Formula Indie Sessions : Interview with Paul Reed
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
My earliest musical memory is learning to play Beatles songs as a very young child. They were the first music I can remember hearing and also the first I learned to play on guitar.
How did your passion for creating music begin?
I began my passion for creating music at around 8 years old, which was the same time I first picked up an instrument. I’m left-handed, so my father restrung one of his acoustics and taught me the basics. I started to write songs straight away and have continued ever since.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
My current music project was inspired by my connections to Teesside Cannabis Club, and the latest song is dedicated to them. I suffer from Crohn’s disease and relied on the NHS for years. Teesside Cannabis Club helped me become a medical cannabis patient, and my life changed drastically. I’m no longer on heavy opiates such as codeine, nor do I have the maintenance infusions of drugs I used to be on. I only use cannabis now and have a quality of life the NHS told me wasn’t possible. The song is my way of saying thank you.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
I would describe my sound in today’s modern terms as genre fluid.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
The one thing I’ve learned is that I make music that I enjoy first and foremost. If other people like it, that’s great, but I’m just putting my thoughts and feelings out there in the only way I know how.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
Me and my guitar, that’s all I need. Also Steve, my duo partner—we write together, so it’s always good when we get together and create. I’m a computer dinosaur, so I can’t recommend any software; I leave that to the producers.
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
I’m loving the recent album by The Libertines, especially “Baron’s Claw,” my favourite track.
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
My personal experience of lockdown in 2020 caused me to consider what direction my life was going in. I decided to leave social media. I realised I spent far too much time comparing myself to other artists rather than concentrating on my own music and how I approach performing. This has allowed me much more freedom of expression. I now write songs to please myself and not others. If I have an opinion, I write about it without worrying how it will be received. In today’s world, that’s not necessarily the way other artists approach their creativity.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
In the words of Richard D. Hall, believe none of what you hear and question everything you see.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
The best lesson music has taught me is to just be myself. I spent too many years trying to look and sound like other artists hoping to fit in. Music has taught me to be true to who I am.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
My dream venue to play would have to be The Cavern in Liverpool.
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
I don’t think I would want to collaborate with anyone from music history—they always say don’t meet your heroes, they only disappoint. I’ve just finished recording a new song with my duo partner Steve, due to be released in the next month or so. That’s the only collaboration I’m interested in currently.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website, Spotify, IG, links)
Spotify link
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
My dream for the future is to just keep on living the dream. I sing songs to people and make a living from it. A good amount of those songs are written by me. That’s all I ever wanted from life.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
I hope listeners will discover that they enjoy my music. I play these songs every week at cover gigs, and the audience is always shocked when I announce it was written by me, as they fit easily into the mix.
