IRISH born retro-soul singer and former member of the Dublin Gospel Choir, Padraig Rushe, released his debut album Greyworld on March 6th, 2009 on Loud Child Records.
The album was preceded by the current single ‘Gonna Be A Change’, a unique blend of soul, folk and rock.
Rushe is currently touring Ireland with full band and this tour takes in Dolan’s on Saturday April 25.
A seasoned performer and published songwriter, Rushe spent years honing his craft as a soloist with the renowned Dublin Gospel Choir, for whom he also wrote and arranged music.
Six years on and Padraig had become an integral part of the group, recording three albums and performing at numerous concerts. Looking back on that time, Padraig laughs “At first my family and friends freaked because they thought I’d joined a cult, I was never around, The choir was a very big commitment, rehearsals at least twice a week and gigs most weekends. It was unlike anything I’d ever had in my life before, the opportunity to learn and grow, both vocally and personally, in the company of immensely talented people from all walks of life”.
Over the last eight years he released three albums with the group, performed at major music festivals and worked with some of the biggest names in Irish and international music including the late James Brown, Damien Rice, Declan O’Rouke, Glen Hansard, Paddy Casey, Lisa Hannigan, Nitin Sawhney, Paul Noonan (BellX1) and The Hot House Flowers.
However, it was his experience of working with Irish singer-songwriter Paddy Casey where Padraig found much of his inspiration to strike out solo: “While each encounter has taught me something unique, it has been my work with Paddy Casey over the last four years where I feel I have gained and learnt the most about performance and recording”; notes Padraig. “I remember seeing him opening for Tracy Chapman seven years ago in Dublin Castle and being blown away by his songs and voice. He was promoting his first album and I was still at school. Three years later, with the Dublin Gospel Choir, I found myself in Today FM’s studios recording a new arrangement of his song ‘Saints and Sinners’ for the Even Better Than the Real Thing 2 album. I was performing as a soloist with the choir, singing alongside Paddy. It was an incredible opportunity and one for which I am grateful”.
Having left the Dublin Gospel Choir in January 2008 to pursue an independent solo career, Rushe became the first unsigned Irish artist to earn a place on MTV’s ‘Get Seen, Get Heard:The Contenders’ in May 2008. The competition saw his music showcased on MTV 1, MTV Hits and TMF over a three month period following selection by MTV industry judges and over 200,000 online voters. Shortly afterwards he was awarded a Music Bursary from the Irish Arts Council and began recording his debut album Greyworld in earnest. With a distinctive voice that critics have compared to Luther Van Dross, Nick Drake, Jeff Buckley and Bill Withers, Rushe’s music moves effortlessly between genres while maintaining a deep rooting in the retro-soul of America, where he spent much of his childhood.
