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INTERVIEW: LA based folk craftsman Paul Bergmann channels a polished artistic vision

Jon Berrien
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After growing up in small-town seclusion, nestled in the rolling uplands of Western Massachusetts, folk craftsman Paul Bergmann headed west with a clean, true purpose and burnished artistic vision. His pursuit of music hasn’t been an easy road to travel, nonetheless Paul is excelling. He recently found himself in partnership with Fairfax Recordings and just released a Ltd. edition vinyl featuring two fresh new tracks.

GroundSounds recently caught up with Paul to talk about his latest endeavors, musical inspirations and more, check out the exclusive GroundSounds interview below.

 

For those just discovering Paul Bergmann, can you tell us a little bit about your upbringing, background and love for music?

I grew up in a small town in Massachusetts.  I wasn’t exposed to a wide variety of music growing up, but I always loved to sing and had strong opinions about what I liked and why I liked it.  It was in college when I first started paying attention to music seriously and started to write my own songs and have the courage to express my own voice.  I feel as though I’ve been catching up my whole life, in more ways than one, and I’m just starting to understand what it means to be a musician.  I think this naivety has actually helped shape me as an artist, giving my work a sense of earnestness or innocence.

10550172_552370428228320_4657213407371074694_oComing from a small town in Massachusetts, can you tell us about your transition to LA?

Well, I went to college outside of L.A. before moving back home for a year to save money.  I never really went into L.A. during school, so when I actually moved here, it was quite jarring.  The endless sun, the bleached concrete, the meandering and ambiguity of it all.  I almost moved back home after a year, but luckily found a job and a drummer/friend before that idea materialized.  It was then that I made the conscious decision to dive headfirst into the Echo Park music scene, and I haven’t looked back since.

Can you tell us about the creative and writing process for your track “Old Dream?”

“Old Dream” was inspired by a Townes Van Zandt song, and now I can’t remember which.  I’ve always loved elusive, fleeting lyrics that paint the approximation of a feeling (or a multitude of feelings) in a deliberate, honest way.  I think “Old Dream” does that for me.  The original version is twice as long.  There’s something about this song that’s always made so much sense to me, and it’s also one of the first songs I really edited and spent time on.  There’s really nothing unintentional there.

How does music make you feel?

Any number of ways.  You name it, music has caused me to feel it.

What has it been like working on your upcoming LP, can you tell us about bringing this album to fruition? Does it have a name?

It’s been great recording in the old Sound City space and working with various talented people, Nick Waterhouse among them.  Right now we’re working on an EP that will be a precursor to, and a part of, the final LP.  We’ve pulled out all the stops with this one.  I think we’re going to have a really well-rounded slew of songs.  I couldn’t really pin it down genre-wise, but it’ll be substantive is all I can say.  It does not have a name yet, but I’ve got a good idea of what I want to call it.

Screen Shot 2015-05-27 at 8.30.48 AMYou recently released a ltd. edition vinyl 7″ featuring “Old Dream” and “Summer’s End”, what is your take on vinyl in todays digital world?

I think vinyl is a terrific medium and I’m happy it’s having a resurgence.  I am not anti-digital at all, though for my own music, I prefer analog.  I like that people have a choice, and that everyone can make music now.

How did you link of with Fairfax Recordings? How has it been partnering with them?

I was walking in Echo Park about to send about off some demo CDs when I saw my buddy Neil Schield (owner of Origami Vinyl and head of Artist Development at Fairfax) on the street.  He told me to send my songs to him because he was getting involved with a cool label.  I sent them out and the rest is history.

Working with Kevin Augunas and all the people at Fairfax has been really wonderful, and it’s a been a good learning experience for collaborating, compromising, and finding my voice.  Having a good dialogue and partnership between the artist and label is so important, and I’m grateful to have both of those things.

Can you tell us about the inspiration for your track “Summer’s End?”

“Summer’s End” is about a girl.  “I tried to kiss her in the night, but it wasn’t meant to be”.  It’s about that pretty much with some poetry thrown in.

What’s next for Paul Bergmann, what can fans look forward to?

I have a few shows in the L.A. area this summer, and we should be finishing the EP and announcing a release date in the next couple months.  The two shows I’m most excited about are July 18 at The Autry Museum for EatSeeHear Festival, and August 29 at the new Teragram Ballroom opening up for Nick Waterhouse!

Stay in touch with Paul Bergmann: FACEBOOK | BANDCAMP