SINGER / SONGWRITER MICHAEL MCGOUGH IS KNOWN FOR HIS WORK IN ROCK-BAND BEING AS AN OCEAN AS VOCALIST AND GUITARIST, AND NOW HIS LATEST PROJECT HEART OF GOLD. DRAWING INFLUENCE MORE FROM ‘SITUATIONS INVOLVING SPECIFIC PEOPLE AND PLACES’ HE HAS CAPTURED A DISTINCT SOUND NOT UNLIKE THAT OF MID-LATE 1980’S / EARLY 90S POP. ‘I GREW UP BETWEEN TWO HOUSEHOLDS’ SAYS MICHAEL. 'MY MOTHER BROUGHT IN THIS INCREDIBLE RANGE OF POP/RNB TO MY LIFE. I’VE ALWAYS BEEN SO DRAWN TO DOMINANT VOCALS IN A SONG, ACCOMPANIED BY JUST THE RIGHT CHORD PROGRESSION THAT REALLY MAKES YOU FEEL SOMETHING. MICHAEL JACKSON, WHITNEY HOUSTON AND LISA STANSFIELD IN PARTICULAR WERE THE LEADERS OF THAT. THATS WHAT I WANTED TO DO. HOWEVER, MY FATHERS HOUSE WAS ALWAYS FILLED WITH ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC. THE SMITHS, QUEEN, THIN LIZZY AND LED ZEPPELIN JUST TO NAME A FEW. THAT BROUGHT IN A WIDER RANGE OF INSPIRATION OF VOCAL RANGES, AND HOW THE VOICE CAN REALLY WORK WHEN ACCOMPANYING THE RIGHT MUSIC.