From Burnout to Breakthrough: Paul McDonald says So Long To The Dark Side

For Immediate Release:

July 11, 2025

FROM BURNOUT TO BREAKTHROUGH:

PAUL MCDONALD RELEASES SO LONG TO THE DARK SIDE

FIRST NEW STUDIO ALBUM IN 8 YEARS

ALBUM RELEASE PARTY AT SKINNY DENNIS IN NASHVILLE

PLUS, A PERFORMANCE AT THE FAMED GRAND OLE OPRY

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Nashville, TN - Today, Nashville singer-songwriter Paul McDonald is thrilled to share So Long To The Dark Side, his first full-length album to be released in 8 years. “The last time I put out a full record was in 2018,” reflects McDonald. “Since then, I wrote and recorded more music than I care to admit…whole albums, multiple times over, only to shelve them all. I kept chasing the sound I heard in my head, but every time I got close, it slipped through my fingers. I poured everything I had into those records….time, heart, and every last dollar and still came up empty. I was burned out. Broke. And honestly, unsure if I’d ever find my way back.”

So Long To The Dark Side is McDonald’s re-emergence as a stronger, more reflective person and songwriter. “This album helped me heal,” he says. “It brought me back to life. It’s not perfect, and that’s the point. It’s raw and human and alive. And for the first time in a long time, I feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”

McDonald delivers a fiery, passionate, and energetic live show that leaves audiences electrified. With his signature raspy vocals, magnetic stage presence, and a band that brings raw, soulful intensity, every performance feels like a revival. Paul McDonald and the Mourning Doves will be touring throughout the year in support of the new album So Long to the Dark Side.

For all news and up-to-date information, please visit thepaulmcdonald.com.

Paul McDonald on Tour

July 11 - Marcum Park - Hamilton, OH

July 16 - Grand Ole Opry - Nashville, TN

July 17 - Skinny Dennis - Nashville, TN

July 18 - Virginia Tech School of Performing Arts - Blacksburg, VA

July 24 - Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom & Other Side - Denver, CO

Aug 7 - Pickin’ in the Park - Paonia, CO

Aug 8 - Moab Free Concert Series - Moab, UT

Sept 9 - Full Moon Resort - Big Indian, NY

Sept 14 - Foro Del Tejedor - Ciudad De Mexico

Nov 14 - Highlands Food & Wine Festival - Highlands, NC

Nov 30 - Nashbash - Miami Beach Bandshell - Miami Beach, FL

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“This album took the long road home.”

That’s how Paul McDonald sums it up—and it’s the truth.

His last full-length release came in 2018. Since then, McDonald wrote and recorded multiple albums… and shelved them all. Burned out and broke after chasing an elusive sound through countless sessions, he hit pause on the studio grind and returned to the only place that ever felt right: the stage.

With a new band—The Mourning Doves—he hit every dive bar, burger joint, and juke hall that would have him. No pressure, no polish. Just songs, played loud and honest. That spirit came to life during a month-long residency at East Nashville’s The Underdog, where word of mouth turned into a groundswell. A local buzz grew. A community formed. And out of that energy, McDonald launched One Big Love, a grassroots festival that became a magnet for the city’s most vibrant players.

It was during this time that a friend and local producer, Bobby Holland, offered to record the band. At first, McDonald resisted—after five scrapped albums, he wasn’t eager to try again. But the band cut the record live, straight to tape, with no overthinking. And just like that, the sound he’d been chasing for years finally arrived.

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Paul McDonald

So Long To The Dark Side

Release Date: July 11, 2025