Omagh’s Dino McGartland releases new EP: ‘On the Road’

Dino McGartland is one of the most instantly-recognisable musicians in Omagh’s music scene, in more than one sense.

With his head of sprawling grey curls and his strat in hand, he casts an unmistakable silhouette when the spotlight is shone on him.

And just as any half-keen Omagh observer would be likely to recognise Dino’s Lynott-esque shadow, any moderately musical local ear should be quick to detect the signature sound of his guitar – whether he is playing clean and sweet, or rough and heavy, it’s always full of heart. But his latest release isn’t exactly what we might have to expect from one of Omagh’s most committed blues men…

You may recall his 2016 album titled, ‘Hometown Blues’. Heavily guitar-led, in a way, this 12-track chronicled a life oriented by the blues in Omagh. It was a homage to the great players that stirred his musical soul back in the ‘70s and ‘80s, and whose influences reverberate through the amp every time Dino plugs in.

But his new EP, ‘On The Road’, isn’t as religiously faithful to the blues as his previous stuff. Has Dino’s lifelong fidelity to the blues been broken? Well, not exactly…

“I made this album in Matt McGlynn’s studio down in the back market,” Dino said. “Matt has an incredible ear for music and he can hear things that mere mortals just wouldn’t notice. Anyway, we set about trying to describe the album, to put a genre on it, and we couldn’t really do it.”

The EP features three original tracks which Dino wrote a few years ago, and you can tell that when he wrote them, he wasn’t adhering to some notion of bluesy purity at the expense of narrowing his creative possibilities. Nothing is sacrificed, and while there is something holding all three tunes together, each has an individual identity; their own distinct character.

“I recorded these tunes on a demo-tape years ago with some of my lifelong bandmates and collaborators – my brother Pio, Pat Chesters, Ray Moore, Tony Phillips and Micky Tracey.

“It was a rough mix, but it sounded good, so I decided to do it again but this time with a professional recording process,” said Dino.

This time, Dino drafted in some of Ireland’s best session musicians – no expenses spared.

“Nicky Scott, John McCullagh, Marty McCloskey, and Matt McGlynn all played,” said Dino.

These names may not mean much to you, but the monikers Van Morrison, Sinead O’Connor, The Waterboys and Mary Black probably do.

MASTERFUL MUSICIANS

“These are only some of the acts who have sought these guys out to play on their albums over the years, and playing with these masterful musicians elevated me. It brings you on as a player,” remarked Dino.

Now, Dino’s name will appear on this same esteemed list of legends, which for Dino will constitute the realisation of what many of his contemporaries had long dismissed as one of his unattainable, pie-in-the-sky dreams… to be sandwiched between Van Morrison and Sinead O’Connor.

Dino also called upon Naomi Campbell (not that one!) for some female vocals.

Originally from Newtownstewart, Naomi has been colouring the Liverpool music scene with her smooth, gospel-ish voice for around a decade. Dino counts himself lucky to have successfully solicited her involvement and with good reason. Her vocals on ‘Thinking About You’ breathe refreshing feminine life into the EP.

“The album has turned out even better than I could have hoped,” said Dino. “When the final mix arrived back from Peter Maher (an English producer who has worked with U2, Jack White, The Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart, The Killers, Liam Gallagher, to name a few), we were delighted with what we heard.”

l ‘On The Road’ will be available on all digital music platforms from November 20, but you will be able to purchase the CD before Christmas. Go out and get it – and hear the best showcase to date of Dino as a songwriter, not just a guitarist.