All photos taken by Alan Mercer in Fort Worth.
Paul Val is one of the most exciting Blues Rock revival guitarists emerging on the music scene. His style is groove oriented and roots inspired. He demonstrates a high level of proficiency in the traditional Blues genre and renews it by breathing new life into the music.
Growing up in Riverside, California, Paul always had a
strong connection to Texas music, so it’s no surprise he ended up in Austin,
where he befriended Memphis Blues Singer, Soul Man Sam, who put him in front of
live audiences.
Paul Val started listening to punk rock music as a five year
old, but shifted to heavy rock & roll and ended up in the blues by the time
he was fifteen. Still, his early bands and recordings are more rock influenced.
Paul's first EP album, 'Steady Rock and Roller' was released in 2020 and spawned two singles, 'Gone Too Far' and "Cheap Tequila'.
Paul's unique sound personifies the future of the blues in
America.
Alan Mercer: So, Paul,
you grew up in Riverside, California. Did you grow up in a musical house?
Paul Val: Yes, but it
was punk rock music. My father, Mark Hernandez was a punk rock musician. He also
did live sound for the Southern California scene. He also toured as a bass
player.
AM: Wow! You really
did grow up in a music world!
PV: My first concert
was Gwar and Misfits when I was four years old.
AM: You write the
best songs. They are all killer!
PV: Thank you.
AM: Tell me about
your latest song, ‘Dreaming Of A Woman’.
PV: I like to write
from personal experience. Whether it’s autobiographical or I see it happen to
someone else in the world of life, I will write a song about it. For instance,
if I am driving my car and someone cuts me off, I want to write a song about
it. Something like that.
AM: “Dreaming Of A Woman’
is pretty straight forward blues, isn’t it?
PV: Yes, that’s what I
want to do.
AM:: Can you tell me about another song you wrote, ‘Miss
Influencer’?
PV: Yes, that song is
about the state of the world we are in. It’s about how people’s online presence
can dictate who they are as a person. We are all equal, social media is not
real, it’s what we see on a screen. That’s why the pre chorus says, “If you
live that perfect life, you’ll never know what’s wrong or right.” The chorus
goes on to say you can have all the followers but when we are dead and gone it
won’t mean a thing. Social media is always changing, so all these people who
are considered famous online won’t mean anything when it changes.
AM: One of my favorite
songs in ‘There’s Something You Should Know.’ That song is so amazing. I love
the production. Isn’t that a different kind of song than your others?
PV: Yes, of course,
there are songwriter blues and straight forward blues and straight rock &
roll.
AM: Your first album
is more rock & roll oriented and I do love it too, but I do enjoy hearing
the growth in your music.
PV: I recorded that album
when I was 24. I was already playing the blues, but I didn’t feel like I had
mastered it yet. Not that I’ve mastered it now, but I do have more of a grasp
of it. What I play now is more mature than that album.
AM: What about a new
album anytime soon?
PV: We are working on
it right now. ‘Dreaming Of A Woman’ is the first single off this debut full
length album. We are going to release it on vinyl too.
AM: Are you going to
put the other two songs on the album too?
PV: I’m not sure, but
we probably will.
AM: Who influences
you musically?
PV: Everybody since I’ve
been born. It took along chain of people. Where do I even begin? The list would start
with The Misfits, the Ramones, Slash and Stevie Ray Vaughn. I discovered B.B.
King and Gary Moore was a huge influence. Like every other guitar player, I
started copying people but now I find my own sound. I don’t want to sound like
anybody else.
AM: You have
definitely found your sound.
PV: That was my goal.
AM: Do you like Southern
Rock?
PV: You know, I never
got into it. Maybe I will in the future. I’ve said that about a lot of other
music and then five years later I’m listening to it and loving it. For some
reason, I don’t know why, I never got into Eric Clapton growing up, but literally
the last five years of my life, as I started getting older, I am a huge Eric
Clapton fan and now he is a huge influence on me.
AM: So, is your new
goal to release the album and tour to support it?
PV: The goal is whatever
the outside forces have in mind for me. My goal has always been to keep blues
alive and guitar-based music alive and to be the next big thing. I want to be
as big as possible, but I only have so much control over that. I’ve learned to
let things go. It will all depend on how much support I get. If I get a team
that helps financially to come in and throw a bunch of money to make me great.
AM: That is honestly
what it takes.
PV: I like to say
what is the difference between a good artist and a bad artist? Money. Chris Cain
is the best blues guitarist in the world, and nobody knows about it.
AM: You are a music
star in Austin.
PV: Yes, that’s because
I keep playing in front of people. No one can stop you if you’re in front of
people. That’s what I figured out. I have been playing literally 7 times a week
when I first moved to Austin. Now I can headline Antone’s and sell it out. Now,
how do we get beyond that.
AM: I think everyone
likes your kind of music.
PV: I agree. The
funny thing is I’m playing contemporary “old people blues” and I have people in
their 20’s in my audience. When you go in to record for a label, they want you
to record whatever is popular, but I strongly believe that this will work.
AM: Do not give in.
PV: People fall into
that trap and that is why so much music sounds the same.
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