By Mikie O’loughlin

Copyright rsvplive

Calum MacPhail has already made a name for himself in his home city of Inverness and now he’s ready to crack Ireland. He has toured alongside Nathan Carter, Derek Ryan and The Tumbling Paddies in the past and after seeing their success on stage, he plans to move to Fermanagh. Calum tells RSVP Country : “I’ve been all over the country with them and it’s been great craic working with them and getting to know them personally.”

Here, the singer, songwriter, and accordionist reveals where his love of music comes from, why social media is his least favourite part of the industry, why he wouldn’t date a fan and his plans to make Fermanagh his home.

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Your father was a folk singer, is that where your interest in music comes from?

Yeah, he sang a lot of Scottish and Irish songs. I grew up surrounded by music. I can remember at the age of five or six dancing around the sitting room to the LPs he had on. My love for music began at a really early age.

So far, has it been hard to break into the music industry, or what has the journey been like for you?

It has been a slow burner, to be honest, but I’m really enjoying the journey. I started off in the trad world and now I’ve broken off into contemporary Irish country music. I do a mixture of genres.

Does that keep things more fresh and interesting?

Doing the same thing over and over would get a wee bit boring after a while. There’s something in my show for everyone.

You’ve worked with Nathan Carter, Derek Ryan, The Tumbling Paddies and other big names from the Irish country scene. What has that been like?

It’s been surreal. I listen to Nathan Carter and The Tumbling Paddies all the time, so it’s great to be asked to work with them. I’ve been all over the country with them and it’s been great craic working with them and getting to know them personally. The support gigs really give you a leg up. The reason why I’m going down this road in music is because of Nathan. I saw one of his shows in Inverness when I took my trad band out for a night out. It was an eye-opening experience and I knew I wanted to do something like that. The Tumbling Paddies are incredible, they’re insane at what they do.

Have they given you any advice that’s stuck with you?

They told me to be myself and do what I love.

Who were your musical heroes growing up?

My dad was my biggest musical hero. I lived a very sheltered life, I was raised on Daniel O’Donnell and The Dubliners. Mumford and Sons would be my favourite band. I went to see a Picture This concert recently and they were incredible.

How do you find touring and the travel that goes with it?

It’s draining at times. I love driving though and I’ve got a comfy car, so I’m quite happy. I don’t like going to airports, I’d rather just drive everywhere. I’m at a show tonight and I’m staying over and tomorrow I’m driving home through the night. Sometimes it’s nice to be at home in your bed.

What’s the hardest thing about the industry for you?

There are loads of hard parts. I think finding that song that takes off is very hard. You can write a song and you think it’s going to be the one, but it only gets a mediocre response. I don’t want a one-hit wonder, I’m happy following my journey the way it’s going. I’m not looking for instant success.

You’ve spent a lot of time touring in Ireland, how have you found it?

I’ve been welcomed with open arms. The music scene is absolutely booming in Ireland and there’s so much passion from the artists and the audiences. I’ve so much time for Irish people.

How do Irish audiences compare to British audiences?

There’s more Irish people coming out, that’s a fact. Scottish crowds are amazing to play to, but I feel the passion for Irish music is greater in Ireland. The crowds know the songs, they want to dance and they’re always up for the craic. Trad and country music are niche in a way in Scotland. Irish people are reared more on music.

Would you like to move to Ireland at any point?

Yes. I’ve been speaking to my management and I’d like to move over for three or four months next year and dip my toes into the water some more. I’m looking at moving to Fermanagh and basing myself there for a while. I want to make more connections and friendships.

Fermanagh seems to be the place to be with Nathan Carter, Derek Ryan, The Tumbling Paddies and Lisa McHugh all based there.

It’s the place to be. It’s like the Nashville of Ireland.

Are you nervous or apprehensive about leaving Scotland and your family and friends to make a new start?

Yes and no. Ireland is very close to home and the people in Ireland are very similar to the people in Scotland. It won’t be hard to settle in. But I need to make sure I get gigs and that I get enough gigs to sustain myself. Overall, I’ve built up a steady wage with my gigs around the Highlands. I’m not completely starting because I do have a platform to work off. I’m still a bit scared, though.

Growing up, playing and liking trad, folk and country and not the more popular rap, pop or R&B at the time, did your friends and classmates look at you with raised eyebrows?

I moved from a wee west coast town to Inverness and it was eye-opening to see how many people didn’t even know what an accordion was. I followed my dreams and I was playing in pubs every weekend. That’s where I learned all of the Scottish and Irish folk songs. When my friends were kicking around a ball I was learning music. It has definitely paid off. I have no regrets. Not many other people were doing what I was doing, so that put me in my own lane.

Do you get a lot of support from your family?

My mum, my stepdad and my sister come to every gig and they help out with the merchandise and the rest of it. They’re great for looking after my dog as well. I love having my family on board supporting my dreams. They’re always rooting for me.

You’ve built a massive social media following, that must be a big help in getting your name out there?

I try to be myself on social media. I don’t put on any fronts and what you see is what you get from me. That’s nice because people can resonate with my personality and the real me. I never try to be somebody that I’m not.

Are you in a relationship?

No. It’s hard to keep something steady when you’re on the road and going in and out of different places.

Would you ever date a fan?

Probably not [laughs]. If there was a genuine connection, maybe. I don’t see people as fans and I don’t like calling them fans. I think people are either into your music, your career and your journey or they’re not.

Do you get a lot of strange messages online?

I think people believe I get more of it than I actually do. I get the odd thing here and there, which can be bizarre. Nothing too wild though! I don’t get many negative comments.

What’s something that people don’t know about you?

I’ve got a very addictive personality. If I get interested in something I get super addicted. At the moment I’m playing the PlayStation. I go through phases of being addicted to people, places and songs.

Is the music industry what you expected it to be?

I’ve been doing the same thing for years and there are parts of the music industry that I absolutely hate. Social media annoys me the most. You have to be switched on constantly and posting all of the time. I hate the TikTok side of things where a song might blow up and go viral and people might come to see you perform for that one in particular. I’d rather someone come for the whole show and enjoy themselves. People sit on their phones and talk the whole way through the gigs.

Is it hard to be present when you’re focused on social media and not writing, planning and performing?

You don’t get to focus on the proper parts of your career. It’s all part of it though, you have to do a bit of everything these days.

What’s on the bucket list?

I’m very bad at planning, I like to live in the moment. I want to get more music out there and build audiences in Ireland and Scotland. I’ve done alright in my home city of Inverness and now I want to take the show on the road and have fun.

W: calummacphail.com FB: Calum MacPhail, IG: @calum_box

Read the full interview with Calum in the new issue of RSVP Country – on shelves now

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