Paul McDonald

Artist Information

It would be near impossible to overstate the uniquely singular quality of Paul McDonald’s voice and stage presence. It’s immediately recognizable and impossible to ignore. Once you’ve heard him sing, you will always know whose voice you’re hearing. And once you’ve seen him perform, you will not easily forget him. Often compared to legends like Tom Petty as a songwriter, or a young Rod Stewart for his unique voice, his songs and delivery are instantly relatable and universal in their appeal. His poetic story-driven narratives and deep, thoughtful hooks are delivered with a raspy, yet refined voice reminiscent of another era, yet demanding to be heard right now. It’s rare for an artist to pull off the feat of being a poetic songwriter, visual artist, wildly engaging performer, and an exceptional and soulful vocalist. Born and raised in Auburn, Alabama, it was the sound of southern dignitaries like the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd that first grabbed his attention. But it was when he discovered the music of the late 60’s & 70’s Laurel Canyon scene, mixed together with his love for The Rolling Stones, Neil Young and the aforementioned Tom Petty, that he ventured into penning his earliest songs. At 15 years old, Paul’s father bought him a guitar for Christmas and he taught himself to play by starting to write songs. His guitar style reflects that method and is a big part of every song he writes and records. By the age of 16, he was already playing shows on the local circuit around his hometown. In his early 20's he started Hightide Blues, his first band, and began touring and making records full time. “It all seemed to happen pretty quick and naturally. I’ve been carrying around a guitar since I was a kid, and as soon as I ever tried to go in a different direction (he was two classes away from majoring in Biomedical Sciences at Auburn University), the universe would always pull me right back to the music.” After a few years of fronting and touring with various bands, including The Grand Magnolias, Hightide Blues, and a short stint in an Americana duo, Paul was looking to find his own voice as a solo artist. It was during this time that he got a call from an American Idol scout and found himself auditioning for and joining the show at its height of popularity. This led to a very high-profile period of time on television each week in front of millions of people, a world of new celebrity friends, a LA celebrity marriage, a big song on the Twilight soundtrack, and a helluva lot of stalking paparazzi. It all turned out to be a mixed bag that might’ve started well, but ultimately left him wondering what he was doing and how to return to his artistic roots. After a few years, he made the bold decision to leave LA, his celebrity friends, celebrity marriage and relocate to Nashville to find his voice again. In 2018 he recorded and independently released his first solo album called Modern Hearts, produced by the wildly talented Jordan Lehning. The album introduced a more alternative rock approach to his sound and a bunch of great new songs to his fans. But it still didn’t feel exactly like the direction Paul was seeking and he took a breather after that to play solo shows, special appearances and write new songs. That breather ended up being a five year gap devoted to a lot of writing and recording, even scrapping a fully produced and mixed album (and many other tracks), before he finally found the direction that he felt fully expressed who he was and what he was trying to say. During this time, Paul also started the One Big Love Festival in Nashville, bringing together many great artists from Nashville and beyond, involving the community and giving back to various local charities. The event went on as a series over the course of several months in 2023, building with each one, and with a growing range of artists wanting to play. By the finale, the series had showcased well over 100 artists, with folks ranging from Aaron Lee Tasjan to Margo Price having graced the stage. In late 2023, Paul McDonald started recording his newest album with producer Bobby Holland and with his newly-formed band The Mourning Doves. The moment they began to record, Paul knew he had finally found the sound that was going to get his vision across to fans. In his words: “These are part of a collection of songs I’ve been working on these past couple of years. Each of them represents a time-mark in processing and moving forward with all I’ve gone through and everything that got me to this moment. Sonically it was a challenge to find the sound that was in my head, and it took me a minute to realize that my most inspired moments in music were with my first bands. We were rough around the edges, but the imperfections and individual personalities made the music fresh. That inspired me to involve my live band in the recording process, rather than just using studio cats to play on it. By then we’d played a bunch of shows together and knew each other’s quirks and sounds and everyone brought their A game. When I heard back the first couple of tracks, I knew we’d finally hit it…we’d finally found that sound I’ve been hearing in my head the past few years.” Paul McDonald’s new (still untitled) album is in the final stages of production and nearly ready to start mixing. It features some of his most thoughtful and inspired work to date and he, and everyone involved, can’t wait for these songs to be heard and get out on the road to start playing them for people everywhere.