John Paul

When listening to Boston-based singer/songwriter John Paul, it is hard to guess he only recently turned 22. Paul's debut album Belmont Boulevard, out July 22, was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee, with some of Americana¹s heavy hitters such as pedal steel/electric guitarist Dan Dugmore (Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Neil Diamond, Tim McGraw), drummer Brad Pemberton (Ryan Adams and The Cardinals), bassist Billy Mercer (Ryan Adams, Mindy Smith, Matthew Ryan). John Paul also worked with pianist/organist Jason Lehning who has been nominated for a Best Engineer Grammy, in addition to working with artists such as Guster, Josh Rouse and Viktor Krauss.Spending two days in Nashville, Belmont Boulevard was recorded live with producer Tom Acousti. “He was instrumental in getting me both mine and his Dream Team cast of players down in Nashville and making sure everything ran smoothly and on time as we cut 12 tracks in two days,” says Paul, who is also the singer/guitarist for the Boston indie rock quartet The Black Tie Affair. Pemberton, drummer for Ryan Adams and The Cardinals, says, “John Paul’s debut record, Belmont Boulevard, is a fantastic collection of songs reminiscent of Ryan Adams and Paul Westerberg. Excellent songs, great hooks, and honest delivery.” Despite Paul’s age, Belmont Boulevard touches on subject matter that is quite heavy at times for a young man who is still juggling the balance between finishing college and forging ahead as a musician. For example “Way Too Soon,” a song about a young girl who has died too early, is presented with the grace and musicianship of artists several decades his senior. On the other hand, the track “21” could only be written by someone who is entering their 20’s. “I wrote it right before entering my senior year of college and it came out of me so organically and straight from the heart,” says Paul. “It basically is my ‘quarter life’ crisis song. I made no reservations as to how I feel and I wrote, in my opinion, one of my best hooks yet.”
Here are some links for you to check out:
www.birdsonawiremusic.com
www.myspace.com/birdsonawiremusic
www.myspace.com/theblacktieaffairmusic