Interview with Paul in September 2004


What's your opinion about the music business?

I THINK THE 'BUSINESS'AS I KNEW IT IS DEAD.....THE EMPHASIS NOW SEEMS TO RELY ON AS LITTLE OUTPUT MUSICALLY AS POSSIBLE JUXTAPOSED WITH AS MUCH MEDIA EXPOSURE AS POSSIBLE....WE ALSO SAW THE MTV BANDS WHO FOR THE MOST PART HAD NO EXPERIENCE OF LIVE PERFORMANCE....AND NOW WE HAVE SIMON COWELL AND HIS CO-HORTS TELLING US THAT THEY CARE ABOUT MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT WHEN THEY REALLY ONLY CARE ABOUT MONEY AND THEIR OWN EGO'S - HOWEVER -ALL THIS SAID I THINK EVERYONE FROM 'MUSIC LOVERS' IF U LIKE TO KIDS HAS REALISED THIS AND SIMILAR TO WHEN I WAS YOUNGER ONE CAN ACTUALLY GO OUT AND FIND SOME TRULY UPLIFTING MUSIC!.YOU JUST HAVE TO FIND IT!!!!.THERE ARE MANY GOOD PEOPLE DOING SMALL BUT EXCELLENT THINGS WITH AND FOR MUSIC...SO.... THERE YOU GO A HAPPY END IS OUT THERE FOR US ALL ....WELL U DID ASK...HAHAHAHAHA !!!


Do you have a philosophy for living?

ERM......LIVE FOR EACH DAY - BE KIND - GENEROUS - CARE ABOUT YOUR FELLOW MAN/WOMAN - TRY TO BE AS HONEST AS YOU CAN - EMBRACE INCLUDE AND ENJOY !!!!!


What are the main differences for you between recording/writing for the Stranglers/Faithband?

OH I GET MUCH MORE TIME WITH THE FAITH STUFF AND I CAN HAVE ONE FOCUS AS OPPOSED TO LEAVING FOUR SPACES IF YOU LIKE....BOTH ARE DIFFERENT BUT EQUALLY REWARDING....I SUPPOSE THE MAIN OTHER DIFFERENCE IS THAT I KNOW WHAT I WILL HEAR AT THE END OF A FAITH RECORDING BUT WITH THE STRANGLERS IT IS A BIT MORE LIKE WAITING TO SEE WHAT COMES OUT FINALLY WHICH IS VERY EXCITING...WITH WRITING I CAN EXPLORE ANYTHING I LIKE WHEN ALONE WHICH IS VERY COOL BUT I DO VERY MUCH ENJOY WORKING WITH OTHER PEOPLE,I HAVE NEVER SET OUT TO WRITE FOR ONE BAND OR THE OTHER,IT IS ALL MUSIC TO ME....


Is there one song you would really like to cover but you don't dare to?

ERM MAYBE 'SUSPICIOUS MINDS' OR 'WILD IS THE WIND'...BUT CERTAINLY ANY AMOUNT OF SOUL/MOTOWN/ATLANTIC TRACKS.....TOO MANY TO NAME!!!


What do you think when you hear your voice on the radio?

I JUST FREEZE REALLY AND TEAR IT APART....FOCUS ON ALL THE BAD BITS...YOU KNOW...LIKE A TYPICAL PERFORMER..!!!!HAHAHAHAAA


What changed for you after joining the stranglers ?

I COULD EAT AGAIN ! OH AND I LOST A FEW FRIENDS....CRAZY EH??


I met a few people.. musicians who defined themselves as artists and always underlined that, meaning that they are in some way superiour to others... You never did that.. What do you think about that topic?

....IT SEPARATES THEM FROM THE CROWD YES YOU ARE RIGHT..IT IS LIKE A WEAPON OR AN ACCESSORY... BUT...MY FEELING IS THAT YOU ONLY NEED TO DEFINE YOURSELF IF NO-ONE CAN SEE OR FEEL YOU OR YOUR ABILITY....SO IT IS THAT SIMPLE.....


Do you remember one weird/funny/crazy story from touring?

OH SOOO MANY STORIES....WELL I HAVE SET MYSELF ALIGHT THREE TIMES ON TOUR BUSES AND SO ON BUT MAYBE THE EASIEST STORY IS ONE NIGHT IN HOLLAND AALKMAAR I THINK IT WAS.... WE WERE 5 MINUTES FROM GOING ON AND I TOLD EVERYONE I WAS GOING TO USE THE TOILET.....WHILST IN SAID CLOSET I COULD HEAR THE START OF OUR FIRST TUNE 'VALLEY OF THE BIRDS' PLAYING AROUND .....AND AROUND...... AND THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT PARTICULARLY ....IT WAS NOT UNTIL I OPENED THE DOOR OF THE W.C. TO FIND OUR STAGE MANGER PRESSED UP TO MY NOSE WITH THE FEAR OF GOD IN HIS EYES...'HI MATEY' I SAID IN CHIRPY VOICE....'ERM I PUT THE BAND ON MAN' SAYS HE SO I STRROLL DOWN TO STAGE WITH HIM AND AFTER GOING THROUGH THE WRONG DOOR!! TO THE AUDIENCE AREA I APPEARED BEHIND JET BLACK ,THREW EACH MEMBER A GLANCE COUNTED ONE TWO THREE FOUR.. AND CAME IN....I THINK ALL OF US LAUGHED INTERMITTENTLY FO MOST OF THAT SHOW....


What would you be today if not a musician? Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

ERM NO IDEA I'M AFRAID


What contemporary music do you like?

OOH LOADS.....NORAH JONES,JOLIE HOLLAND,FUTURE SOUND OF LONDON,DJ SHADOW,FRANZ FERDINAND,LIBERTINES,JILL SCOTT........MORE???


How do you feel nowadays when you sing My Fathers Bride?

WELL IT IS A VERY DIFFICULT SONG TO SING ..I USUALLY GET SO FAR AND HAVE TO STOP BUT IT IS GETTING LONGER EVERY TIME.......PERHAPS I SHOULD'NT SAY IT BUT THE VOCAL WAS RECORDED THE NIGHT BEFORE HIS FUNERAL SO ......


With which stranglers songs can you identify the most?

THE ONES I HAVEN'T WRITTEN .....HANGING AROUND,SLEAZY,STRANGE LITTLE GIRL,TANK,5 MINUTES,CHANGE,EUROPEAN FEMALE,DON'T BRING HARRY...................I COULD GO ON....


How important are the lyrics for you? What do you write first mostly the text or the music? When/how do you get your ideas?

I THINK THAT ALTHOUGH NOT NECCESARILY THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT OF SONGS LYRICS ARE ALWAYS IMPORTANT!!!! IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE ACTUAL IDEA..I AM INFLUENCED BY WHAT IS IN AND AROUND ME AND FOR ME MAKING MUSIC COMES VERY NATURALLY AND IDEAS FORM NATURALLY SO IN THIS WAY THEY HAVE THEY'RE IDENTITY AS SOON AS THEY ARE CONCIEVED-GEDDIT-IT'S THEN LOADS OF HARD WORK STRUCTURING THOSE THINGS BUT THAT'S THE FUN REALLY!....EASY EH?


I really like the songs you wrote with John Ellis for Infinity Drive. I read the were written for Coup De Grace at first. Why did none of the songs make it on the record?

ERM I ACTUALLY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE WRITING JUST RECORDED THE VOCALS FOR JOHN AND AS FAR AS I KNOW HE KEPT THE SONGS AFTER THEY WERE TURNED DOWN FOR THE ALBUM...


How do you like teaching at BIMM? What about the pivate lessons you gave?

BIMM IS GREAT AND I TEACH WHOLE GROUPS NOW WHICH UNLIKE ONE TO ONE IS VERY MUCH MORE SATISFYING.IT WAS FUN NUTURING INDIVIDUALS BUT I LIKE THE FEEL OF A LARGE GROUP...IT'S NOISIER FOR A START BUT THAT REALLY SUITS ME...IT IS THE BEST PLACE LIKE IT AND THEY POSITIVELY LOVE YOU GOING ON TOUR BECAUSE THEY SAY IT GIVES THEM MORE CREDIBILITY-EXCELLENT. 


Regarding another Faith Band album.. Do you have any plans? Do you know how you want it to sound?

I WRITE PRETTY REGULARLY AND HAVE QUITE A FEW IDEAS AT PRESENT AND AM HOPING THE STRANGLERS WILL BE DOING A NEW RECORD TOO SO IT WILL BE QUITE FRANTIC BUT I WILL WAIT TO SEE WHAT OCCURS.I DID HAVE SOME SOLID SONGS 18 MONTHS BACK AND THEY DEVELOPED A SOUND BUT THE MOMENT HAS PASSED FOR NOW AND THEY REMAIN IN LIMBO.AS FOR KNOWING 'THE SOUND' SOMETIMES I KNOW I WANT TO DO A CERTAIN PROJECT A CERTAIN WAY - SOMETIMES NOT -  AND USUALLY THE SOUND WILL ALTER AS THE PROJECT GROWS,KIND OF ALONG SIDE IT.... I MAY START SOME INDIVIDUAL SONGS WITH A SOUND IDEA - 'SHY' IS ONE THAT SPRINGS TO MIND - FOR EXAMPLE AND THAT MAY INFLUENCE THE FINAL SOUND...


What comes to your mind immediately when you hear the following words?
Football, Heroin, Punk, London, God, Money, Religion, Politics/Democracy

FULHAM-BLOOD-ROCK-COOL CITY-PEACE-SEX-DISAGREEMENT-LIES/NICE IDEA