.... SOULSEC , is the brain child of Paul Roberts, former front man of the legendary Stranglers for almost 16 years.
Paul is a superb showman; his stage presence and energy have won him rave reviews all over the world. Having written some of the least likely tunes for a Strangler, he is also able to translate them - andindeed any material - not only in the studio but night after night in the live arena too. Paul composes with an eclectic range of taste on virtually every instrument he touches, and both his timing and vocaldelivery are exquisite.
With such a wealth of ideas and song writing ability, 1999 saw Paul decide to launch his own solo career in tandem with his official Stranglers duties. That spring saw Paul release his first solo single,entitled God, and such was its success that The Faithband was formed and the release of his first solo album, 'Faith?' soon followed. Faith? was a sublime collectionof material encompassing full frontal rock assault, fat in your face dance tracks, and gentle ballads.
Joining Paul in this venture were Richard Naiff of The Waterboys, who has proved to be an integral part of the band, and BradWaissman of the up and coming Joff Winks Band.
Last year - 05 - guitarist Andy Ellis , an original tutor at Brightons Institute of modern music, joined the line-up.
During 2000, as well as taking The Faithband out on the road, two five-track singles were released, followed by an awe-inspiring guest appearance on Judge Smith's epic, 'Curly's Airships', workingwith the likes of Peter Hammill and Arthur Brown. Paul's vocal range on this double CD set is an enchanting display.
2001 saw the release of the band's second album 'Self Discovery', and a live album recorded at Paul's Charity gig for Prostate Cancer. A one night only West End stage appearance followed shortly in'All You Need ....', a unique event celebrating the life and music of John Lennon, where he worked alongside the legendary 'Quarrymen'. During the weekend of the Twentieth Anniversary of Lennon's death, atLondon's Palace Theatre, special guest Paul Roberts stole the show, bringing the capacity crowd to their collective feet and dancing in the aisles.
In the spring of 2002, Paul asked fans to promote several gigs around the country, which initiated the hugely popular 'Peoples' Acoustic Faith Tour'. Indeed, such was the success of this tour that, in theautumn of the same year, they hit the road again for the 'Set In Stone' Tour.
The third studio album, 'The Pressure Sensitive', was released in 2003, and is undoubtedly one of the bands most accomplished works to date, with the tracks Wrong Connection, 8 Days and Shame of theFather being exceptional highlights.
Paul has always been keen to make use of the latest technology in order to get his music to his fans. All his material was made available exclusively through his website ( soulsec.com ), and by the time this album was released, the Faithband were getting the credit they richly deserved, resulting in the CD and follow up live DVD selling outinstantly.
A long break then ensued, as Paul worked tirelessly with The Stranglers, co-writing and recording the bands highly acclaimed album Norfolk Coast, and then the majority of 2004 touring the world. Thebeginning of 2005 was also a busy time as the Stranglers hit the festival circuit, however, Paul still found time to cram in several gigs, and a call offering Paul the chance to perform his solo work at afew Belgian festivals was too good an opportunity to miss.
Now, Paul and SOULSEC are back with a vengance, The spring of 2006 saw the release of the awesome single Desert Soul, and its follow up Sad Soft Lullaby isnow available for all to hear. The long awaited new album is due out in November.
Discography
Albums:
- 1999 Faith?
- 2001 Self Discovery
- 2003 The Pressure Sensitive
- 2007 End Games
- 2008 5, 4, NOW!
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The latest Soulsec release:
Watch the Soulsec video clip "Postcard"
