE <

Name-your-price Download of “Sleepless Street” at Bandcamp.com

Please share this music with anyone who might enjoy it. That’s what it’s there for after all.

Read More

Things You’re Dreaming of (Rehearsal Video)

May 23, 2014

With a show coming up next week in Dublin, we took to the serious business of rehearsing…  The day was bright and warm, a day for playing outdoors. So that’s what we did! Nicky had a camera, so we decided it would be a fine idea to make a video. You can check it out below. If you enjoy it, and we hope you do, please share it on your preferred social media platforms !

The Song is “Things You’re Dreaming of” and will be on the new album “Outlines” which is comes out this Autumn.

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

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

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