Paulina Drozd

Paulina Drozd interview 12th July 2010

Paulina Drozd a young 24 year old lady from the city of  Stalowa Wola in  Poland, came to Cork for a summer break in 2006, she fell in love with Cork and the Irish attitude for life which she found was a lot more easy going and more relaxed then her home, made some great friends and decided to stay.

Having studied music in her home before coming to Ireland she has been working on writing her own songs since her arrival and during a chance encounter with Warren Tivy from Claycastle studios, who she met through a mutual friend she expressed a desire to record some songs. Warren not sure what to expect asked her what songs did she want to cover, Paula replied, my own songs, and from that day on a friendship was formed.

Warren and John Burke at Claycastle studios with the help of local musicians Paul Cremin on guitar, Oliver Loughnan on drums, Warren himself on bass, John and  Greyson from Australia on guitars,  Paula herself on piano they started working on Paula’s songs. Paula an accomplished piano player, more used to playing on her own found the whole experience of adding in a complete band behind her exciting and strange. She found that the songs would change as more background music was added and she would have to redo the vocals on the songs again.

When asked, what she like’s to do in her free time, she replied, shopping, meeting friends and going on nights out. She regularly attends open mic nights in Cork on Mondays and Wednesdays and takes part, all the time improving her songs, when asked what do people find appealing about her music, she replied that Irish audiences are used to a certain sound and type of musician, so people are surprised and impressed when they look up to the stage to see such a small petit lady with this mature soulful sound. Her songs, based on her own heritage and culture have a different meaning and structure, but are interesting to Irish audiences.

There are days she does miss her family, but she calls home every day. In the beginning her parents would say to her, come home Paulina come home, but as time moved on and her parents have seen how well she is doing they now say, Paulina, you are happy and doing well, stay in Ireland. Her family visit her regularly throughout the year and she returns home as often as she can. She has made new friends who she says are now as close to her as her family. Her album Bleeding Hope, dedicated to her mother will be available in local shops soon.

Photo of Paulina Drozd by Gabor Szabo from gjtsolutions.com

Paulina Drozd