OYLEGATE is the newest addition to the Paddy Hanna repertoire, marking his fifth LP release to date. The name refers to a town outside of Wexford, where Paddy lived at the time of conception. Following a low-point upon the release of his fourth album, feeling like he’d failed those around him — his wife and his band for two — Paddy took a burn out induced break.

Before any of this though, Paddy got the once in a lifetime opportunity to play with the late, great Burt Bacharach. “They said the Joan of Arc was so magnetic that when she walked around, butterflies would follow her,” he begins, describing the composer. “That’s essentially what he was like,” he reminisces. “He was somebody who truly had a saintly feel.”

Meeting the legendary songwriter changed something in Paddy, who ended up singing Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head with Bacharach at the Galway International Arts Festival in 2018. He jokes that “it took a long time to get over that, because when you perform with your idol, the only way is down.”

Making record after record at breakneck speed, the rate of production and pressure to constantly outdo each previous record took its toll. “I sort of felt as though I'd reached the end,” Paddy says, on the aftermath of the release of his fourth album 'Imagine I’m Hoping'in 2022.

The industry pushed the artist into the darkest depths of uncertainty and instability, and taking a step back to slow down proved as both a difficult choice and a saviour.

“I pulled over at a gas station just outside of Oylegate, and the engine of my car was running,” Paddy says, delving straight into the nitty gritty backdrop of his latest album. “I was leaving the family on my way to Dublin to take care of some music related stuff, you know. And there was just that sense in my head of like, the crossroads,” he says.

“Every kind of emotion hit me at once. I miss my family even though I just left; maybe you should drive away and never be seen again. All these kinds of emotions struck me at once”

OYLEGATE paints a journey through the euphoric highs and crushing lows of parenthood, in an unconventional and altogether surrealist way. Paddy references the film Possession as one of his favourite films, acting as whacky inspiration on how to communicate ordinary human experiences creatively.

“Before I properly gave up I had tried to start two different bands,” Paddy tells us. “I started a folk duo, then I started a doo wop group,” he laughs.

“That’s missing in Ireland,” we interject. “Not enough doo wop,” he agrees.

Upon the dissolution of both the folk and the doo wop groups, Paddy tried to write “the great Traditional Irish concept album,” as he calls it. Having mapped it all out, he sat down with Daniel Fox — who would later produce OYLEGATE — to work out the arrangements for the album. The songs were ready to go. A Paddy Hanna redemption arc was in the works. But burnout hit. And the album continues to live in written arrangement only.

Facing the reality of a downward career trajectory, being a stay at home dad to one, and then two small humans acted as a brutal and confrontational reminder for the musician.

“You're looking at these innocent little creatures, and their hopes and dreams are starting to formulate,” he says, while his own dreams felt entirely out of reach.

And so began the process of rediscovering a love for creating music again. The writing process was far less pressured this time, because it had to be. No longer did his reputation fall on having successful album after successful album. Paddy’s love for music, and the outlet that is provided persevered. The artist found his voice again.

“I would just play piano,” Paddy explains. “Gradually the songs would come together. In most of the early, early concept demos I would have that I'd record on my phone, you can hear crying in the background, and then me going, like, Okay, I'm coming. I'm coming.”

In empathising with other musicians and creatives who feel stuck in their careers or creative journeys, Paddy gives the simple advice to stick with it. “If you have a vision and you’ve got talent, you can do it.”

Paddy’s new album OYLEGATE is out now, via Strange Brew Records.