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Lifoti Interview | The uprising music of Paul Alexander Low

The ever so talented Paul Alexander Low is not just an artist. He is a person with a unique background story and someone who has been passionate about making great music for decades now. Paul is a singer and songwriter with a very rich musical history and a fascinating background. He is a true veteran of the music scene, and incredibly eclectic artist. 

His sound blurs the lines between a wide variety of genre definitions and sonic aesthetics, and he is always interested in pushing his creativity to experiment with new sounds and new ideas. From old-time rock and roll and country, down to modern electronic beats, anything goes! As an artist, Paul likes to stay quite busy, and he releases music as often as possible. 

The artist recently unveiled a brand new album "Sunshine After the Rain". The album is magnetic, impactful and engaging, combining great melodies and exciting hooks, with a world-class production that’s always about making sure that every detail in the mix is up to snuff. As they say, a chain is only strong as its weakest link, and in this case, it’s hard to find a fault in terms of production, songwriting, and performance excellence here. When there’s so much passion and focus involved, you really can’t go wrong indeed! As an Americana artist, Paul Alexander Low isn’t just about creating great music , but also focuses on writing skills. 

For him, the storytelling component of being an artist and songwriter is also quite important. This is precisely the reason why he is always building powerful narratives and relatable stories, which are just as catchy as his amazing instrumentals and vocal melodies. With Paul, you don’t just get a good song, but also a fantastic snapshot of an artist with something to say, and a very creative approach to what he does. "Sunshine After the Rain" is a showcase of personality and passion, and a very stark reminder that Paul Alexander Low is an artist who is not the kind of person who would rely on a shortcut or settle for less. His songs are excellent and well-produced, a strong indication of his artistic integrity and ability to create music that’s massively appealing. 

Having said that, Paul Alexander Low still managed to develop a strong individuality, shining for his personality and showing the world what he is all about. This release is a must for all fans of high-quality the Americana genre in all directions with soulful, country, blues, folk, pop and rocky elements. The album features popular session musicians Jeremy Stacey (Noel Gallagher, Robbie Williams & Ryan Adams) Rob Brian (Goldfrapp, Simple Minds, Peter Gabriel) and Simon Johnson (Tom Jones, James Morrison, Lana DelRay). ‘Sunshine After The Rain’ is the realization of a life-long dream to release a solo album of his own songs, produced in the way he wanted them to sound. It’s an honest and heart felt expression of music, sometimes fun and uplifting, sometimes deeply emotional and powerful. Paul’s incredibly unique life experiences can be heard in every song he releases.

In late 40’s and as a Dad/step Dad to four great kids, including baby Georgia bornin Oct 2020 and engaged to be married in Sept 2021 he have much to be grateful for already. As he says "I started playing the guitar at 16 but I had my feet firmly on the ground from a young age, thanks to solid encouragement from my Dad. i.e. “you can do what you want” – i.e. play your guitar and sing – “but get an education first…right”!?, OK Dad, good plan! I stepped straight onto the corporate career conveyor belt from university and never managed to jump off." He split his time over the last25 years practicing and at times competing in martial arts, even winning 2 National championship’s along the way. However, in all that time he never stopped writing, gigging and having a strong passion for music. He said, "I have written with some platinum selling songwriters like, Mike Garvin, Chris Neil, Martin Sutton and supported chart-topping artists at live shows like Charlie Dore, The Korgis. Now its time for me to push myself out there, I feel like its my time, finally. So, is it too late for me? I hope not."

The music industry has changed radically in the last 10-15 years thanks to the internet. The old barriers to entry have gone so perhaps with the right approach and a lot of hard work he can find a way to cut through. Ultimately music is something he do because he love it. he write for himself openly and honestly because it’s his key form of expression, a way to release and expose his sub conscious thoughts. He have his own unique Americana /Folk, style, that songs expose a truly sensitive artist with melodies and lyrics that cut straight through to the core. You can compared his vocal to Don Henley, Richard Marx and Bryan Adams. Humbling for sure. His debut solo single Feel "Your Heart Come Alive", about someone who is full of passion, love, hopes and dreams but holds themselves back through a fear of rejection or judgement was well received. It’s had over 31,000 spins on Spotify and the video has been played 23,000 times on YouTube. Second single Hell Yeah from the EP of the same name has also been well received. For example it’s still in Blues and Roots Radio’s top ten more than6 months after release. He also released a special song in early 2021. “Carry On” is a tribute to Joss Spurway, a friend of a friend who was sadly killed in a light airplane crash in Australia in 2017.He says "I was inspired to write the song after meeting with some of her friends who talked about her with such love and passion that I felt compelled to tell the story. It’s a meaningful piano ballad. I’ve had some amazing feedback from her friends, it was a very rewarding experience."

Currently, Paul is working hard on the next step of his artistic journey. Dynamic, unpredictable, and fearless, Paul is poised to leave a lasting legacy on the music world. In this exclusive interview with Maria Nicolas, Paul Alexander Low open ups about his inspiring music journey.

➧Interview By Maria Nicolas

• The multifaceted Paul Alexander Low is an Entertainer, corporate person, martial artist, a father and many more. We are interested to know more about you so, Would you please share a brief synopsis of your music journey? If you could walk us through your music-related journey from start to present, what are some of the most notable facets of your life as an artist?
» Music has been an important part of my life since I can remember. My Dad sparked my interest in music by playing his record collection, usually at high volume when I was very young. Music was always there somewhere in the background if not in the foreground. Both my Mum and Grandmother played the piano but both were not confident and quite secretive about it. I didn’t worry about that so I just tinkered on the piano, playing chopsticks and various other little tunes I would either make up or could make out by ear from records I heard.  I started playing the guitar and singing at 16 and started writing songs immediately. I was inspired by a local musician who sang and played cover songs with a makeshift band in the pub I lived in at the time. By makeshift I mean one guy playing a washboard with thimbles for the rhythm and another playing a homemade double bass, made from a box, a broom handle and a piece of string, called a Tea-Chest Bass. To be fair they made a pretty good sound considering. I was enthralled by the way he and the band caught people’s attention and everyone had a great time watching them and singing along. I asked for a guitar and my step mum managed to borrow an old acoustic guitar. I practiced every day. I then joined the same band a few weeks later. 3 chords and enthusiasm was all I needed. Following that I went on to play electric guitar in rock bands at college. I then joined an alternative rock band in Oxford as a singer when I went to Oxford Polytechnic. We were even on the same billing as Radiohead but that was before they were famous. After I left university I moved too far from Oxford to travel back for regular practice. I then met a local musician in Woking, David Blake through a mutual friend. That was the start of a great long term friendship but we also sang together as a duo or trio in various guises for the next 20 years.  During that time I got the chance to write with some platinum selling songwriters like, Mike Garvin, Chris Neil, Martin Sutton and supported some chart-topping artists at live shows like Charlie Dore and The Korgis. Music has brought me many things, friendship, exciting opportunities but mostly it’s been a constant companion for me, always there as a key form of expression or as a comfort.

• Compared to when you started creating music some decades ago, is it easier or harder to be a musician in 2021?
» I think it’s mostly easier to be a musician these days. When I was young the only way to learn an instrument was from someone else or from a book. These days people have access to huge range of content online. If you want to learn anything, there are hundreds of people willing to teach you and the only investment you need to make is time. Opportunities to play were also more restricted 30 years ago. The open mic night hadn’t been invented and for those just starting out it was hard to get a first gig. Also producing music to a good quality is far easier these days. With computers and the right software many artists have produced music in their bedroom and released it quite successfully. When I first started playing the recording options were a fairly low quality 4 track tape recorder or a professional recording studio. Distributing music is also far easier these days, you can upload a track to a global distributor like CD baby or Distro Kid and get it onto multiple platforms accessible by millions of people around the world in a few days. The only way to achieve that 30 years ago was via a big record company deal. However, whilst it’s easier to create and distribute music now it’s definitely harder to get heard simply because of the volume of music out there. Therefore todays musician needs to be a great songwriter, musician, artist and social media marketing expert.

• What is the ONE thing you are NOT willing or prepared to do EVER, in your quest to achieve a successful musical career? 
» I’m definitely a family man and believe in family first. I won’t sacrifice spending at least some good quality time with my fiancée and children.

• How important was music in your life? Were your family and friends supportive of this career choice? 
» As I said earlier I started playing the guitar and singing seriously at 16 years old. I was passionate about it and really enjoyed playing and started to think seriously about a career in music. However, my Dad, whilst supportive of my musical ambitions, kept my feet planted firmly on the ground and strongly encouraged me to complete my education on the basis that I then always had that fall back on. I went to college and university and played in various bands during that time however the appeal of earning a reasonable living and not being a penniless musician meant that I took up a career initially in engineering then program management than sales management. With the usual trappings of modern life I found myself treating music as a hobby for many years. It is only in the last two years that I have started to take it more seriously and thrown time, money and energy into launching my solo career in music. My fiancé, soon to be wife has been very supportive, believing that my music was too good to be kept under a bush. She is really the reason that I have pushed myself out there now.

• How are you keeping busy and musical these days during the pandemic? How are you staying connected to your listeners? Are you finding that social media is even more useful now?
» My debut album which I have just launched was recorded during the pandemic and lockdown. That obviously made the whole process more challenging, essentially recording each track for each song one at a time with different musicians coming in for different sessions to maintain social distance. Completing the writing of it and managing production together with my co-producer, Damon Sawyer was like a musical beacon of light during the pandemic and kept me focused, feeling creative and productive despite the difficult times we were all facing. Keeping connected with people is definitely easier than ever these days. Social media has been an outlet and source of entertainment for many people during the pandemic. Many of us have probably spent more time online than is good for us. So in some senses there has been a captive audience for content creators for the last couple of years. I don’t know what we would of done without the internet and social media.

• What, or who serves as your biggest inspirations, both musically, and personally?
» My musical taste is very eclectic and broad. I was exposed me to many artists and genres of music as a child. I’m a big fan of singer song writers like Shaun Mullins, Joni Mitchell, Billy Joel and Elton John. I also love rock music and first got into it as a teenager with bands like Led Zeppelin and AC/DC, my guitar hero‘s were Angus Young, Jimi Paige and Jimi Hendrix. I also really like Americana/Rock groups like Train and my favourite band overall is a hugely underrated band, Vertical Horizon (the rockier stuff, not so much the earlier acoustic stuff). Matt Scannell is a great songwriter and produces music that is a brilliant combination of melody, lyrics and song structure. On a personal level my Dad is also a personal hero for me. When my parents split up when I was 14 my sister and I opted to live with my Dad. I wrote the song Everyday Hero on the album dedicated to him. He’s just a generous, kind, loving and compassionate person and I think we can all aspire to be more like that. 

• What is the first thing that comes to your mind when creating a new project? What is the one thing every song must have for it to be solid? 
» A rarely sit down with the intent to write a song. For me it typically starts when I just pick up a guitar or sit at the piano to play. I’ll play a tune or riff that inspires me to sing a melody over the top. Often I just freeform the words until I have a tune that I like. When I know I am onto something I will record what I am playing on a little voice recorder. During that process I will often sing lines or the title of the song will just come out of my mouth. Some times I can sing an entire verse or chorus straight off.  I almost just let the song emerge from me, a little like channeling.  Therefore song writing for me is very organic and uncontrived. It can take anywhere between 15 minutes and 25 years, but mostly it’s pretty quick. The song has to move me in some way either through the melody or through the lyrical content but preferably both. If a song moves me then there’s a good chance it will resonate with other people.

• Let’s talk about your recently released album, “Sunshine After the Rain.” What did it feel like releasing these collections? Did anything surprise you about the overall process? Can you describe the themes that you explore on these albums?
» I have been talking about producing my own solo album more or less since I started playing music as a teenager. Whilst I have released music with bands I never managed to really focus on my own music and produce a record in the way I wanted to until now. Therefore for me this is a realization of a dream and It feels great to finally do it.. The title of the album, Sunshine After The Rain really points to my life on a personal level. I got divorced in 2017. I then met my fiancé, Inita in 2019 and she brought a new light to my life and helped to put the darker times behind me. We were well into the recording process of the album when I wrote Sunshine After The Rain. I felt it was a special song and sent it to my coproducer who agreed and said it really had to go on the album. It seemed a very fitting title and captured the mood and the excitement of releasing an album. I co-produced the albumwith Damon Sawyer who runs Crescent Studio’s in Swindon where we recorded the album. He is also a Pro Drummer and man with a 6th sense for sound who has been an integral part of constructing the album and bringing my vision to life. He also helped to organise bringing in the amazing session musicians including Jeremy Stacey (Noel Gallagher, Robbie Williams& Ryan Adams) Rob Brian (Goldfrapp, Simple Minds, Peter Gabriel) and Simon Johnson(Tom Jones, James Morrison, Lana Del Ray. There is something for everyone on this album with elements of Pop, Blues, Rock, Country and Folk. I explore various themes from the various aspects of life. Most of the songs were written in the last 2 years however there is one song, World Created By You that is 25 years old. That song for example is about someone born into a life of fame, who initially thrives in the limelight, then tries to avoid it and shy away from the world, but ultimately is unable to leave it behind. For me the collection of songs on this album is an honest and heart felt expression of music, sometimes fun and uplifting, sometimes deeply emotional and powerful. I have included those songs that have some special meaning to me or that have struck a real chord with people in the past at live show.

• While it’s difficult, can you pick out a few of your favorites on “Sunshine After the Rain”? What was it like producing them and where did the inspiration for them come from exactly? What makes it so meaningful to you?
» Its always difficult to choose between your own songs as its like choosing your favourite child. I guess I like Better Life, the opening track of the album. It talks of the fantasy of telling your boss to keep his job, you’re off, your going to find a better way to live that doesn’t involve an office 5 days a week and the stress of working for a business in the modern world. Of course it ignores how you are actually going to pay the rent but it’s a fantasy, it doesn’t have to be real. I like Sunshine After The Rain, it still moves me to sing that song. That was recorded in a little room at Crescent Studios in Swindon, UK as a complete take, played live with guitar and vocal at the same time. It felt very natural to do it that way and it was still very fresh as the song was only 3 days old at the time. I also like Children Sleep Safe. That one is inspired by being a weekend Dad. Having the kids from Friday to Sunday every other weekend is really tough to get used to and whilst I missed mine terribly I was just grateful that they were sleeping safe, even if it wasn’t under my roof.

• Really I like the song "Alien Race" very much, the message of embracing diversity while watching the music video is a great experience. What was it like making the music video for “Alien Race”? How creatively involved with the process were you?
» Alien Race is probably the most commercial track on the album so I was really keen to produce a video. We knew we wanted to do something different so we hit upon the idea of creating an animated video with me as the main character. We searched around for someone to produce the video. We found a guy called Rag (under title of Raghnalltuathai) on the Fiver platform. He was really great. I suggested an initial concept and script based on my experience as an 18-year-old heading off to university in Birmingham. I grew up in the rural countryside of England and having never spent any time in a big city it was definitely a culture shock for me. Living in Birmingham opened my eyes to many things and was a great life experience, I became or richer person for it. You can see me take the journey from countryside to the big scary city and ultimately back to the countryside as a changed man in the video, albeit with the character based on my appearance today rather that the spotty teenager I was at the time. It was great to see the concept to come to life and I think it adds a whole new dimension to the song.

• Do you think music today is enjoyed more for the beats and rhythms or for the lyrical content?
» There is an incredibly diverse range of music available these days and it keeps developing and growing in different directions. Music is also a very subjective thing and very much down to personal taste so it depends on what you want. As a songwriter I personally believe that both the music and the lyrical content need to be strong to make a great song and those people really listening to a song would probably agree. That said, a really great groove that you want to dance too can be enough on its own, hence club music lyrics tend to be a little questionable in my view.

• You perform and release the music with your own name. Why not just go by artist or stage name?
» My real name is Paul Alexander.  Low is actually one of my middle names. When I was looking around I found a number of other Paul Alexander‘s so I wanted to find a name that was unique. I therefore took my middle name and put it after my surname and created Paul Alexander Low.  With so many artists out there and people searching for music through websites, streaming platforms etc. I think it’s really important to have a unique name, even if it is quite long.

• I know you are multitalented at your work. Your work is reflecting the similar skills of pioneers like Don Henley, Richard Marx and Bryan Adams. But for listeners, how do you relate your music with them?
» They are all great singers. I always loved the voices of Don Henley and Bryan Adams, especially for their breathy and husky tones. I wanted to sound like them but when I first started singing when I was 16 I had a very clean and high voice. When I have played my recordings from back then to people, they often ask who was the girl singing in that song? In my 20s I was compared vocally to Richard Marx. Many years later and not as a result of smoking I hasten to add, my voice has developed that slightly gruff, airy quality and people have since compared me to Bryan Adams and Don Henley, very flattering for me.

• What does the next page in your career trajectory look like? What does the rest of this year and the start of 2022 look like for you? Do you have plans to release more new music or new albums soon? Are you currently writing new music?
» With the end of the pandemic in sight I am going back to playing live. It’s a great feeling to be playing in front of people again, getting the audience feedback. I played a number of gigs online during the pandemic but it somehow feels empty when you are not receiving the direct and immediate feedback of the audience. I also plan to start recording my second album in autumn of this year. I have already written more than enough tracks so my next challenge is choosing the ones to record. Recording is great fun. Seeing the songs come to life is exciting and sometimes they turn out not quite as you expected but always better.

• Now it's time for Rapid Fire Round, you have to answer in one line. So get ready for it...!
» The first song I remember hearing? - I think it was probably something by Status Quo, one of my Dad’s favourites.
» The first song I fell in love with? - Dire Straits, Telegraph Road.
» The first album I ever bought? - Bad, Michael Jackson.
» Closest family member? - I am very close with all my immediate family, picking one would be dangerous😉
» what you'd never buy with money? - Love
» The first gig I went to? - The first proper gig was ACDC, Thunderstruck at Wembley Arena, London.
» The song that makes me want to dance? - Groove Is In The Heart, Deee-Lite.
» The song I wish I’d Written? - The First Time, Ever I Saw Your Face
» The song I can’t get out of my head? - Baby Shark, I have a 9 month old child.
» The song I can no longer listen to? - Most Christmas Songs.
» The song I want to play at my upcoming B'day? - Maybe I’ll sing Happy Birthday to myself…
» Describe Paul Alexander Low in one word? - Multi-faceted

• You’ve always championed new music. Are there any recommendations for Lifoti and its readers to check out?
» If you don’t know Shaun Mullins and love acoustic singer songwriters or don’t know Vertical Horizon but love melodic rock then go and check them out.

Check Out The August 2021 Printed Issue 19 from below link's for your country:

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Stream and download full album "Sunshine After the Rain" on 

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