Leading a new generation of soulful crooners, Paul Loren is a singer, songwriter, producer and consummate entertainer. A native New Yorker, Paul was raised on the rich legacy of soul, classic pop, and the Great American Songbook and in those musical idioms he feels most at home. Taking elements from early R&B, jazz and Brill Building pop, he crafts his music with an ear towards timelessness.
“I started singing at 3 years old along with the little 45rpm records my mom would play and started playing piano at 4 years old. The voices I remember most and identify with are Ray Charles, Frankie Valli, Sam Cooke, Sinatra, Aretha, Otis, and Tony Bennett. Growing up in New York, Billy Joel was also a big influence.”
Paul completed his first headline tour in 2018 and has also performed as a support artist for Brendan James, The Temptations, as part of Stamford’s Summer Concert Series “Wednesday Night Live”, Sold Out Joe’s Pub at the Public in NYC multiple times, and shared the stage with Paul Shaffer, Queen Latifah, and Christie Brinkley at Target’s launch event for New York Fashion Week.
Paul has also appeared on “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon”, partnered with The Ryan Seacrest Foundation, performed at the legendary STAX Museum in Memphis Tennessee, and has recorded in the world-renowned Sun Studio in the same room as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and so many other pioneers of Rock and Roll. Paul was also a finalist in the “Unsigned Only” singer songwriter competition for 2018.
LEG: You’re kicking off the summer with a new single, “(Gonna Take) A Little Time.” Can you tell us about the inspiration for the song and what it means to you?
PL: I wanted to write a song about patience, without ever mentioning the word itself. The concept actually came to me while stuck in the New York City subway, funny enough!
I do think there’s great merit in embracing the wait, so much of our life is about instant gratification, instant communication, the immediacy of everything—why not take a step back and enjoy the delay?
LEG: You say you started playing the piano at four years old but people may not know that you were self-taught. What inspired you to start so young and how did you actually do that? What other instruments have you taught yourself to play over the years?
PL: I really learned how to play by listening. Hours were spent with my favorite records, trying to figure out the correlation between the music I was hearing, and the music I attempted to pluck out on the piano keyboard. Although I can read music, I still prefer to do most everything by ear—it’s simply more fun to not be stuck reading from a page while playing, and to have the freedom to truly listen to yourself and others! Along the way, I’ve picked up some guitar, bass and even drumkit (if the mood strikes!).
LEG: What is your favorite song to play that you’ve written? What’s your favorite song to play that someone else has written?
PL: Every time I perform my tune “I Know A Place,” I’m both transported by it, yet also very much in the moment with that particular melody and lyric. Give me any early Beatles song to play and I know I’ll have a blast!
LEG: You’ve spent your entire life playing and writing music, performing, recording, entertaining, and building a successful career for yourself. What advice would you give to a young musician starting out today with the goal of having a sustainable long-term career in the music industry?
PL: Be in it for the right reasons: music is not a platform for fame or fortune, it’s a means to make oneself happy, and to get to know oneself better. I make a concerted effort to put the phone away when I’m writing or recording (much less performing!)—that’s not the time to be on social media; that’s the time to be fully open and aware of what you’re doing. There will always be time for self-promotion, but those hours spent actually making music are a rare gift—embrace them fully.
LEG: For someone as talented as yourself is there something personally or professionally that you’ve failed at? How did you overcome it and learn from it?
PL: A long career in this industry is really made out of small failures—they pop all the time: that gig you wanted fell through; something other plan gets delayed; you feel your performance doesn’t connect with a particular audience member. All those things become fuel, and it’s important to let them be. It’s important to move on mentally and know there are better opportunities right around the corner. That mentality only comes from MANY failures—the vital thing to do is to keep doing.
LEG: You’ve performed for Jennifer Lopez, opened for The Temptations, and toured with other incredibly talented artists. Who are a few artists you dream about collaborating with or touring with these days?
PL: I’d love to perform with artists like St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Lee Fields, JD McPherson—that’s a short list, but there are too many to name!
LEG: I’ve had the pleasure of knowing your lovely family for many years. Can you talk about your support system of family and friends in your life. How do they inspire, help, and motivate you?
PL: My family, especially my mother, has really allowed me to become the artist I am. I have the wonderful license to do what I do because of them. Being exposed to great music at a young age was the first big catapult. As I got older and decided to devote my living to it, there was unquestionable support from my parents. Like any parents, they were nervous about me paying my bills early on, but it was their hard work ethic that really inspired me to keep digging deeper and press onward.
LEG: You’ve been playing music in different bands your entire life. Can you describe how the Paul Loren project has evolved and some key elements of your lifestyle branding. What tips can you offer on building a successful brand?
PL: It began with those records as I was exposed to as a young boy—I love the ‘New York sound’ of 50’s and 60’s pop music, and I wanted to write songs with that vernacular. Everything else was already a big part of my life and worldview, from the fashion to the cocktails to the jetsetting! It all just seemed to fit the aesthetic of the project; and obviously I haven’t been shy about incorporating the non-musical things I’m interested in into the project. In my view, it’s all of one piece with the music itself.
LEG: What’s your favorite cocktail and how do you make it? What’s your favorite dish to cook? How does fine food and drink compliment your brand?
PL: My go-to tried and true cocktail has always been a Negroni. Like most things Italian, it’s born of simplicity, but when done right can be transcendent. Just three ingredients (Campari, sweet vermouth and gin) and a garnish (citrus peel) become enlightenment in a glass.
On a Sunday off from work, I love to treat myself and make a very simple pasta dish—real ‘peasant food’ as they call it! Food and drink are just other extensions of my creativity and my urge to always create an sensory experience—both for myself and my company. I’m also Italian, so the appreciation of great cuisine is unavoidable!
LEG: I know travel is a passion of yours. Is there a favorite vacation spot or special place in your life that you like to visit? How do you feel when you are there?
PL: Naturally I feel a kinship and simpatico with Italy and the Mediterranean region—every bit of traveling in southern Europe has had a profound effect on my life and art.
LEG: What personal and professional goals do you have for the new year? What exciting things do you have lined up for your fans in 2019?
PL: The big goal is to finish writing and recording an LP album—that will play out in conjunction with expanding our Five & Dime recording studio in Brooklyn, NY. I’d also love to continue touring parts of the States (and the world) with my music and to play in front of new audiences. That’s always a real treat for me!
For more Paul Loren visit:
www.paulloren.com
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