Karl McHugh

Teacher, Songwriter, Performer

Karl McHugh’s pop/folk songwriting is a fusion of his upbringing in Donegal, Ireland and his current home in the San Francisco Bay Area. The retro-style folk music falls somewhere between the purview of Paul Simon and CCR, evoking a house party singalong vibe: fun, warm, inclusive, and good for a laugh!

Playing music since he could hold an instrument, Karl continued his music journey by attending Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland where he received a Masters degree in Music and Media Technologies. Upon finishing this course, Karl produced music for several nationwide ad campaigns in his home country, directed by Oscar-shortlisted Nick Kelly. Karl’s music has also been placed on USA network’s reality TV show “Temptation Island.”

Karl moved to the Bay Area in 2015 and began teaching music with the non-profit Music for Minors. During this time he became an active volunteer for the West Coast Songwriters association. Currently, he holds a managerial position with Music for Minors and is part of the West Coast Songwriters Board.

Before undertaking his solo project, Karl was a founding member of the Irish-American folk/rock group, “McHugh & Devine.” The band toured and released “The Movie Blues EP” in 2015 and the album “Emerald Hills” in 2016, and picked up several songwriting awards from Bay Area and international organizations.