Paul Freeman (songwriter)

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Paul Freeman is a Welsh-born singer-song writer of folksy pop songs now living in the United States.

Freeman’s EP You and I was released on the Arista label on 12 November 2008.[1] The four songs on that album are the title track, “Tightrope,” “That’s How It Is” and “Earthquakes.”

His EP That’s How It Is was released on 1 August 2009. It was produced by Howard Benson (Daughtry, Flyleaf, Motörhead, My Chemical Romance) and mixed by Chris Lord-Alge (U2, Leona Lewis, Snow Patrol).[2]

Freeman’s song “That’s How It Is” was featured near the close of an episode of the Fox Network show Past Life called “Soul Music” (S01E03), first broadcast on 18 February 2010. His Song "Tightrope" was also featured on the Season Finale of Make It or Break It.[3]

His six-song EP Tightrope was released on 2 March 2010.[4]

Early life

On his MySpace page, Freeman says he was born in South Wales within 20 minutes of the birthplace of Welsh favourite son Dylan Thomas, Freeman’s favorite poet.[2] He also says he was named Paul after the Beatle Paul McCartney.[2]

According to Freeman, he found his first guitar atop a dumpster, although his parents and grandparents bought the 12-year-old Freeman a new six-string and a book of chords the following Christmas.[2] Freeman’s first song came two years later, an ode called “Some Day.”[2] Freeman contends that he is completely self-taught as a musician.

During high school, Freeman worked at the legendary Linford Manor, a recording studio north of Oxford in Great Linford, where he says he taught himself to play piano. Said Freeman: “There were all these wonderful instruments lying around. I would never go to bed, I would just stay up and play them. What really got me into playing the piano was having access to the grand piano at the studio.”[2]

Recording history

Freeman moved first to London.[2] He became a guitar player for British superstar James Blunt.[5]

Weary of London, Freeman then moved, carrying just one suitcase and his guitar, to Santa Monica, California, in the United States after reading the book East of Eden by John Steinbeck. “This Steinbeck book was so inspiring, because it's so detailed and vivid. I moved months after that.”.[6] Six months after emigrating, Freeman released an EP.[6]

Freeman’s music came to attention of Michael King, founder of King World, who invited Freeman to play a benefit concert.[5] Contacts made from the benefit brought Freeman’s EP to the attention of Clive Davis, who signed Freeman to Arista Records after a bidding war.[2][5][7][8]

Freeman says he devises a song’s title before he ever writes the song.[6]

Freeman calls Bruce Springsteen, to whom he’s sometimes compared, and the Beatles his influences. He also said that his song “Waiting for a Miracle” was “for want of a better phrase, my Obama song or my Clinton song.”[6] As Freeman explained it in an interview, the song expresses the need for change in America. Freeman wanders into the crowd during his shows in order “to remind people I'm just a guy playing a guitar. You enjoy music, and I enjoy music.”[6] He is currently touring as Roger Daltrey's opening act on the American leg of Daltrey's "Tommy Reborn" tour.

Freeman has said he writes poetry as well as songs.[6]

References

  1. ↑ "You and I". Amazon.com. Retrieved 20 February 2010. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Freeman, Paul. "Paul Freeman's MySpace page". MySpace. Retrieved 20 February 2010. 
  3. ↑ Folden, John T. "FOX Past Life Music: S01E03 'Soul Music'". Retrieved 20 February 2010. 
  4. ↑ "Tightrope". Amazon.com. Retrieved 20 February 2010. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Jeff (7 September 2006). "Acts of Daring". Los Angeles, Calif.: Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 20 February 2010. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Florino, Rick (7 May 2008). "Interview: Paul Freeman". Artist Direct. Retrieved 20 February 2010. 
  7. ↑ "Paul Freeman". Direct Current. Retrieved 20 February 2010. 
  8. ↑ "Fifteen Years of Being Quiet: ASCAP's Venerable Singer/Songwriter Showcase Marks a Milestone a L.A.'s Hotel Cafe". ASCAP. 25 October 2006. Retrieved 20 February 2010. 

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