Pop-Culturalist.com

Singer-songwriter Christian Paul is music’s next big thing. A natural born musician, he’s captivated listeners and the industry with soulful singles like “When Love Don’t Love You Back”, “Strong”, and the recently released, “Rewind”. Individually, they showcase different shades of Christian’s talent, artistry, and musicality. Collectively, they’re a glimpse of what’s ahead for this fast-rising superstar who’s set to drop his debut self-titled EP later this year.

Pop Culturalist had the pleasure of interviewing Christian about his career, musical influences, and growing as an artist.

PC: How did you discover your passion for music?
Christian: I grew up around music. Some of my earliest memories are with my dad, sitting me in his lap [and] introducing me to hundreds upon hundreds of old soul songs. We’d listen to artists like Al Green, Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, and even Prince. That’s when I fell in love with soul, music as a whole, and good songwriting.

My mom’s side of the family introduced me to country. I just love good songwriting. I started playing drums at four. I was gifted a drum set by my family so I picked that up and I started adding in other instruments.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Christian: Oh, gosh! That’s a long list. I would say at the top of that list would be artists like Prince, Maxwell, D’Angelo, and Curtis Mayfield. I’ve taken a lot of inspiration from their music and songwriting. They’ve really shaped who I am as an artist. But, like I was saying earlier, I just take inspiration from really great songwriting. I do this soulful cover of Weezer’s “Say It Ain’t So”.

The pinnacle moment that I knew I wanted to pursue a career in music, [though], came after I started singing at the age of twelve. I got together with some friends and put together a small band. My hometown actually let us put on a show at City Hall. I remember our local newspaper advertised the show. I was so anxious to see who would actually show up. Three hundred people came out to the show to watch me sing. It was in that moment that I saw how many people supported me and believed in what I was doing [so] I really couldn’t imagine myself doing anything other than this. Another thing that struck me that night was how music unites people and brings people who [wouldn’t] necessarily be together, together. That was a big moment for me.

PC: You started your career as a musician and didn’t start singing until later on due to shyness. How did you overcome that?
Christian: That’s a great question. There were two big things that helped me overcome my shyness. One was staying rooted in family. By family, I mean people who love me and are honest with me. They’ve believed in me and my gifts. It really helped me build my confidence to go out in front of people and do what I do now. Another thing is constant growth. The more I grew, the more other people saw that I grew. I felt myself growing and being able to do things I wasn’t able to before. That really gave me confidence as well. That helped me overcome that shy phase. I grew by diving into a culture of people who are much further along in this craft than I was. I think anytime you immerse yourself in a culture like that, you force yourself to grow. It would be possible to be intimidated by that, but it had the opposite effect on me.

PC: Tell us about “Rewind” and what inspired that track.
Christian: I don’t know if you’ve heard the story behind “Strong”, but that song is a little heavier; it’s based on a life event. “Rewind” is a much lighter mood. It’s a summer song. I remember being in the studio while the engineer for that session was pumping vocals for a completely different song. I was collaborating with Evan Rogers at the time, and I said, “Let’s write another song while he’s finishing up.” That’s literally how “Rewind” came about. It happened in thirty or forty-five minutes. It came so quick.

PC: Later this year you’re also releasing your self-titled EP which you’ve been working on for the past year. What has that process been like? How did you decide what makes the EP?
Christian: The songwriting process–and continually adding new songs into the vault–has been amazing. It’s allowed me to grow as a songwriter. I’ve gotten to work with people who are incredible at their craft. It’s been unreal. It’s great to meet incredible songwriters, and they’re also incredible people. The other amazing thing about it is that it’s taken me to places that I would have otherwise never have gone. One song off the EP was actually written in Wales. I started it in Florida, where I’m from, almost a year before I finished it. I had a majority of the song mapped out, but I finished it in a session with Amy Wadge, who worked with Ed Sheeran on “Thinking Out Loud”, in Wales. The EP has taken me from the Wales and London to Los Angeles and New York. I’ve been everywhere.

To answer your question about which songs go on the EP that process was actually really easy…everyone on my team all agreed on the same songs. I’ve been really blessed. I have the ultimate say when it comes to anything creative, but they’ve really believed in my vision. Everyone feels strongly about the collection of songs we have for the project.

PC: Is there a set release date for the EP?
Christian: We don’t [have one]. I do know that we’re going to release a single and a music video every month. We’ll be releasing a lot of content.

PC: If you had to pick one song off the EP that best encompasses you as an artist, what would it be and why?
Christian: Oh, wow! [laughs] That’s so tough. I would say the entire EP. I know that’s a cop-out answer, but if you pick out one song from the project, you’re only getting one shade of who I am. Listening to the entire project, you’ll hear there are a lot of different tones throughout—whether it’s a heavier song like “Goodbye” or “Strong”, or a lighter group of songs like “Rewind” and “Favorite Song”. Sonically, they all have slightly different directions, but there’s one underlying soulful essence that runs throughout.

PC: As we look ahead to the rest of the year, what does 2019 hold for you? Can we expect you on tour?
Christian: Yeah, totally! We’re actually looking at a few dates as early as July 1. I’m not allowed to say with who yet, but we’re looking for a more serious tour schedule at the end of the summer/early fall.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Christian: Weezer, all day! That’s pretty unexpected. I’m a huge Weezer fan.

PC: First album you bought?
Christian: Adele’s 21. I was like eleven.

PC: First concert you ever attended?
Christian: Musiq Souldchild in Tampa

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
Christian: That is so tough! Maybe D’Angelo’s Voodoo. I wouldn’t say it changed my life, but it changed how I perceive music and how I create it. It was so innovative. It was so different, even in neo-soul. He definitely took inspiration from some of the people that I named before: Prince, Curtis Mayfield, and Sly and the Family Stone. But, the way he interpreted those influences was really special.

PC: Someone you’d like to collaborate with in the future?
Christian: As far as an artist, I’d love to collaborate with Yebba. Songwriting-wise, I would love to get into a session with Ryan Tedder or Labrinth.

PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
Christian: I would love to play the O2. I love U.K. culture.

PC: A must-have on the road?
Christian: Smoothies! I’m obsessed with Tropical Smoothie and Smoothie King. Typically, if I’m in a time crunch, I’ll Uber Eats a smoothie. My go-to smoothie is peanut butter, cocoa, oats, chia seeds, banana, and almond milk. That’s all the breakfast I need. I would have it all day if I could.

 
To keep up with Christian, follow him on Twitter and Instagram, and pick up “Rewind” on Amazon Music, iTunes, or stream it on Spotify.

Photo Credit: Jason Goodrich