The Long Voyage Of Pugwash

By Joe Kavanagh

People are very fond of the expression that you get what you deserve, even if all of the evidence points the other way. Perhaps it's the fact that we see bad things happen to good people all of the time, or that millions sleep on the street on cold nights, even as others decide whether to go with the platinum or gold bathroom fittings, but more often than not the truth is that people do not get what they deserve; they get what they end up with. Although not quite as dramatic, if one was to draw up a list of those in the Irish music industry who have failed to get what they deserve then Thomas Walsh a.k.a. Pugwash, would certainly have to be near the top of that list. Despite a veritable cacophony of journalists as far afield as the UK, US and Australia, vociferously plugging Pugwash as the best pure songwriter that Ireland has produced in the past decade, he has yet to receive his big breakthrough. All of that may change in the coming weeks, as his latest album, 11 Modern Antiquities, hits shelves this week and by all accounts is his finest work to date by a country mile. So good that the public simply cannot ignore it, particularly because they will not be allowed to do so this time around by a media that seems determined to break this man into the public consciousness.

Raised in Drimnagh, County Dublin, Walsh was introduced to music - and specifically the Electric Light Orchestra - by his older brother when he was only 8-years-old, beginning a love affair that would soon become the focus of his being. Within a couple of years, he was spending every penny that came his way on albums and singles, beginning with ELO, before branching out into the Beatles, Beach Boys and XTC, to whom he developed a fervent affinity. By his teenaged years, his love of music convinced him to begin learning guitar, and he would spend hour upon hour in a small shed out the back of his parents' home working on his riffs and eventually writing his own tunes, inspired by a growing band of influences. By 1995 he had compiled a demo on a four-track and sent it in to Hot Press, one of Ireland's foremost music publications, and the magazine promptly made ìt their Demo of the Year. The accolade, and the fact that he had also amassed 150 songs of his own, provoked him to move out of his parents' house in order to pursue his dream in a more single-minded fashion. Although he was initially unable to make a living from his own music, he was lucky enough to be hired as guitarist for Belfast singer Andy White, who took him out on a joint tour with the eccentric US singer/songwriter, Kim Fowley. The extensive touring through the UK and continental Europe blooded Walsh in the ways of the music industry, affording him experience that is positively invaluable to any young musician.

It was not until 1999 that the world got its first proper peek at Pugwash, with the release of Almond Tea, an album characterized as "power-pop", which catapulted him to the forefront of the Irish music scene. Journalists poured praise over the collection, to the point where Hot Press actually named it #23 on its list of the best albums of the millennium. The beautifully arranged, punchy tunes laid the groundwork for Walsh's reputation as a "songwriter's songwriter", of an almost classical bent and he went on to tour the four corners of Ireland on the strength of its content. His thirst for songwriting perfection became evident when work on his follow-up album extended into 18 months of studio time, as he fiddled back and forth with melodies, lyrics and beats. Almanac also proved to be a big hit with critics upon its release and once again proved potent enough for Hot Press to make it #61 in the 100 Best Irish Albums of All Time, an honor given more credence given the fact that it was voted for by Irish musicians, including the likes of Snow Patrol, U2 and Van Morrison. Just to provide an illustration of how vast the gap is between what the critics say and what the public actually does, consider the fact that Almanac moved only 113 copies in Ireland despite the superlatives that were heaped upon it. Although such figures mattered little to a man who was in music purely for the love of it, the bills do have to be paid, so it must have given him some solace that famed-Australian radio station Triple J picked up on his music and began playing it regularly in their rotation, only a short time later. As his profile grew down under, Walsh released a kind of "best of" compilation of the first two albums, under the title, Earthworm, which would eventually also act as his introduction to US audiences.

By 2004 he was once again in the studio, only this time much of the recording was done in the legendary Abbey Road studios, and he was even joined by former XTC guitarist, Dave Gregory, who had formed a mutual admiration society with Pugwash. As if having one of your idols play on your album wasn't enough, Brian Wilson, had also become acquainted with Pugwash, going so far as to offer Walsh a personal invitation to meet him when the legendary Beach Boy visited Dublin in June of 2005.

Only three months later, Pugwash gave the world Jollity, a collection of tracks whose sophistication, bearing and nuance saw critics now refer to it as "chamber-pop", such was its almost classical disposition. Above it all lingers Walsh's warm voice, which has a clarity and timbre that evokes summer days and good times. From London to Los Angeles, music aficionados heaped admiration upon this singer but, once again, the fawning critics failed to translate into the commercial breakthrough that many of them had been baying for

This weeks sees him release his eagerly anticipated, 11 Modern Antiquities, a record that might just be too good to ignore and one that undoubtedly benefits from the fact that Pugwash has become more of a band over the years and less of a one man show. For the past several months, the Irish industry has been abuzz with tales of its excellence and the fact that XTC's notoriously reclusive front man, Andy Partridge even co-wrote and worked on a couple of tracks. Also, one of Pugwash's old tracks, Anyone Who Asks, has also been added to the soundtrack of the upcoming blockbuster movie, Pride & Glory, starring Ed Norton, Colin Farrell and Jon Voight.

Such exposure is long overdue and should give him a vital toehold in the US (a big thank you should be added to Nic Harcourt of radio station KCRW in LA for putting the song on the soundtrack and his stellar work on behalf of Irish acts in general). You get the impression that make it or not, Pugwash will continue to flash his big smile and write his tunes until the day he forgets to wake up. After all, this is a man who has gone on to work with many of the idols whom he grew up worshiping, right down to having their posters on his wall. Now they are the ones showing their admiration for Thomas Walsh. For a kid that grew up dreaming about being a songwriter; it surely can't get any better.