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Singer-songwriter Karl McHugh brings rock vibes and a dash of realism to his newest single, “In The Movies,” out April 21. “In The Movies” highlights the discrepancy between movie magic and real-life experiences, combining modern melodies with thoughtful lyricism.
Fun, energetic, and quizzical, McHugh’s music entertains while adding an air of intrigue. Is there more to his single than what captivates the ear?
“In The Movies” was created as a combination of nostalgia and necessity. “I developed this song as part of the Song of the Month Club I have going on Patreon,” explains McHugh. “I was thinking about how relationships look easier in the movies. There’s a beginning, middle and a satisfying conclusion; but in real life, things don’t always pan out that way. I was raised in a video rental store that my family owned. So, I was exposed to those romcom tropes you see in films all the time and then I had to grow up and realize that life doesn’t work like that.”
McHugh has been playing the guitar since his early teens and continued to study music to post-graduate level. McHugh focused on music and media technology, immersing himself in theory and production. He also played in bands, devoting most of his time to his passion of songwriting. Following his studies, Karl McHugh went on to write music for advertisements and television in his homeland of Ireland.
Fueled by his father’s memories of living in the Bay Area, McHugh decided to move to the U.S. and out west to the Bay Area—just three blocks from where his father once lived. It was there he joined the West Coast Songwriters, where he found a mentor, took classes, and met many other musicians, including James Devine. Together, they started the Irish-American rock group, “McHugh and Devine.” After touring and releasing an EP and album, gaining recognition in the area, the duo parted ways (but occasionally reunite for special events). Thus began McHugh’s journey as a solo artist.
His previous solo EP, Easy Life, showcases his talent and includes the “Temptation Island” featured single, “No One Told Me About You.” Another single, “Keep Dreamin’,” won the coveted Outstanding Achievement in Songwriting award at The Great American Songwriting Contest.
This year, Karl McHugh is looking forward to releasing more singles and an EP in August. He’ll also be performing in London and Ireland over the summer and looks forward to setting up shows in the Bay Area as well.
Make sure to stay connected to Karl McHugh on all platforms for new music, videos, and social posts.
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Would Johnny Marr place one of his solo songs ahead of favourites from The Smiths and Electronic? His choices are revealed in NME’s Blind Ranking video below.
Ahead of the release of ‘The Age Of Everything’, which arrived last Friday, October 2, NME sat down with the guitarist for a look back through his catalogue. Marr was challenged to place five songs in order of greatness, choosing a position for each without knowing which song would follow.
Electronic’s ‘Getting Away With It’ came first, with Marr saying it “goes down very very well, even if people are hearing it for the first time”. Next came ‘Spin’, taken from his latest solo album. Reflecting on the newer song, he admitted that “not everybody knows it, but it makes an impression”.
When ‘This Charming Man’ by The Smiths came up, Marr observed: “Obviously it’s very well known, but it goes by so quick.” The track remains a “connection” to his younger self, he explained: “I can hear the young man who wrote those guitar parts”. He described his 2014 solo release ‘Easy Money’ as “pretty catchy”, adding that it “goes off bigger than any other at any gig”. He then considered another much loved Smiths song, ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out’.
“Beautiful song to play. Very proud of it still,” Marr reflected. Recalling a recent performance in Liverpool, he added that “it occurred to me that it’s the ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ of my generation.”
See where each song landed in Marr’s ranking by watching the video below, then share your own order in the Instagram comments.
The wider conversation with NME covered his “emphatic” album ‘The Age Of Everything’, his admiration for The Cure and Fontaines D.C., and his thoughts on why Andy Burnham should be able to listen to The Smiths. Read the complete interview with Marr here.
A Liverpool concert on November 14 is next on Marr’s schedule, followed by a brief run of dates with stops in Mexico, São Paulo and Chile. His largest solo headline performance to date at OVO Arena Wembley had been planned for later this month, but has been postponed, with a replacement date yet to be announced.
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