Hey readers of Slaves to the Rhythm. I have something extra special for you this Wednesday morning as psych-pop and goth rock guru Paul Roland has joined us to tell us about his journey in the music industry, his biggest musical inspirations and more…
Tell us a bit about yourself?
Paul: I have been called ‘the male Kate Bush’ by a contemporary (Robyn Hitchcock) and I think that sums up my music pretty well. But since then, I have matured and diversified into writing neo classical pieces including the gothic ballet ‘Nosferatu- The Strange Case of Jonathan Harker’ and a 30 minute orchestral piece (‘A Grimm Fantasy For Orchestra’) as well as a string quartet, both of which will be recorded this autumn for my first classical album. This is a development I never would have imagined possible when I began writing 3 minute songs at the age of 14.
What inspired you to be a part of the music industry?
Paul: I saw the rock movie ‘Stardust’ (sequel to ‘That’ll Be The Day’) staring David Essex in 1974 and even though he goes mental and dies of a drug overdose I thought ‘that’s the life for me!’
Who are your main musical influences and why?
Paul: I only had one major influence when I started and that was Marc Bolan from whom I learnt the art of the three minute song and crucially – the idea that lyrics can be little character studies or short stories set to music. That’s one reason I felt compelled to write four biographies about the man. There was so much more to him than the teeny bop bubblegum hits he is associated with. That said, I was also listening to prog rock at the time and since then my musical taste has been a diverse as one can imagine – everything from Snoop Dog and Moby to Mahler and Bartok.
Tell us about your latest album “Lair of the White Worm”! What’s the inspiration behind that?
Paul: ‘Lair of the White Worm’ which has little to do with Bram Stoker’s novel of the same name. I just liked the idea of a predatory female mutating into a man-devouring snake! I honestly think its my strongest album to date and can’t imagine why people assume that most artists or bands run out of steam after half a dozen albums. If you draw inspiration from fiction, films and horror comics as I have done there is no end of ideas and themes to keep your creative juices flowing. Aside from Stoker’s novel, ‘Lair’ also includes a homage to H. G. Wells’ in ‘In Memory of a Time Traveller’ which is concerned about the emotional bond between friends and the loyalty and love of the one left behind rather than the fate of the time traveller. I don’t necessarily set out to focus on these elements, they are simply the aspect that attracts me and which lingers in my mind long after I’ve read the book.
There is also a Victorian ghost story ‘Sister, Why Sit By The Window & Weep?’ inspired by the murderer Constance Kent and three songs about the London plague which proved quite prescient given the pandemic! All in all, a typical Roland album!
What was the DIY scene like in the late 70’s? and how did this have an effect on your music?
Paul: I’m ambivalent about that period because on the one hand it meant anyone who was burning to record a single or even an album could book a studio and press up 1000 copies and sell them without having to convince EMI or whoever to sign them. But on the other hand, the music press were so adverse to anyone who dared to play an acoustic guitar that it was like recording during the Spanish Inquisition!
So, that DIY ethic made it possible for me to make my first album at the age of 19 and to sell every copy within days and even to get reviews and plays on John Peel, but in retrospect I realise now that I wasn’t ready and that another 9 months to a year would have allowed me to replace the weaker tracks with stronger songs and made more of an impact, but I’ve never had a real manager or producer and although they might have had a restraining influence, I’m convinced I would not have written the variety of songs that I have nor recorded the range of albums that I have if I’d had to submit everything I did to a suit for approval.
What’s been a highlight in your career so far?
Paul: Having ‘A Cabinet of Curiosities’ – my acoustic mini album with classical instrumentation named ‘one of the best albums you’ve never heard’ by Rolling Stone. But the most thrilling was attending the performance of my gothic ballet ‘Nosferatu’ in Italy a few months ago. Playing songs in front of an audience is always a pleasure but it was quite a different experience to sit in the audience at the ballet and hear my music and narration coming through the speakers while the dancers enacted out my reimagining of ‘Dracula’.