Here's something that Mark Cagney had to say about myself....it's not everyday someone writes something like this so i'm including it to make me feel good about myself !
Mark Cagney's blog (Mark Cagney is one of the presenters of Irish Television breakfast show.....he was also a groundbreaking radio DJ introducing Irish listeners to new artists in the 80's)
Mark Cagney blog….tv3....
One of the country’s best and most underrated singer/songwriters dropped
in for a chat this morning. Paul Tiernan, who
some of you may remember from his time with the bands ‘Interference’ and ‘Flex
and the Fastweather’ (don’t ask, I haven’t got a clue) has spent the last eight
and bit years living abroad, mostly in France. ....
If his quality of work, in particular the development of his song
writing, is anything to go by, it’s a move some of his peers and contemporaries
should seriously consider (Yes, I mean you Damien Rice). As Paul said himself
this morning, he needed to get out of Ireland’s small musical pond (puddle
actually) and grow up as an artist. ....
With his last two records, 2004’s ‘Belle’ and the current release
‘Earthquakes start with little cracks’ he is putting together a body of work
that ranks with the best. I don’t want to pigeon hole or label his music, but
he grew up on Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen and Dylan, so without
prejudice it’s safe to say, he writes confessional songs for grown ups, they
are also invariably melodic and tuneful. Angst is all well and good, but a
great tune helps the medicine go down and Tiernan has never been short of good
tunes. ....
However he has added a depth, maturity and wisdom to his armoury, plus a
little Gallic flavour, which lifts him into different (higher) league
altogether, check out ‘Those Regrets’ and ‘Panic Blues’ on ‘Earthquakes start
with little cracks’ and ask yourself, how many of his peers are writing songs
this good. In fact go one step further, and go out and buy it, because if these
songs don’t already strike a chord with you, they will, someday.