1. First, introduce yourself: Name, age, instruments that
you play, and your favorite desert.
My name is Paul. I'm 14 but
I spend most of my time with older dudes. I play the bass in this band (no shit)
but I also play piano but I don't use it in this band because this is strictly
just bass. My bass has 6 strings, but it is a bass, and I have a 4 string too.
My favorite desert? I think you mean deSSert.
I think. So ill answer both,
2.
What led to you leaving your old band and becoming a solo artist?
Well, I had Every theory Fails
going well before Damaged Dynasty even began, but it wasn't really anything, I
think I had one song. It wasn't like I said "fuck this I'm going solo."
After Damaged Dynasty broke up, I joined some bands (End With Forever, Into The Outer Darkness) but over the summer
while I was in
3.
It is very unusual for a solo performer to play the bass. What are the challenges
in using this instrument and what are some of your ideas for ETF?
Yeah, it's weird to see solo bassists around, especially
bassists with extended ranges (more then 4 or 5 string basses.) Although bassists
who actually possess talent at their instrument usually write some solo material,
but usually they find some old acoustic guitar, and play some chords over some
shit they wrote on the bass, and then sing over it. I could do that. I have an
old acoustic guitar. That's all nice but I don't want to because that's what every
other solo artist does so I try to focus on the instrument I play, the bass.
There aren't many challenges, the only problem I
have is when I use chords. It's weird, ya know, I'll play a chord that's really low on the fretboard, and it'll come out sounding like shit because its to low, but other then that I don't have problems with
it. As for ideas, I'm currently working on an album called "disturbingForever" which is a dozen songs I've written
on the bass. The concept of the album is simple. The songs are mostly about experiences
in my life, with drugs and alcohol, overcoming that time, school, friends back stabbing me, friends going through a time of drugs
and alcohol and depression, suicide and shit like that. Usually depressing things,
but that's mostly what my life is full of. I try to add a positive spin on it,
and if I had lyrics you could call this an emo band. Everything that happens to me or people close to
me somehow leads me to a musical idea, writing a new song. Personally I think
it will be a great solo album, showing the growth of a young bassist.
4.
Who are some of the bass players who have inspired and/or influenced you the most,
and why?
There’s
a list. When it comes to bassists I take influence from Jean Baudin,
Stew McKinsey, Ryan Kaynan, my bass teacher etc. But actually I'm influenced by
everything and nothing. What I mean by that is when I write a song I don't try
to sound like any particular artist or band, I write what I feel at the time,
or the situation I'm in. Most of the new record is about that.
5.
Is ETF strictly a studio project or will you be performing this music live?
Who knows,
if I have enough material, I'll do what most solo bassists do, either play in
some music stores (CD store and instrument stores), or at bass festivals and things
like that. But yeah I hope I can play some shows here and there.
6. Tell me about your record label - who is involved,
what is being released? Do you think doing your own label ("DIY") is
better than being signed, or are you doing this only because you don't have a
label that will release your music?
The
label I own and work for is called "Start The End
Records" which is a little label that promotes bands from the northern Westchester/Putnam/
lower 203(?) areas. So far it's just me and a friend who work on it. The reason
I'm doing this label is to help bands get out there, so I'm helping bands. That's
the way the scene should be and thankfully that's how it is. If I didn't have
a label to release disturbingForever on, I'd release
it by myself. So far we have 2 bands, and more on the
way and were gonna release the Every theory Fails album
from it. Our other band, Shadows of the Fallen is planning on releasing their
album with us. For more information check out www.myspace.com/sterecords.
7.
Name one song that changed your life, and why.
That's
a really hard one to answer. Fuck you've stumped me. I'd probably say "Straight
Edge" by Minor Threat because Straight Edge is what I am, without it I would
be nothing, I would be a drug user, and that song started a movement in 1981 that
to this day, thousand of people live by. It's fast, it's pissed off, it's a good
resemblance of real punk, but it makes an amazing point, and influences thousands
and thousands of hardcore and punk bands and millions of kids within the scene.
8.
Your music is so far from the mainstream, what kind of stuff
do you listen to? Do you like any of the popular emo,
punk, or hardcore bands that are out today?
I
listen to many different styles of music. I listen to death metal, metalcore,
black metal, hardcore, screamo, post-hardcore, post-rock
(big influence on this band,) alternative, indie, math-rock
etc. I listen to catchy stuff too, as long as it's not a "3 chord song band."
As for punk, the only kind of punk I listen to is the real punk, the stuff from
the 80's, before it became a bunch of sellouts, which is not mainstream punk.
Sorry kids, Green Day and Nirvana are not punk. They are corporate guinea pigs,
and the second they slip their kicked off the label and broken up. Fuck corporate
producers and labels, all they do is get rid of the honesty and mindset of the
bands and artists so they can make a few more million dollars by telling them
what to do while the producers have no musical talent or experience and know shit.
Weird thing is that my neighbor was the president of Sony Music and did loads
of producing. Everyone in my family is like "try to talk to him, he's your
neighbor, get signed," and I say, "why so I can lose my honesty and
freedom to play music?" It's weird how neighbors can be so different when
they both work in the same field. Independent music all the way!
9. Do you think you'd ever want to play in a band
again? Why or why not?
Definitely. I've been in loads of bands with other members, and now I
sorta need a break from it, so I'm writing solo material.
But yeah I'm planning on joining a metal band soon, and me and a old friend of mine are starting up a new punk/hardcore band.
I'll be playing in bands for a long time. Expect more from me soon!
10. Tell readers how they can find you on the
Internet and what releases or merch you have available.
Right
now my link for the band is www.myspace.com/everytheoryfails.
For the label I run its
www.myspace.com/sterecords. As for releases I have a full
length CD coming out between November 2006 and July 2007. Basically by the end
of the school year it will be out. The CD's name is "disturbingForever"
and it will include at least a dozen songs, all just bass, just me. You'll be
able to find it at any shows I play at, or if you know me, I'll give you a copy
when I see you. Maybe someday I'll have a fellow bassist come join me, but for
this record it's just me. As for merch, I have none,
and don't expect any for a while, but if you can make some designs for me, that
would be great. Thanks for interviewing me, readers, thanks for reading this,
check my material out, send an add, leave a comment, and keep proving theories
wrong.