“What a force to be reckoned with…
his soulful singing and slick finger prowess being unbeatable.”
Playrecord.net
Singer-songwriter, Paul Curtis had a musical background ranging from brass bands to rock bands, but he was ultimately destined to take on the world on his own with his acoustic guitar. Since he did so, Paul has amassed a wealth of experience as a solo live performer, a particular highlight being the 2005 Pulse Battle of the Bands, in Bradford, at which he beat all of the bands in his heat to reach the final. Paul also has three albums, three E.P.s and a single – all self-produced – under his belt, and he has also received airplay, and been a live guest, on local radio.
Paul started out as a tenor horn player, playing in brass bands from the age of 10. After discovering rock music, and in particular his major influences of Queen, The Kinks and The Who, Paul convinced his parents to get him a guitar for his 16th birthday. He then taught himself to play, and within a couple of years, had started writing songs. Paul played in three bands in the nineties, each of which ran their course, and by the end of the decade, Paul found himself becoming increasingly frustrated at his lack of success in getting a new band off the ground. Then, he had an epiphany when he saw Ray Davies on his Storyteller tour, and Paul found himself thinking, “Well, I could do that!” So, in 2000, Paul went it alone as an acoustic soloist.
Paul began recording at home, in 2004. His records feature programmed drums and bass, acoustic and electric guitars, brass, blues harp and vocal harmonies, as a marked contrast to his one guitar – one voice live show. Paul’s songs combine crisp guitar patterns with passionate vocals, in creating irresistibly catchy acoustic rock.
In 2008, Paul wrote what he regards as his grand opus, his rock opera, Bewilderment, which well over a decade later, is still in the process of being recorded. An ambitious project, which kept finding itself on the back burner, and in fact Paul found it such a creative millstone that it took him seven years to feel able to write new material. That renewed creativity came in 2016, with a batch of new songs, including a song for each of Paul’s three sons and a collaboration with a class of school children.
Since the latter part of 2019, Paul has done plenty of live performances, including embracing livestreaming, whilst gaining momentum towards finally completing the Bewilderment project.