There are some songs that take years to find their true home, but they turn out to be well worth the wait. For Gareth Dunlop, ‘Goodbye All Over Again’ is one of those tracks. The Belfast-born singer-songwriter has a knack for writing songs that feel both deeply personal and resonant—so it’s no surprise his work has been featured in major films and TV shows, with his latest landing a spot in the NBC drama FOUND.
As he gears up to hit the road with Duke Special, we caught up with Gareth to talk about his newest single’s journey, the secret to writing for sync, and why some venues just feel like home.
Thanks for speaking with us, Gareth. How are you?
I’m just fine and dandy!
Talk to us about ‘Goodbye All Over Again’.
‘Goodbye All Over Again’ wasn’t written with anything specific in mind… I wrote it back in 2018, and truth be told—I kind of forgot about it! I love that it got pitched and found a home all these years later!
Your music has been placed in some huge TV shows and films, and now ‘FOUND’ joins the list. Do you ever sit down and think, “Right, I’m gonna write a song that’ll end up in a big emotional TV moment,” or does it just happen naturally?
It’s been a little bit of both, to be honest… Sometimes I’m given a brief with specific parameters to write to… It might have instrumentation references, where a build needs to happen and even what specific emotion it needs to convey. Other times something I’ve written outside of any prompt gets pitched to a show and it sticks.
What’s the secret to writing songs that do so well for sync?
The best advice I ever got when I started writing for a brief for sync was to try and put yourself in the story and speak as much from your own personal experience on the subject… instead of writing what you ‘think’ the personal experience might be for others… That way, if a sync doesn’t land (and most of them don’t!), you still end up with a song you can personally relate to and feel connected to.
Most of the placements I’ve got in movies and TV shows are songs about the big themes in life we all experience… love, loss, regret, hope, friendship, sorrow, joy, etc.
I think pulling from your own experiences of those feelings is key to getting something that feels authentic.
There’s a real craftsmanship in your lyrics. Do you start with words, a melody, or do both come to you together?
For me, it’s different each time… I don’t really have a set way I start a song… Sometimes it’s a melody that sneaks into my head, or a bunch of chords that feel good under my hands, or a little riff that makes sense, and sometimes it’s part of a lyric that comes together on the page.
If the song starts with a lyric, I usually have a guitar in my lap or the piano close by to experiment with chords or melody along with the lyric… And if the song starts with some music, I always have a pen and paper close by to write down any and all lyric ideas that creep out.
To be honest, the whole process continues to be a mystery to me.
Over the years, you’ve worked with major artists, landed major sync placements, and built a solid fan base. Is there still a “bucket list” goal in your career you’re chasing?
I’ve got a bunch of things I want to get better at!
I studied a little bit of scoring in college (many moons ago), and I’ve forgotten most of it… I’d love to get to grips with it again and one day try to score an entire movie… ambitious… but you gotta dream big!
You’re hitting the road with Duke Special soon—how do you prepare for tour life, and what’s your favourite and least favourite part of being on the road?
I can’t wait to hook up with Pete again and play some shows together! I love the guy and love his music!
On the preparation side of things, I usually try to get as much sleep and vocal rest as I can in the week leading up… A good night’s sleep on the road for me is usually 4-5 hours if I’m lucky, and that starts to affect things after a while.
My favourite part of being on the road is connecting with people at the shows and getting the chance to hang out and explore new places… The worst part of it for me is the time spent away from my family. That never gets any easier.
What’s the one song in your setlist that just feels different live?
When we play ‘Humans’ from the Animal record, it always seems to take on a different life each time. There’s a lot of empty space in that song, and each time the space feels different depending on the room we’re playing in. It’s odd… kind of hard to explain…
You’ve toured all over. Is there one city or venue that just feels like home every time you play there?
There are a few places… one that comes to mind immediately is ‘Kimbros Picking Parlour’ in Franklin, Tennessee. I used to spend a lot of time in Franklin… basically living there for months on end at a time… and Kimbros kind of became my local where I’d head to after a day in the studio. I made a lot of friends there and had some great times playing on that stage. I have so many good memories attached to that venue, and it always feels like home each time I go back.