A devotion to three chords and the truth!

In his column, which he describes as a ‘stramash in the goalmouth of Rock ‘n’ Roll,’ the celebrated songwriter, producer and manager, JOHN McLAUGHLIN, shares with us his insights into the music and entertainment world

WELCOME back! This month, I’m delighted to introduce you all to my dear friend, co-writer and someone I admire greatly as both a singer and artist/performer, Glasgow’s very own rising superstar in country music, Kevin McGuire.

I’ve had the pleasure of watching Kevin’s career blossom into full pelt—where it is right now. We caught up and I asked Kevin a few questions about how he arrived at this point and, of course, we also chatted all-things Celtic. Having witnessed first-hand how unbelievably difficult it is to get a result as an artist from Glasgow—never mind in such a tiny genre as country music—Kevin is dispelling all of those myths and blowing the barn doors off the industry.

How does a boy from Glasgow decide he wants a career in country music of all things? Surely that would have been one of the toughest paths to take?

I’ve never been one to shy away from a challenge—even one the size of this! Taking it back to the start, I was brought up in a very musical household and around great music. My dad would always be playing the guitar and was a drummer in a band when he was younger and that definitely rubbed off on me and my big sister, Emma. We were no strangers to some of the great Irish tunes passed down the generations, and every family party ended up in a late night singalong. The best of times.

I got into country music during my school years. From the early years of secondary school, I’d be coming home and be looking up the US country charts online and scouring the internet for any mp3 I could find. Country music for me felt like an escape from the realities of being a teenager here in Scotland. I was the only one in my class listening to country music, so it felt like it was taking me into my own little world of three chords and the truth. That’s when I got heavily into songwriting, I picked up the guitar, and started playing my first gigs. Nothing came easy as this was a niche genre, but, over time and with hard graft, I found myself being asked to play more and more festivals up and down the country.

Tell the readers of The Irish Voice how we met?

As serendipity would have it, in London of all places, that’s where I met my mate and, now manager, John McLaughlin at the prestigious ‘Nashville Meets London’ music festival, where I was performing with my full band after travelling through the night. Like every aspiring artist in Scotland, I knew who John was, but our paths had never yet crossed. That day, John was blown away by our set and the songwriting. We really hit it off that night over a few beers—mainly due to our mutual love of Celtic FC—and started writing together as soon as we were back up the road.

Since then, we must have written more than 100 songs together for myself and other artists, duetted at the Hydro with John’s band, where they were opening for Rod Stewart, and been out on the road together several times

Tell us where this journey has taken you up until now?

It’s been a wild journey so far, full of extraordinary moments I could never have dreamt up, and times of hardship and doubt along the way, which have served me well. The music industry is a tough road, but I thank God I’ve stayed on it.

This year alone has brought some major achievements already. I recently opened for the legendary Wet Wet Wet frontman, Marti Pellow, at the iconic Edinburgh Castle, straight off the back of completing my first ever sold-out headline tour across the country. To add into the mix, there’s the small matter of performing Maggie May with the one and only Rod Stewart himself at Murphy’s Irish Bar in the Merchant City, Glasgow.

I’ve been totally blown away by the millions of streams and online listeners across my social platforms from our hit version of the country classic Wagon Wheel, to my brand new single Whisky For Breakfast. I’ve had to skip the summer holiday plans this year because there’s no sign of things slowing down. I’m ecstatic to be playing a host of festivals, including the main stage at this year’s Party at the Palace (Linlithgow) and Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival. Along with this, I am so proud to be taking my journey in country music to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where I’ll be telling my story through the songs that have led me to this point. ‘Never Mind The Nashvilles’ will run for three nights, from August 15-17 at the Voodoo Rooms.

How did you come up with that name for the show?

The show title reflects my determination on this uphill battle to build country music and make my mark right here in Glasgow, not Nashville. It was at a dour Scottish country music festival just a few years ago that it hit home just how sparse the genre had become with the younger generation. Honestly, it was like a scene from Father Ted’s Craggy Island. That was the catalyst for me to take the genre by the scruff of the neck, and get this music to a wider audience.

You mentioned your love for Celtic earlier. Tell us about your support of the club?

Away from music, Celtic is really my life. I’ve been a season ticket holder ever since I was old enough to hold a scarf above my head, and have had decades of precious, unforgettable memories going to the games with my dad, my uncle and, of course, my papa, who we sadly lost last year. He instilled our love for the club and culture in us all, just like our Irish ancestors passed down the generations to him.

The ‘Maguires’ have been traced back to County Antrim, where they made their journey over here to Glasgow because of the Great Hunger. When they arrived, as they could not read or write, the family name was registered as ‘McGuire,’ who we still are today. Other family lineage descends from both County Longford and County Tyrone as well as current cousins in Dublin, and I’m particularly thrilled to be taking my music over to Ireland, where we plan to tour next year. What a buzz that will be, and it’ll mean so much not only to me, but my family as well.

Many thanks to Kevin McGuire for the interview. To keep up with his journey through the Country Music scene check out his social media: Facebook @kevinmcguiremusic; Instagram @kevinmcguireofficial; TikTok @kevinmcguireofficial; X @kevmcguiremusic