 Paul Bonrud was another of those MYSPACE finds, sent to me by a freind, (thanks Sarah), and as soon as I heard some of his samples on the site I was blown away by the sound--Its clear, honest melodic rock like I haven't heard since the days of Styx, Journey and Def Leppard. Like a blast from the past, Paul Bonrud brings the era of melodic rock back to us in a whole new package. To sweeten the deal, Paul is not only the singer, he plays all the instruments you hear on the cd!!
Paul was gracious enough to talk to me via E-mail, and he was every bit as honest in interview as his music is. You can check out Paul, get more info, and buy the CD at www.bonrud.com!
So obviously, you play all the instruments on the CD which I find amazing. It really sounds great. So why did you chose to do it that why as opposed to a studio band?
| "...the more people you have involved, the harder it is to have the music turn out completely as envisioned." |
Thanks for the compliments. :) I had the help of my good friend Paul Higgins who played the drums and Dave Hendricks sang the lead vocals. I played all of the guitars, bass, keyboards, most of the backing vocals, did 80% of the writing, and engineered and produced the CD myself. I did it that way because I was the one with the vision and I also enjoyed the challenge of doing all of that myself. It would have been far easier to get a studio band together to bang out a CD but the more people you have involved, the harder it is to have the music turn out completely as envisioned. Of course, sometimes its great to have input from another musician to add a different flavor or perspective. I just got done recording drums for seven new tunes with Paul Higgins and he gave me a great suggestion on how we could change the beginning of one of the songs (he suggested that the drums shouldn't come in until the pre-chorus on one of the tunes).
Your style of music, although there are some die hard fans like myself who love it, is harder to find these days. Was it hard to find a record company who was willing to take a chance on the style or was there a lot of producers trying to change the sound a bit?
Melodic rock is definitely a small market these days. The fact that Journey, Toto, Survivor, and Styx are all on the same label as me (Frontiers Records) is testament to that. However, it was actually pretty easy for me to get a record deal. I sent my CD to ten labels and immediately received offers from two of them. Of course I didn't bother sending my CD to Sony or any of the other main labels since I figured that was pointless. I focused on the labels who specialize in this market. Frontiers loved my CD and didn't suggest I change anything. Their only request was that I give them a few more songs so I recorded "Give Me A Chance", "I've Changed", and "Desperate Heart" for them. I recorded around 22 songs for this CD and there were actually more than 25 written. We then selected the best 11 songs for the European release and a 12th for the Japanese release which was on Marquee/Avalon.
So who do you think have been your biggest supporters with this musical pursuit?
My friends and fans. I am really a lucky guy because I have some GREAT friends who are very generous with their support. I also had the support of Keith Olsen which was fantastic. He and I became really good friends and I learned a ton from him which I am putting to good use on the next CD. My parents on the other hand wish that I would pursue a more conventional (and reliable!) form of employment. It's not easy trying to make a living as a musician.
I've noticed that you worked with several bands along the way--- did you have any particular favorites to work with?
Battery Kate was my favorite previous band but unfortunately we never finished our CD. The great thing about that band was that we were all friends. Paul Higgins was the drummer in that band and that is how we first met. He and I also played together in the Jim Evans band. I was hired as a session musician and side man for the Jim Evans CD's. When Jim needed a new drummer for his second CD, I suggested Paul Higgins and got him the gig. It's nice to get gigs for your friends! :)
Any other projects in the works yet? Tours? CD?
I'm working on the next Bonrud CD. I've got twelve songs partially recorded. Some of the writing is completed but there are some songs that I don't have all the lyrics written for yet. That's the hardest part...writing the lyrics. The music comes very quickly and easily to me. There are some songs that would have fit great on the previous CD. Many of them are similar in style to "Leap Of Faith" and "I've Changed". It's going to be a bit more of a modern pop rock CD but it still has my melodic sound. Most people will probably say the style is just like the first CD but I am trying to make it a bit more current sounding. I want to expand my audience scope with the next CD.
Finally, is there anything you'd like to tell your fans about yourself?
I greatly appreciate all of the support and kind words I've received from the fans. While I was driven to make this CD for myself to fulfill my own artistic vision, it's the fans that make it all worthwhile since they are the ones that get to enjoy my art. I hope you will all enjoy the next CD as well. It's going to take a little while to finish it and I may write another ten songs or more before I'm done but I won't let you guys down!
Thanks again for the time and I hope to catch you live someday :)!
Christy, you're very welcome and thank you for the interview as well. I definitely hope you can see me play live someday soon! :)
Links: www.bonrud.com, www.myspace.com/bonrud
--Glittergirl
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