Paul Tabachneck
of Astoria, NY

Description

I started playing and writing songs in high school.  Lonely teenager that I was, I spent a lot of time in my room listening to Freedy Johnston's "This Perfect World," Pink Floyd's "The Wall," all of the good moody-yet-poppy stuff. 

Seal did an interview with Rolling Stone where he mused on how weird it was that "Crazy" was the song of his that hit -- "It's only Em, G, A," he said.  I figured there was no good reason I could come up with for not knowing how to play that song, so I got my father to teach me how to read chord diagrams and set off to teach myself to play.  That was in '92, and I think I'm finally getting the hang of it! 

Anyhow, in Pittsburgh I fronted a series of bands, each of them touching on a different style of music I was into.  Stone Soup was my folk-rock trio-turned-supergroup; Dead Pressed Flowers my darker, more emo project (complete with strings generated by a tasteful guitar synth); Everybody Wins (aka ManPig) was a fun foray into power-pop.  Throughout that time, I kept working on my own as well, writing mostly on my own and releasing solo LPs and EPs as I saw fit.  There are very few people who have everything I've ever put out, and I like it that way -- those people have some very homespun stuff, that I think is a lot more enjoyable when you mix it with the memory of seeing me play those songs at that time.

I took a break for a while, trying a new tack on songwriting that was helped along greatly by a few Album-A-Day efforts (http://crapart.spacebar.org/aad -- do one, it's fun and free), and taking voice lessons from the unbelievably awesome Beth Claussen, who increased my control and range to the nth degree.

A few years ago, I put out my first full length in 7 years' time, "Boy Meets Girl," culling together the efforts of a lot of my Steel City colleagues from over the years -- members of the Clarks, Rusted Root, Vibro Kings, and the Hood Gang all pitched in to make a really expansive-sounding record -- the Big Damn Album.  It turned out to be the last one I made in Pittsburgh, before setting out for New York City.

I've been living in Astoria, a greek neighborhood in Queens, for the last two years, and it's been a big change.  My music has gotten poppier, as I've found myself gravitating towards major keys and brighter melodies.  Whether that's in countenance or congruence to what I've been hearing from my peer group out here is up in the air -- I think it's a bit of both.  Also, I've tried to make good on the promise I made to myself, to start writing more about the good parts of having a crush, falling in love, even finding yourself in solitude.  That's not to say that there won't be a sad lyric or two on this next album -- but you'll be able to snap your fingers to it.  :-D

I've also learned that the way most people seem to like my music is when my acoustic and vocals are the focus, and I'm making the next album, Here Goes Nothing, with that in mind.  My producer, Mark Marshall, and I are in this very insular, intimate process of making full-sounding tracks while keeping my solo performance focal.  I can't wait to share it with everybody!