Karl McHugh

Indie-pop songwriter Karl McHugh is the amalgamation of his upbringing in Donegal, Ireland and his current home in the San Francisco Bay Area. His music encompasses the storytelling and the affability of a house-party music session. He draws inspiration from years of being a busking musician as well as the trying and transient nature of his life while tackling the US immigration system.

His latest release, “Keep Dreamin,” was written as part of his Patreon Song Series in which patrons receive a new original song every month. It describes the thoughts going through a musician’s head when playing background music in a coffee shop, all the while yearning for some attention. The song’s inspiration comes from experience – for years Karl has played 4-hour sets at Farmers Markets throughout the Bay Area, as well as summer stints in San Francisco’s Ghirardelli Square, stretching his set to fill the 6 hours allotted to his slot. He has busked in Shop Street, Galway; Grafton Street, Dublin and Kawasaki, Japan. “Keep Dreamin” received an “Outstanding Achievement in Songwriting” award from The Great American Songwriting Contest.

Karl’s previous release “Easy Life EP” contains songs written while deep into the US immigration process. The title track “Easy Life” talks of leaving society and all the hoops involved. The second single “Welcome Home, I’m Leaving,” co-written with Annie Hendrix, tells the story of a dysfunctional singer/songwriter and a partner who has had enough.