"I’m a songwriter. I do a job. I make a piece of work, and like everyone else in the world, songwriters like to get paid for the work they do. I think copyright is the issue here. The value of copyright has to be maintained... It’s not enough to say, ‘Ah just
go out and play live’. I know dozens of brilliant songwriters who can’t perform live."

So says legendary songsmith Paul Brady in the new issue of Hot Press. Brady was in conversation with Niall Stokes, discussing his particular art form, his career to date, and the songs that he holds dearest. The Strabane musician is clearly concerned for the current state of the music industry and those young artists who depend upon it.

He singled our poilticians out for particular criticism. "I don’t think the Irish government has been sufficiently proactive on this. If I hear another government representative saying how the artistic community in Ireland are going to get us out of the mess – I mean, with what? Our guitar strings?"

Looking to broader issues, Brady gave a pessimistic forecast for the future EU. "I don’t have a lot of hope for the European model," he admitted. "We’re at the periphery of Europe – we’re an island. I don’t think we’re going to get special
treatment. I also feel that the power will always rest in Germany and France."

For the full, intriguing, in-depth and career-spanning discussion between Niall Stokes and Paul Brady, pick up the latest issue of Hot Press (Glen Hansard cover), on sale now.