Find some decent speakers or stick on those lovely headphones, find yourself some snug surroundings, press play and listen. You have discovered an artiste who has found solace in expressing the sometimes, inexpressible through his lyrics and lilting guitar figures.
Paul James was brought up among a musical heritage that stemmed from the roots of country, celtic and folk, with a slight yearning towards jazz. With a melting pot of ideas, Paul set out on a magical journey to discover his true ancestral musical roots, with a myriad of open tunings and a capo. Perhaps he was going somewhere afterall. After much dedicated perseverance with acquiring his multi-faceted guitar skills, he turned his attention towards becoming involved in the recording and production processes. With a couple of Neumann microphones and a posh mic pre-amp, he set about recording his first E.P entitled Going Somewhere with the invaluable assistance of his co-producer Matt Saunders.
His guitar influences are certainly wide ranging. While he is content playing some Merle Travis, he is also as equally eager to bang on his guitar with relentless vigor. He claims that he has a hidden drum machine inside his acoustic classical guitar. And what is that upside-down playing technique all about? Attend one of his gigs to find out what is going down, where guitar, bass and drums effortlessly emanates from one man and one guitar. Oh we forgot about the singing! Paul has a unique knack of integrating the guitar into his compositions, without ever sacrificing the inherent characteristics of the song.
The title track of the E.P, Going Somewhere, possesses an array of abstract connotations that vividly describes being aware of one’s preferred destination in the imaginary sense, then coming back to earth with a pleasant thump. The guitar solo’s are always melodic in character, and are a splendid example of Paul's lyrical guitar quality. The compositions on the E.P are certainly thought provoking, with a resonating quality which never fails to capture the imagination.
While Paul is keen to play his material to the masses, he has momentarily directed his energies towards single-handedly developing his very own web site. Late night’s zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…..! Hey, but Paul always responds well, when faced with the inevitable challenge. Having accomplished such an intricate task, it is now an appropriate time for Paul to take to the road, with a guitar in one hand and a passport in the other. Paul has no plans to wait around any longer. So here goes...................