, and his first CD Woodlands
, was released in 2009 on Prism/Universal in Canada.He attended the University of British Columbia in the 1980s and received a BSc in Computer Science as well as an MD. Since the early 90s he has been an avid poet, songwriter and award-winning photographer with three published volumes of poetry.
How do you describe your music to people, Paul?
A foundation of vintage Dylan Folk Rock, with tasteful strings and Neil Young like leads.
Tell me about how you originally got into your craft.
I started playing guitar at age 6 and have been writing songs since my teens. I played in a rock band in high school and wrote some songs for the band. During my internship in the 90s I explored several songwriters, including Bob Dylan, and heard his song Its Alright Ma ('m Only Bleeding)
. It inspired me to be ambitious about my songwriting and try to pursue a career at it.What is your favorite thing to do in the whole wide world?
Being with the people I love.
What is your biggest challenge when it comes to running your business?
Getting publicity for my work, and funding it when I can.
When you were a kid, what did you think you were going to be when you grew up?
I always wanted to be a poet and songwriter when I was young.
In what way has your community impacted your development as a musician?
I grew up and live in the Vancouver area, which is quite a young city. The biggest influence of Western Canada on me is probably the stunning natural beauty, which has inspired a lot of my lyrics and poetry. I also lived for a year in Toronto, Canada, which is a large city that allowed me to be exposed to many musical acts and some Canadian literature.
My main creative influences are from the US and Europe, and the internet has allowed me to explore many great musicians and artists in the last decade.
What other artists out there do you love?
Bob Dylan
, Neil Young, John Lennon, Paul Simon, Woody Guthrie, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Roy Orbison.Also Goethe
, Walt Whitman, the English Romantics
and Al Purdy for my writing.What does your future hold?
I will continue to explore and write songs and poems, and take photos. I will also continue to indulge my fascination with the creative Arts and it's rich history. Hopefully, a second album will be a possibility. I also plan to publish a fourth, illustrated book of poems. If my album is successful, I also plan on performing.
