We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Paul Faith a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Paul, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
I think the most meaningful project I’ve worked on is my second album, “OH WELL”, that I created with some of my best friends, and bandmates. I had made my first album with my producer/engineer/maestro, Dreux Gerard, and was tremendously proud of it. But it was largely a solo effort, or it at least felt that way. Dreux recorded everything track by track, and we arranged everything very simply on it to present the songs in a real folk context.
By the time I had begun pulling together songs for the second album, I had gathered together my band – The Barstool Prophets. Sky Choice on lead guitar, Sasha Salk on Drums, and Hank Neuhoff on bass. Together we had kind of taken the songs to a rock and roll format that really felt like what I had always wanted to do. We got together in a friend’s space for a week straight, and we essentially set up a studio in this downstairs apartment. Dreux engineered and recorded us again, and we knocked out 2-3 songs a day. It really felt like an achievement, and each day I came home nearly floating. That we were able to make something I’m so proud of in such a short period of time, and do it with people I love – well it’s just really special and I’ll never forget it.
Paul, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I moved to New Orleans 13 years ago from Virginia, and although I’ve played music for nearly 20 years, only made the jump to playing out seriously post=pandemic. I grew up listening to 90’s grunge & alternative rock, emo music of the early aughts, and then later the folk rock of artists like Dylan and Young. All that blended together really makes up my songs: rooted in Americana, but given the rock and roll treatment, but with sing-along choruses just like the alt-rock I loved growing up. It’s safe to say Bob Dylan kicked open the door for me, and made me think I too could write music, but bands like Wilco, Third Eye Blind, Say Anything, even Coldplay- they’re all there.
I released my first record, entitled The Smell When it Rains, in March 2024. It was comprised of the songs I had just started to write after religiously attending an open mic in 2022 into 2023. It truly was never something I thought I would get to do – I am tremendously proud of it. I recorded it with a few friends, a few of which later developed into bandmates. My sophomore album, “Oh Well” , released earlier this year in February with my full backing band that I had gathered after the first record – The Barstool Prophets. They are truly some of my best friends here besides being talented, genuine, and thoughtful musicians. I think the album we made really showcases how we sound live: high energy, honest, and like we’re having a blast.
Besides writing, performing, and recording music with my crew, one of the things I’m most proud of is running and hosting a songwriter night for the past two-plus years, entitled the “The Living Room”, most Fridays at Skeeta Hawk Brewery. I’ve hosted over 130 unique songwriters over the years, and curated a really diverse and talented night that I look forward to from week to week. We’ve created something of a community there where newer songwriters to more seasoned pros can test out material, and locals can have the best free show in the city.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I am a strong believer in that the goal of creating something should be the actual creation part of it. I create music, write songs, perform songs, play with my band, really because it brings me joy to do so. I think if you are creating from a place of trying to get famous, to be adored, to achieve some level of success – you will always be disappointed, and it will never be enough. The joy has to be in the doing – and if that resonates with folks, then they will listen, come out, maybe even buy a shirt with your name on it. In that way – I’ve achieved my goal, but also, it’s something I’m constantly achieving, or trying to achieve. The value is in the daily practice of creating something that makes you feel good – and I think if you are authentic in the pursuit, it will come through to those in the audience.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
I can think of a few: “How to Write One Song” by Jeff Tweedy is certainly one. “On Writing” by Stephen King is another. I think what I’ve taken these books is to create a practice of creating, both of these writers do it daily, and they find it incredibly rewarding. I don’t think there’s any coincidence that both of them, although very different from each other, credit this practice as one of the things that saved them from their respective substance abuse issues. They both posit that it is creating that keeps them grounded, brings them joy, gives them meaning, etc. Tweedy puts it really beautifully in his book, but also very simply. It doesn’t matter if the song is really any “good” or not. Who told you it’s not good? It’s good that you made it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.paulfaith.net
- Instagram: realpaulfaith
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx9uz5Lu05rE3hUbMjXTTfA
