Paul Robertson

Interview With Paul Robertson

SBS:  Welcome to our pages!  Whether you’ve been here with us in some way before, or you’re brand-new to the site, it’s probably best to get an introduction from you so that we get everyone on the same page to start.  Tell us a little bit about the history of your music, and what’s happening with it lately!?!

Paul Robertson:  I started working on writing music with a very talented guitarist whom I met on-line.  We talked about musical direction and decided to work together on progressive rock arrangements.  Lately we moved from instrumental compositions to those that include lyrics and vocals.

SBS:  Let’s talk about the before and after of where you’re currently at.  What’s something about the music that you’re making now that you don’t think you could have done five years ago, and what’s something you think you’ll be able to do with your music five years from now that you can’t do today?

Paul:  I think we’ve gone to writing more simpler arrangements that have some complexity to them instead of straight forward, high-energy songs.  What we are doing now is writing more radio friendly songs in an attempt to reach more listeners.  Projecting forward five years, I believe as technology increases the quality of home studio recordings, we’ll be in a place to stay relevant and current as possible.

SBS:  How have you grown as an artist/band, and what steps do you take to continue your artistic evolution?

Paul:  I had a huge learning curve while experimenting with various DAW’s and MIDI instruments for recording at home.  I don’t think of myself as a geek, so getting help to understand computer programs was a necessary step for me to accomplish my musical goals.

SBS:  If you were to assess the overall health of the independent music scene right now, what would you say?

Paul:  I think it’s very strong in the Progressive Rock camp.  All the talent is there, not to mention a pretty strong fan following.  Independent producers and engineers have been able to change the music industry.  Yes, we’ll always need labels signing artists, but I think creative control is the most important factor in the music scene and that can only be if an artist is in control of their musical direction.

SBS:  What are the positives and the negatives about the current state of independent music, and what do you feel like artists & bands can do to contribute to the community & help it grow beyond the music being made?

Paul:  I think a major positive is creative control for the musician.  Music is subjective and requires a strong desire to remain faithful to one’s own musical path.  A negative is oversaturation and listener attention span and subsequently listener retention.  Hooking them and keeping them in the song has dropped significantly.  As far as the community, I think artists and bands should stay in the networking zone to try and interact with as many other musicians as possible.  I think musical growth must come from within, but it can’t hurt to work with and expand into uncharted territory by getting feedback from our contemporaries.

SBS:  If you’re not actively looking to listen to the music of other independent artists/bands, is it really all that fair to expect anyone would listen to yours?

Paul:  Absolutely not.  One cannot be disillusioned about that.

SBS:  How do you help the scene around you grow?

Paul:  I try to give support to the underground scene.  I like visiting scenes where players and songwriters come together to interact with each other.

SBS:  What do you consider to be the biggest accomplishment or achievement you’ve had with your music to-date?

Paul:  The biggest musical accomplishment I’ve had would be the change in the direction of the arrangements.  I like having vocals now.  I’m not giving up on instrumentals, just gravitating a bit.

SBS:  How do you personally measure your own success – is that something that even can be measured?  Is it awards, accolades, chart position…or is your definition of success based on something entirely different?

Paul:  Well, there are no guarantees about awards, accolades or chart position.  That’s a long shot.  To me that is more timing and luck more than anything.  My own success is measured in song quality through musicianship and production.

SBS:  Should success, however you define it, be something that artists are continually focused on – or is success something that naturally occurs in the course of doing what you love to do?

Paul:  I think one’s desire to be successful in music should be part of it, sure, but it’s something that can’t be forced.  I believe it can happen, but it goes back to timing and when preparation meets opportunity.

SBS:  When you’re working on something brand-new, and something about it just doesn’t feel like it’s coming together the way that you think it should, how do you know when it’s time to give up on it, or how do you know that it’s time to dig in even harder and find a way to make it work?

Paul:  I never give up on a song.  Something sparked that creative flow so it’s my responsibility to find a way to make it the best it can be to my ears.  I’m constantly revamping and rearranging sections of songs to make it work.

SBS:  Are there distinct red flags you can hear when something’s not working?  What are the signs you look for that tell you to stop forcing the material?

Paul:  For what I create, if the music isn’t changing and stays in a groove, that needs to be addressed.  Progressive Rock means it has to progress.

SBS:  What would actually encourage you to keep going with the process instead?

Paul:  I think the musicianship of my bandmates.  I know we can get through it.

SBS:  One of the points of general consensus in the art of making music, is that we all get our sound from somewhere…we hear what we like, then more often than not, we take tiny pieces of what we love to find our own voice & approach to go on and make music in our own way.  Essentially, what I’m saying is that it’s absolutely natural to be inspired by other artists/bands, and almost every artist/band ends up having that inspiration show up in their own work in some way, shape, or form.  What the real key is though, is retaining your own organic perspective – you still wanna be original too, right?  So how do you go about doing that?

Paul:  We are all influenced by what we like musically.  I’m writing a song right now called “On The Shoulders of Giants” about this very thing.  WE are all on the shoulders of some giant influence.  Staying original is part of your inner creativity.  Some have it and some do not.

SBS:  Are there artists or bands that you know have been an influence on your style & sound?

Paul:  For sure.  I always liked to listen to Rush, Yes and bands of that caliber.  But others outside of Prog Rock have made an impact on me that have influenced my sound.

SBS:  How were you able to incorporate that influence without becoming too noticeably derivative and still be yourself?

Paul:  I think the style of the playing is what I try to incorporate.  Geddy Lee and Chris Squire were aggressive bass players.  I try to emulate their playing and bring that into the music.

SBS:  Should we embrace and celebrate our influences more than we do?

Paul:  I think we should acknowledge them for sure.  If the situation comes up we should let people know who influenced us and why.

SBS:  It’s almost like we try not to admit influences exist in the pursuit of being original, but it’s like, bruh…if it’s there, we can hear it.  We all borrow something from those that came before us to some extent, don’t we?

Paul:  We do.  I think we should.

SBS:  Has there ever been a time where you wrote something inside one of your songs…maybe it’s a lyrical line, or maybe it’s a riff of some kind…something that you did, where you surprised yourself?

Paul:  It happens all the time.  I’ll say to myself, wow, that was very cool.  I like that.

SBS:  I like to think we all have a moment or two where we can stand back and be amazed by something we created, and appreciate the fact that maybe, just maybe, we exceeded our own expectations of what we thought we could accomplish – you know what I mean?  Get as specific as you can so the fans out there know what they should be paying attention to when they hear it – what’s your favorite thing that you’ve written on the inside of one of your songs, and why does this particular piece resonate so much to you?

Paul:  Working in a collaborative environment with my guitarist has been a great experience.  We both contribute to the songs.  We experiment sonically with the guitars to bring the A game to the song.  If I had to say a favorite thing that I wrote into a song it would be the opening bass line to my song “New Skin.”  I like when the bass guitar takes the lead sometimes.  That’s the Geddy Lee influence on me.

SBS:  I’ve been having a lot of great debates lately about whether or not everybody that’s making music has the right to be heard…and you’d probably be surprised by how different people seem to feel about this issue.  I know where I stand on it, and I think you can all probably get an idea of what my position would be from this free interview we’re doing here & the way we run things at Sleepingbagstudios…but regardless, I’m putting this question out there to you, because I’m interested in YOUR perspective.  Just because you’ve made a song, does that mean people should listen?  If your answer is yes, do your best to explain why you feel that way & why we should make a sincere effort to listen to the music of others.  If your answer is no, explain why you feel that way, but also explain why people should still be listening to your music if that’s the case – what would make your music the exception, and not follow the rule?

Paul:  I think anyone who writes original music in any genre deserves to be heard, yes.  I mean if they are spending the energy to write and produce their music, it would be a great thing to be heard.  That doesn’t mean they will though.  Questions like, why do you feel you should be heard?  What’s so special about your music that deserves listener attention?  That’s the tough part.  99% of music from unsigned artists will never make it to the big time.  You can pay to have your music put on streaming services, but unfortunately it goes back to oversaturation of the market and a low percentage chance of being found by listeners and heard.

SBS:  Is there any value to an idea that’s not finished, or a song in its demo stages, or maybe something that’s not recorded in a top-shelf studio or with good equipment – somebody still took the time to make that song to the best of their ability with the means they had to create it – should that be listened to, or not?

Paul:  Sure.  Ideas can be shelved and brought to life again.  I’ve heard of that happening all over the music industry.

SBS:  There are ups and downs in the dynamics of almost every album we listen to, with very few exceptions.  Even those exceptions, probably still come down to more of a personal preference about what we enjoy about music and how we personally hear it, rather than anything being completely and totally “perfect” – you know what I mean?  Does an album actually need to have some kind of up/down dynamics in terms of what’s appealing to the masses in order for the best of the best songs in a lineup to be fully appreciated?

Paul:  I think artists are trying to nail the songs found on the A side of albums.  Those are the up dynamics they’re shooting for.  However, there have been songs on the B side of albums, the down dynamics that surpassed expectations and became hits.  So it does come down to personal preference and what the listener hears and likes in any particular song.

SBS:  Wouldn’t every artist & band avoid the ‘down’ side (less accessible/less popular for example) if they could?  Does the ‘down’ side represent something else perhaps, like the story of an album or journey of an artist?

Paul:  I do try to avoid that, yes.  But, some bands write songs that are put on an album to make up the allotted time for that album.  They need to reach a certain time threshold, so they throw in a song that they feel wasn’t their best effort but it met some type of requirement.

SBS:  Is the ‘up’ side of a record as potent or noticeable if it doesn’t have a ‘down’ side to go with it?

Paul:  I don’t think it becomes more noticeable because of a down side song.  The upside song will always have the strength to stand on its own merits.

SBS:  Would a completely balanced album somehow be boring if it didn’t have the ups/downs that most have?

Paul:  No. Rush’s Moving Pictures to me is a completely balanced album with the A and B side coexisting in perfect harmony.  Did Rush write songs that were stinkers on some albums?  Absolutely.  But even then, my idea of a stinker song could be a rose of a song to a different listener.

SBS:  Do we HAVE to like every single song on a record for it to be considered complete?

Paul:  No, I don’t believe so.

SBS:  Are the dynamics of an album something anyone can really steer in the direction they want to, or are all artists & bands simply going with the strongest material they have created at the time?

Paul:  I think it comes down to the theme of the album.  An album should have a theme.  I call the opening song, the shot out of cannon song, which should draw us in and get our attention.  All the songs following it should be in support of that song.  AC/DC’s Back In Black is probably one of the best examples of this occurring.

SBS:  I wanna send out a shout-out to YOU from me personally – I appreciate everyone that has taken the time to talk tunes with me throughout the years, and I appreciate the time YOU have taken with this interview too.  Because this one’s a little different in the sense that it’s been sent out to multiple people and is a little more generic in that regard, I have no doubt whatsoever that we probably didn’t get to talk to you about something you wanted to talk about – so let’s fix that!  This final space is what we call the SBS Open Floor – a spot where you can say anything else you want to say to the people out there.  It can be anything at all…your main websites…something else you want them to know about you and/or your music…your favorite bands in the scene right now…the secret 11 herbs and spices to the Colonel’s secret recipe – you get the idea, and it’s probably best you choose something that suits you rather than take any of my suggestions, but feel free to take the SBS Open Floor for a ride.  Whatever it is you want the people to know, now is the prime time for you to tell’em!  Thanks again for everything – keep in touch!

Paul:  Thank you as well.  It’s been a pleasure doing the interview.  You asked some very relevant questions.  I just want to finish by saying that music is music and someone took the time to create it.  If it isn’t something we like then just move on.  I’m not a fan of every style and genre, but I respect the artist and hope they can find what they’re looking for.

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