 That's a new song. It's not even officially released yet. It's called Meet Me at the Record Store. And if you recognize the voice, that's because it's a former lead singer of Walk. I'm not sure if I'm putting this right, but anyhow. He was the lead singer with Walking on Cars. Now he's launched a solo career. His name is Pa Sheehy. And Pa joins us now. Hopefully you can hear me, Pa. Joanna, hear you loud and clear, man. How are you? Good. I'm good. I take it you're at home in Dingle. Is that right? I am just outside Dingle, a little village. Ventry, it's called. Ventry? Yeah, Skull Eda. I know Skull Eda down there. I don't know where Ventry is in relation to that. Ventry. Is there a lovely beach out there? Is that Ventry? Spot on, man, yeah. Where last year actually went for a walk on the beach. Nice, lovely part of the world. Anyway, how's things down there today? I hope the weather's a bit better than it is here. The weather is just as bad, I'd say. But all is well. I'm talking to my little studio here. Looks very nice in the background. There's a little fire down. And that's the first time I've heard that tune played on the radio. So thanks very much for playing it. Well, we've been playing it plenty in the weeks to come. And I saw you bobbing your head along there too. So what were you thinking when you heard it on now? And sometimes maybe it's that we've been unusual to hear it for the first time on the radio. But what were your thoughts? Were you thinking about the whole process about writing it and recording it or what? I was just, because I have you on my loudspeakers here. And I just remember I played that song and tweaked it and fixed it a hundred times on this sound system here and to hear it then live on your shores. Pretty cool man. Well, it sounds great. It sounds, you know, it's not just totally dissimilar to what you're doing with the walking on cars. And your new material now, because you've got an EP coming out, I think at the end of April and then alone before the end of the year. Your new material, is it an entirely new departure or broadly speaking similar? Or how would you describe it? I don't know how to describe it. I'm just kind of making tunes and getting excited by different sounds and different types of music. And I guess like the first EP that's coming out this year is probably a softer record than I'm used to making, not by design. It's just kind of that's how the song is kind of developed. And that's how the songs felt like they should be delivered. And then I think there's another EP later on in the year, which is a bit more energy to us. Probably a bit more radio, but a bit more. How do you say? I think I've gone really organic with the sound in the last kind of 15 months. I kind of get allergic to synthetic sounds, because I suppose we use them so much in the band that I kind of, I feel like, okay, I've done that. Now I'm all about a live kid and a live everything that just gets, that does it for me these days. So you're giving it real? Keeping it real, man. Yeah, keeping it real. For sure. Yeah, you said 15 months there. That's when you decided to go your own way. Was there any big thing? Did you see it coming? Was it the pandemic? Yeah, it was kind of a mixture of everything, man. Probably a mixture of everything I feel like it was probably time. Like we'd been together for 10 years. And I think 10 years is a long time to be in a band. Yeah. And then I suppose the sound, the music hadn't devolved probably hugely from when we started. And I think like, to be honest, I think the magic had disappeared by the end. And I think we could have kept going and made a couple of more records, but I don't think they would have been like something we would have looked back down and say, oh, I'm so super proud of that. I think it would have just been a similar thing to the first couple of records. You know what I mean? I don't think there would have been huge evolution. And I'm not sure why, but I suppose with this new thing, I feel like I've got freedom to do almost anything. You know what I mean? I can go in any direction, create any kind of music. And that's super exciting to me. Yeah. It's not a safe option because the band was, we were a big band. We were doing big tours. So that was the safer option. You know what I mean? Yeah. Even your last tour, I mean, it was big because it was Australia and New Zealand and it was Dubai and it was even Russia. So now, in a way, you're almost starting from scratch again. There is a recognition factor, but it's back to basics. It's absolutely back to basics, man. Yeah. And Jon, there's so much in it. I feel like obviously I've got a bit of experience, but at the same time, I'm starting this new project in a new world, in a new, let the music industry has completely changed from when I first started. So it's not like I'm using all my experience and it's coming in really handy for this new platform. I'm actually starting from scratch, like with the social media thing, like TikTok and all that stuff. It's like, I'm so out of that realm that I, I've never been so lost, to be honest. It is a new landscape and it's one I suppose that all artists have to learn. Some that are starting out, it's a second nature, it's what you do. And then for others then, they just have to learn new tricks and go with it. But it's all about connecting with an audience. It is, yeah. And I suppose I believe that if the music is good enough, then it'll take off. You know what I mean? My social media skills I don't think should be the defining thing that will define my career or not. It shouldn't have to be, surely, because, you know, your things should be about writing the songs, recording the songs, playing the songs live. And then you'd like to think that, you know, there'll be somebody along the way that'll take care of the, you know, the TikTok and the Instagram. Yeah, you'd hope so. So, yeah, I'm learning that side of things. And to be honest, I'm not enjoying it that much. I'll be honest with you. Like, I love being in the studio and writing and making a record. But this social media thing is not coming easy to me. I hear you. I hear you. Anyhow, you're going to be rolling the songs from the EP, or EPs out as the year goes on. There's some live dates that are lined up for Ireland and the UK. And then a slightly bigger tour, like, I think it's in October. So no doubt, like every artist, you'll be looking forward to road testing the tunes. Absolutely, man. Yeah, we are heading off at the end of this month for an unplugged tour. So that'll be like a stripped back kind of trio. Myself, a violin player and a keys player. And then, like you say, in the winter, then the dates aren't locked in yet, but we'll be going on a bit more extensive tour and it'll be like a full band with all the bells and whistles. So that'll be cool. Even if people don't recognise an A.M., the minute you open your voice, the minute you, you know, get the lungs in gear and people hear you singing, it's that recognition factor. Do you? I know it's hard to evaluate, maybe, but do you find a bit of that? I don't. I feel like with this song particularly, because it's all falsetto, I suppose a lot of my walk on the car stuff would have been more gritty and a bit more kind of gravelly, whereas probably this record in particular, it's very soft and very gentle. So I'm not 100% sure will people pick up who it is. But at the same time, then it's like, it's a new thing, it's a new artist to people. I think it'll be pleasantly surprised because the minute you start singing people, there's a recognition factor, because the band were so well known and you're around for 10 years, it's inevitably a great success. So I think once you start singing people, hang on, I know that voice. Yeah, yeah, yeah, let's see, let's see. And things have, I suppose, evolved and changed for you as well off the stage, the young family now and doing the rock band thing, might not set as easy as it once did. Yeah, well, I suppose the thing about when Walk on a Carousel took off, it was such a new thing and such a big deal that it was the number, it was the main priority in my life, you know what I mean? This was, I was going for, this is what I've been dreaming of, this is it, you know what I mean? So everything else came second, even family came second, you know what I mean? And I suppose as I got older, I feel like, okay, the most important thing is family, you know what I mean? I have two little ones now, so the most important thing is them and then their career comes after that, where before it was the other way around and to be honest, like kids are small only for a solo, like such a short period of time that I'm mindful that this is such an important time in their life. So I don't want to be putting my career ahead of that and making them feel that and then growing up and be like, that never really kind of, we were always kind of down the pecking order. So I'm very mindful that they are number one. But it's very hard, it's a balancing act because then you've got a, you know, I don't know, a manager or an agent or a promoter or whatever, you know, bent in your ear saying, listen, you know, you have to get out there with it or we know we need the material and there's deadlines and now you have to go up there for the interview or the photo shoot and you're thinking, well, not this, you know, it's under 12s game and I need to be there. Yeah, it is like that. I would like to so much you can do online now that I'm kind of at the minute, I have a lovely balance going. Obviously the solo career hasn't taken off yet because I'm only in my second EP and the album hasn't dropped. So do you know what? I think just to be mindful of it is enough and then you can balance it out and it has crazy as it gets. You can either go with it as much as you want or you can pull back as much as you want. So it'll be a case of going all in and seeing where the balance will come in then. But yeah, they're young and they can come with me as well. There you go, of course. There's ways around most things and decisions are yours and yours alone for the most part to make from now on. You don't have to consult with the bandmates and listen, I wish every success with the solo career and hopefully we'll chat on down the line again and hopefully it doesn't take away too much from Venture. Thanks very much, man. Just to remind people that the EP is out in June. June 9th and there's no EP to follow in September and that song, Meet Me at the Record Store, that will officially be released later this month on the 21st. Correct. And people can check you out on your socials, your ever-improving socials. Right? Yeah. We're doing our best. We're doing our best. Paa Sheehy, it's been a pleasure. Thanks so much, man. Thank you. Have a good day.