PAUL EDELSTEIN
Questions asked by Jon Wilde, added to Rock Realms 20th May 2011.
Chicago drummer Paul Edelstein has just released his latest CD "Passion & Perseverance". That, dear fiends, is reason enough to interview the man.
Hi Paul, thanks for taking a moment to answer these questions. Hope you are well?
Paul: It is my pleasure to be talking to you. Life is good.
What’s your musical history? How and when did you get into playing the drums, and when did you realise you had a real talent for it?
Paul: I began playing drums when I was 13. I told my parents I wanted a drum set. I had played a bit on others peoples kits and really enjoyed it. They were terrified. My father told me I could buy a used set and if ONE day went by and I did not play, the drums would be sold. I practiced every day for hours. On a regular basis I even faked being too sick to go to school. After everyone had gone to work and school I would play all day. Then when my mom would come home from work I said I was feeling better and asked if I could play a bit. During my formative school years I did a lot of make-up homework.
After playing about a year I formed my first band. When I was a freshman in high school we tried out for the variety show with an original song that we wrote, and made it. Playing in front of all those people, I was hooked!
When did you add song writing and producing to your skill-set?
Paul: Music has always been about expression of my emotions, thoughts and feelings for me I am a very expressive player. I play with a lot of color, shapes, sounds dynamics and passion. If I don’t believe it, I can’t play it.
I have always been a writer. When I was in elementary and high school I was always writing and telling stories. I have been writing lyrics and songs for as long as I can remember. I used to write lyrics for other bands when I was younger. In all of my previous bands I have always contributed musical and lyrical ideas. On the Garden Of Gray disc Fate I co wrote all the music and wrote all of the lyrics. In 3 Too Far on our disc “Leebos’s Kitchen I co wrote many of the tracks and also co produced. I love to collaborate. You can come up with some pretty interesting things.
When I first started recording, I was always the guy in the studio watching how things were done and asking a lot of questions. I watched and learned. I am very grateful that the engineers and producers had patience with me My biggest influences in this area so far have been Reza from the now defunct Acme Studios in Chicago, Jamie Wirt and Gary Cobb from ARS Studios in Alsip (now in Homewood) Illinois. The more I do it, the better I get.
As far as producing, for the stuff I write I pretty much have a clear vision of how I want it to sound.
Do you come from a musical family?
Paul: My Grandfather was an outstanding violinist. He used to entertain us on a regular basis at family gatherings. It was not until after he passed away I found out he played and toured with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra professionally. He had to quit when his mother (my great Grandmother) got real sick and he needed to stay home to help with her.
I also had a cousin who was a talented keyboard player.
When my family realized that my music career was my passion, they have always supported me.
Who were your early influences? Who do you really rate these days?
Paul: The first song I remember hearing (actually seeing) was the Muppets on Sesame Street singing The Beatles Yellow Submarine. The next time I heard it was on our kitchen radio. I could not figure out how all those people fit in there. .The song that really got my attention was Fox on the Run by Sweet. When I heard it on our car radio, I asked my mom about it. She explained that people wrote, recorded and performed music. That was the coolest thing I ever heard. I knew right then and there that that’s what I wanted to do with my life. The first album I ever owned was Queen’s A Night at the Opera. I heard Bohemian Rhapsody and I was mesmerized. Queen is my all time favorite band. They did so many styles of music and did them so well. What an influence! My early musical influences were Queen, The Babys, Montrose, Starz, Angel and Sweet. Other artists that have shaped me along the way were Trillion, Survivor, Kansas, Streets, Queensryche, John Waite, Dream Theater White Sister, Badlands, Sammy Hagar, Night Ranger, Krokus, Iron Maiden, Def Leppard , Unruly Child, Heavy Pettin, Lillian Axe, Led Zeppelin, Meat Loaf, April Wine, TNT, Shy, Toy Matinee and Kevin Gilbert. Kevin Gilbert was way ahead of his time and taken from us way too early. If you’ve never heard Kevin Gilbert’s Thud or his rock opera The Shaming of the True, in my opinion you are really missing out on something special.
While I still listen to all the artists I mentioned, these days I also listen to Seal, (the first three albums are the best) Paula Cole, Lenny Kravitz, Chantal Kreviazuk Disturbed and The Pushstars. I think Chris Trapper, Adam Paskowitz (Mozart, The Flys, Jetliner). Brendan James, Enrique Iglesias, and Shakira are brilliant.
Drumming influences; Roger Taylor, Denny Carmassi, Tony Brock, Joe Dube, Barry Brandt, Mick Tucker, Mike Portnoy, Carmine Appice, Scott Rockenfield, Jay Schellen and Bill Wilkins.
What’s the Chicago area like for musicians like you? Is it easy or hard to get noticed?
Paul: Chicago has a rich, vast musical history and a thriving music scene and I am proud to be a part of that. There are opportunities everywhere. As with any community there are sharks. It is our responsibility as artists to navigate through the waters as safe as possible. It is awesome to be part of it and to have the camaraderie and helping each other that exists.
Being successful in the music business takes work and creativity. After you have your “product” you must promote yourself as effectively as you can. We used to have a networking group called CHAT(Chicago Harmony and Truth) that promoted unity and an opportunity to get to know each other, bands and businesses. There is still MOBFEST. Fewer of the performance arts groups like ASCAP or BMI have offices in the Chicago area these days.
That being said I am excited to be releasing my CD in the digital age. There are so many opportunities that did not exist even 5 years ago. You have to look at different ways of doing things. They are out there. At the end of the day, I would like to believe that there is still a place for originality, creativity and people looking to have a good time. Play good music, have fun and hopefully people will come.
Onto new album “Passion And Perseverance”... was the writing and recording of the album pleasure, pain, or a bit of both?
Paul: Both.
It is me processing things in my daily life. For me it’s like opening up my diary for the world to see. It is a very personal record. I recorded, produced, mixed, wrote music and lyrics. My emotions are there. My experiences are there. I am influenced by all that I see and all that I live.
Because I love all facets of creating music it was extremely satisfying.
It was a long and laborious process that was complicated by the bad weather that hit the area where I live while I was making the record. My house flooded. While I was rebuilding there was a period of over 2 months where I had to be patient. I could not do anything musically. It drove me nuts.
The geneses of Passion & Perseverance actually began in January of 2007. I had reunited with guitarist and co writer Randy Raatz. We wrote all these great vocal oriented songs. We auditioned many musicians to create our ultimate band. We even had a full band twice. Nothing ever stuck.
While we were auditioning we wrote and recorded. After a few years we realized that it was not going to happen for us. For me I reached a point where I felt I could not move on musically until I did something with the back catalog of music I created. I also wrote some new songs in the process. So for me Passion & Perseverance is me “cleaning out my musical closet” so to speak.
Who else performs on the record?
Paul: Randy Raatz co wrote many of the songs musically and contributed lyrics to Heartworm. He also plays guitar, bass, strings horns and piano He is a master of the guitar synth. .Paris Meletiou, who lives in Cyprus, contributed keyboards on Abby’s Water. Jeremy Sheehan and David Tramer, my band mates from my previous band 3 Too Far are performing vocals, guitar, bass and piano on Summer Day. Dennis Baughan gave me permission to use his song Home. I played drums on his 2007 CD New Day He sings, plays bass and guitar on that track, Mike Meadows came through with some emotional vocals on a few songs. On Heartworm, Bill Henshell plays fretless bass.
How would you describe the style of the album, and what should potential fans expect from it? Sell it to us!
Paul: Passion & Perseverance is done from a drummer’s point of view. The drums are up front and mixed from behind the drum set. It is different musical styles including Pop, Rock, Metal and Progressive with some Avant Gard thrown in. It is an emotional heartfelt honest recording. And damn catchy!
It is available pretty much everywhere in the world via the internet in CD Format or MP3.
Song by song details are on any of the following websites:
http://www.facebook.com/Edeldrum (Go to Paul Edelstein’s Music Page)
http://www.myspace.com/pauldrum
http://www.cdbaby.com/pauledelstein
http://www.reverbnation/pauledelstein
Do you do anything special or unusual in the studio to get your sound? Are you an effects junkie or do you like to keep it plain and simple?
Paul: It depends on the song.
There are a few basic guidelines that I use while recording. It is real important to get a clear, clean recording signal for each track. That makes mixing go smooth. The real key is getting the best performance of each song that you can. It is real important to be ready when you go into the studio, know your parts and the songs inside out. Be well rehearsed. I find the best takes are the first or second. The energy is high as is emotion. If you know your songs you can live them, you don’t have to think about them, you feel them. Throughout my career I have recorded songs in the first or second take always. The human element is very important. Little imperfections, happy accidents always give music character.
Nest you add or layer to add texture, Mixing and producing is where I find I spend the most time trying different things to get the desired sound. I have fun and experiment.
Are there any particular tracks you’re especially proud of on the new record, or is it all brilliant?
Paul: That is a difficult question because I am so invested. I am proud of all the songs on Passion & Perseverance. People have told me that standout tracks are Denial, Summer Day, Abby’s Water and Heartworm.
For me personally, Black Car – You Call It Love. I know it is not the best song on the CD. This is a song that I just had to get out of me and release into the universe. I had to do it for me. Unfortunately, for me this is a true story. I was in love. I was used. I ended it. It is very emotional for me. A lesson painfully learned.
What have been the highlights and lowlights of your musical life so far?
Paul: I am very fortunate that I have an outlet for my creativity. I am truly blessed because I love what I do. It is fun, interesting and a great way for me to express my thoughts feelings and emotions. I am always growing and changing. I am always meeting great people.
Highlights are many. The first two that come to mind are the years I spent in 3 Too Far. We wrote, recorded produced and released our disc “Leebo’s Kitchen” very quickly. We played out a lot. We had a blast! We met a lot of cool people. I was very fortunate to be in a band with two guys who are still some of my closest friends.
Another one is what I am doing right now with Passion & Perseverance. That is more than just a title for me. It is a way of life. For me it is a great accomplishment. I am also looking forward to the future.
Lowlights. The lowest point in my life was when my Father died. It was very difficult for me and my family. It still is on holidays, birthdays, etc. Before he died I committed to do a session. Then he died suddenly. My world was all turned upside down. I wasn’t sure I could go through with the session. The artist really wanted me to play on his recording. I did the best I could at the time. In reality I wasn’t all there. I was dealing with a ton of personal stuff. What was worse was that I explained that to the other musicians. Most of them understood. One guy had no sympathy at all and went out of his way to make it very difficult for me. The artist was ecstatic with my performance. Because of the circumstances surrounding those recordings, it took me many years to come to terms with them. I can listen to them now and be proud.
Any question you love being asked that I’ve missed? If so, what’s the answer?
Paul: No. I think you’ve covered it.
What are you up to once you’ve finished answering these questions?
Paul: Having a cup of coffee, practice and then see what life throws my way.
Anything else you would like to mention?
Paul: First I’d like to say thank you Jon, Keep up the good work!
Next I’d like to thank all the musicians that helped me with Passion & Perseverance. I’d also like to give props to Dwight Raatz for his help with my art direction Kip Wilkinson for the awesome photos and to Gary Cobb at ARS for his superb mastering job.
Thanks again to Paul for his time.
