The Warwickshire musician who's written more than 200 tracks during pandemic

LOCKDOWN has given many people time to try new things or rediscover an old hobby. For Tony McGreal that involved picking up his acoustic guitar, put aside for many years while work and family life took over, and creating a few tunes… well more than 200. And eight albums.

His third album, In Golden Light, has recently been released and others are to follow each month until the end of September.

Tony, from Alcester, has been playing guitar since he was 16 and had started playing again – just a bit – after retiring from Volvo UK in Warwick a decade ago, where he was group solicitor and company secretary. However, travel was his number one pastime before lockdown gave him the chance to expand his music output.

“With so much free time, I have picked up the guitar most days and really enjoyed the challenge of creating original music,” he said.

Despite spending years visiting other countries, Tony’s inspiration comes from south Warwickshire: “I’m influenced by the countryside round here. In exchange for all the international travel, we’ve been walking the lanes and in doing that you get inspired.”

Tony said about 30-40 of his pieces were recorded before lockdown, but the rest are from the last year or so. “I tend to start about seven in the morning when I feel more creative. I literally get up – I have a guitar upstairs – and I tend to knock out a few notes and then think I could add something to that.”

Tony records in his living room, where the acoustics are quite good, but it is not without its drawbacks: “I record it live essentially, which makes it hard when the postman comes or the phone rings. Hard rain is another thing, or a creak from the central heating, and I have to start again!”

Tony’s music is available on Spotify, Amazon, Apple Music and other services.