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Paul McDonald is no stranger to music.

His career began when he picked up a guitar at 15 and he started touring and playing shows. His most recent project, Paul McDonald & the Mourning Doves, makes a stop in sa国际传媒官网网页入口 on Friday, July 12, as part of the Zoo Music series at The ABQ BioPark Zoo, 903 10th St. SW. The show starts at 7 p.m.

鈥淚 have been in all kinds of bands over the years,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd, we just put together this new band that鈥檚 backing me up. It鈥檚 called Paul McDonald & the Mourning Doves. And it kind of goes back to my roots, which is a little bit of soul, rock 鈥榥鈥� roll, country, gospel, kind of all intertwined, you know, stuff I grew up on. Again, it鈥檚 just been really fun. These new shows that we鈥檝e been playing as of recent have just been really impactful. It seems like everybody鈥檚 having a great time and the mission behind the music is to bring people together, you know, peace, love and all the good things.鈥�

McDonald鈥檚 musical influences, such as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, are apparent in his music.

鈥淭he songwriting is kind of Americana-based songwriting with a cool rock 鈥榥鈥� roll band behind it,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o, if you like bands like Tom Petty, you鈥檙e really gonna love it. Someone the other night came up to me and said, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e like, a mixture of Ray LaMontagne meets the Rolling Stones.鈥� I鈥檓 like, all right, cool. I鈥檒l use that one the next time someone asks.鈥�

McDonald said he is grateful to be compared to such revered musicians.

鈥淚 grew up listening to country, soul, rock 鈥榥鈥� roll, a bunch of different things,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd the older that I鈥檝e (gotten), the more years I鈥檝e spent kind of honing my craft, (I鈥檝e) just kind of come up with my own distinct sound that kind of mixes all of my favorite things and this season in particular, feels like some of my best music I鈥檝e ever made. (It鈥檚) just my favorite in general.鈥�

McDonald will be performing some music off his upcoming album at the Zoo Music show.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been really good getting out there and playing these songs live,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd I have a feeling it鈥檚 going to be a really fun show.鈥�

McDonald said he takes different approaches when it comes to songwriting.

鈥淚t鈥檚 almost kind of a numbers game when you鈥檙e going in there and you鈥檙e writing every single day and occasionally (there is) something good,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 almost like fishing or it鈥檚 like magic. A lot of my favorite songs or songs that have been most impactful to people have kind of just come all at once in a way where I鈥檓 just sitting around, I pick up a guitar and press record.鈥�

He said the writing process is where you have to let the song lead the way.

鈥淵ou kind of have to open yourself up and be a vessel because it really is kind of magic making a song out of nothing,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou can obviously pull from all kinds of different inspiration, but the further I go, I try not to force it anymore and kind of let it come in whenever it comes in. I鈥檓 actively trying to write songs, whether I pick up a guitar and start strumming some chords and humming a melody or I鈥檒l hear somebody out and about say something, and I go, 鈥極h, wow, that鈥檚 a cool phrase. I like that. That could be a song.鈥� 鈥�

He said he will write a song around a phrase that inspires him or base a song on another person鈥檚 story.

鈥淛ust talking to people in general, you hear all kinds of stories and I鈥檝e recently just been taking other people鈥檚 stories and putting together this puzzle,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really fun. You should try it.鈥�

McDonald said living in the moment and taking in your surroundings is usually a song in the making.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the beautiful thing about music,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just this universal language that you get to meet so many amazing people and everybody has their own story. If you鈥檙e a good listener, there鈥檚 plenty of material out there to write about. It doesn鈥檛 always have to be about you. It can be about anyone and anything. You can also just sometimes make up a story about something completely outrageous and treat it like it鈥檚 a real story. There鈥檚 no rules.鈥�