Paul Durham
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Paul Durham | ||
|---|---|---|
| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Paul Durham | |
| Born | 1969 | |
| Origin |  Twin Falls, Idaho, United States |
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| Genre(s) | Rock | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter Record producer Arranger Musical Engineer |
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| Instrument(s) | Vocals Multiple instruments |
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| Years active | Mid 1990s–present | |
| Label(s) | Geffen (1997–1999) Epic (2002–2003) Independent (2003–Present) |
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| Associated acts |
Black Lab Cake or Death |
|
| Website | pauldurham.com [1] |
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Paul Durham (born 1969) is an American musician, singer and the driving force of rock band Black Lab.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life and career
Born in Twin Falls, Idaho, Durham started his musical journey singing in Mormon church services and writing folk songs under the influence of Bob Dylan.
After attending college Durham moved to Berkeley in 1990, supporting himself as a substitute teacher in inner-city Oakland, Calif. while fronting the self-titled, acoustic-driven band Durham. Demos were produced, gigs were played, people began responding to the music, but Durham did not find the project creatively satisfying and brought it to a halt, with a desire to find a new direction.
In 1990 Durham finished his degree and moved to Berkeley. He supported himself as a substitute teacher in inner-city Oakland, Calif. Almost immediately, he started recording demos with a bass player he'd met. The two began working with a producer and soon thereafter Durham formed his first band. More demos were produced, gigs were played, people began responding to the music, but Durham did not find the project creatively satisfying and brought it to a halt, with a desire to find a new direction.
Durham went full blown electric, turbo-charging his detailed songs with roaring guitars and the intensity of alternative rock, forming the band Black Lab, built on a deal with Geffen Records.
In 1998, the band released their debut album Your Body Above Me to critical acclaim, dubbed one of the year's “breakout records" (Billboard). The album yielded the top 5 rock and alternative single "Wash it Away," and the top 20 ac and pop track "Time Ago," going on to sell over 120,000 copies.
The during this time the band contributed songs to the soundtracks for Can't Hardly Wait, Varsity Blues, Permanent Midnight, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
After a year of touring, Black Lab was poised to fulfil their destiny as "the American U2" (San Francisco Chronicle) when their record label was quietly shuttered and folded into the huge new Universal Music conglomerate. The band went back home and Durham started writing a new album for a record company that didn't know who he was.
Over the next two years, Durham left his band, fired his manager and moved to LA. Durham wanted to control the sound around his voice, so he bought a computer and learned to use it. The resulting demos landed Durham with Epic records, as Durham began collaborating with accomplished guitarist, keyboard player and programmer Andy Ellis.
Fully in command of his own musical vision, Durham finished the second Black Lab album, See the Sun. Taking the Black Lab sound to the next level, adding rich swaths of electronic texture to the crisp, heavy foundation of Durham's rock songs.
Unfortunately, yet more record label troubles loomed for the band, so Durham split with the label to go the independent root: “Getting out of the music business, and into the business of making music.”
In 2005, See The Sun was finally released, nearly 8 years after the band’s debut, representing a zenith in Black Lab’s songwriting and production.
Currently, Durham and the band continue to push and expand its sound into uncharted territory, contributing a vicious techno tracks such as “This Blood” to the worldwide hit movie Blade : Trinity, and “River of Joy” to the soundtrack to the 2006 movie, The Covenant. Black Lab also continues to produce music for television (MTV’s Real World, “What I Like About You”, “The Days”, “The Shield”, “Numbers”, “6 Degrees”) as well as film, such as 2006 comedy “The Benchwarmers”, and the newly released “Lovewrecked”.
On January 16th, the band’s third album was released after five years in the making. Passion Leaves a Trace finds the band returning to the experimental edge of their critically acclaimed geffen debut, your body above me. Passion bristles with deeply personal epics, carved out of driving rock & roll, lush electronics and savage desire, characteristic of Durham’s unique eclectic style.
Durham continues to work in L.A. as a signer, songwriter, musician, engineer and producer, whilst remaining committed to Black Lab.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
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[edit] Soundtracks
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