Why Have I Neglected This For So Long?

I can't believe so much time has passed since I've typed anything out on this beautiful platform for inner thoughts. I have been rather busy, but, that's no excuse! I'm holding myself accountable, oh but yes.

The last few months have been nuts! I've learned so much, and growth has come upon me like flies on poop. Here's what I've observed - I've noticed that life is not meant to be defined, yet I still try to define everything of which I'm a part. Upon my innate enjoyment of people-watching, I've observed our behavior, and definitely things of which I'm guilty; but, we have this primitive desire to define everything, as if it provides us security. So now I've made it my task to explore this notion: what makes us comfortable? What's our true security? And when I feel like focusing on myself: what the hell makes me feel truly secure? I've discovered that for a lot of folks, financial stability is a true security, you know, that green stuff that we hold to a value. Does money make me feel secure? - only to a mere extent, but I hold several things above that in my security. So what's my security? And back to the idea of defining everything, can I possibly just let things be what they are? Just taking them as is? These are 2 very powerful things to be figuring out while I pursue this music career. Sometimes it's impeded my confidence and self-esteem, in odd ways, but I think it's necessary to grow into a better human being. 

So, I've dived into my head and heart, so deep that it has taken some time to get back to the surface, but I've learned my greatest security: human relationships, whether friendships that I hold, or my intimate relations with a lovely little lady at the time. With that in mind, I feel like I'm growing ever so distant from that which makes me feel secure. I'm making new friends, and that's amazing, these kats are opening my world and teaching me so much... But I feel this drive, this strong burning from deep within, to share my entire heart and world with someone who's got my back. Someone I can give to and love for the rest of my days. Where is she? More importantly, why do I feel this drive? Why do I think about it so often? It's obnoxious sometimes, but it is what it is. This time is supposed to be for me, my career, and my other true love: music. I've sacrificed so much for this love, too. But it's so worth it. I'd be miserable if I didn't. So, it's a complete double-edged sword. I've come to the conclusion that I need to stick to my passion, give everything I've got to make this career overly successful, and my "classy-hippie" will cross my path when the time is right. I put my faith in God that it's going to be alright. He won't let us fail, he just provides us the ability to choose to be successful, or fail, and the chance to turn our lives around and take new approaches to what we are trying to accomplish. Okay, enough on this subject: security. Next topic: defining things constantly.

Being in the music industry, this is so common, trying to define a genre or genres for artists. "Oh, hey, what would you call this style of music?" Why can't we just say, "Hey, it's rock," or, "Dude, it's country..." Instead we break it all down, like, "Oh, it's indie progressive alt rock." Or, "Well, it's country, but there's some blues and rock, and a slight pop feel." Yea, well, if you looked into it, and knew your music, you'd know that country is a form of the blues already, it's a mix of blues and rock, with a twang. So, why compartmentalize and break it down to such a difficult explanation? I've noticed with other things in life, we do this, too. "Are you a smoker?" Response: "Well, no, not really, not every day, but I'll smoke some cigs when I'm drinking, you know, just a few, but I'm not a smoker..." Umm, hello, you are a smoker, doesn't matter the extent to which you do it, you are a smoker, it doesn't make you a bad person, it is what it is. 

Okay, I've ranted and rambled enough. So, I'm going to end this post now, haha. But I want to ask you, what makes you feel most secure in life? And can you just let things be what they are? Can you stop trying to define everything to this super-specific extent? 

Okay, also, keep your ears and eyes out: dropping my second EP this Fall! It's "killer!" - you'll understand the quote soon enough :-) But this EP is 100% Eric Paul sound, the truest to my artistic integrity and heartbeat, it is Eric Paul. I know you will understand. 

Thank you so much for reading and continuing to support me. I love you from the bottom of my heart, and I hope you achieve everything you want in your life, and make this world a better place.

Stay tuned! Goodnight! 

The Passion, The Back-Steps & The Goal... An Epic Tale of a Music Career.

It's been a minute since I've written a new post, but I've been busy with things, as in, a madman constantly moving in genius spins of chaotic brilliance! Such a whirlwind of a dance.

There have been some really great accomplishments thus far, for instance, (as I mentioned in an earlier post), my first debut single, "Turn Me On," has been released; but, even newer now, the single has been playing on FM radio stations around Ohio and the Midwest. Furthermore, my official website is up and running! I'm very excited about the website. It's been a work-in-progress since August, but it's up and exactly how my designer and I have envisioned it! Brilliant! Lastly, I have finished all the recording for my first official, studio-recorded EP! The final steps are being implemented this month, (final mixes and mastering). It will be released January 2014. Keep your eyes open, and get pumped!

These are all really awesome accomplishments. I mean, it's what I need to move forward and get my music on the road. That's right, I said, "get my music on the road." That's the next step in this gorgeous journey, a tour! Since I started playing the guitar back in the second grade, this is the one thing I've been dreaming of to this day. I'm so stoked to get on the road and play my heart out for the beautiful people of this world! I mean... this is it! It's now or never! It's make it or break it. It's a life-long dream and passion being made a reality. The surreal power of that sentence, "It's a life-long dream and passion being made a reality," renders me breathless for a moment whenever I think about it. I feel like a child receiving that Christmas present I wanted SO BADLY, like a 'Red Rider BB Gun.' Notice the Christmas reference ever-so-timely for this season we've recently entered, and the, "A Christmas Story, (movie)," reference within the reference?! Hahaha! I try.

Anyway, these great things are happening, things are in motion, and I'm enthralled. But, there have been plenty of back-steps in this journey. SO MANY. I'm talking the type that challenge everything you are as a human being. My creativity, character, morals & values, patience, and faith have been tested to the max. I never realized how strong of a person I am until I faced these treacherous demons. It's been so difficult for me. I never thought I'd get through these rough, dark times, but damn if I didn't. I feel much stronger, aware, and wise from the darkness I've faced. I've found my light, and it's shining brighter than ever. Yea, kind of cliché, but there's a reason it's used so often, because it's true. 

So here I am, Eric Paul, Alternative Rock/Blue-Eyed Soul/Blues-Pop Singer-Songwriter, ready to share my heart, soul, and passion with the world. I'm ready for you, too. So ready. I just hope you're ready, world. Can you accept my sound? Can you accept my words? Can you accept me? We shall see. But only God and I know how much I have to offer you. Be ready.

Well, off to the races, it's time for me to get back to the grind. I just wanted to update you and keep you in the loop!

Before I go, I want to thank you. You are the reason I'm able to do this. You are the reason I can pursue my dream and passion. You are the reason I can continue on this path. If it weren't for you, I would not be where I am. Thank you for being there. Thank you for being a friend. Thank you for being a fan. More importantly, thank you for being you. Together, we will be the rise of real music. Together, we will be unstoppable. Together, we will change the sound of music. THANK YOU! And God Bless. 

OH - Check out my official website HERE! (Click the word, "HERE")!

         

4:33am Central Time.

I find myself restless at 4:33am on this lovely Saturday morning. I have yet to sleep a wink, however, I'm awake... and not just that awake where you feel tired but can't sleep. I'm widely aware and in deep thought. I'm : a w a k e. 

It's not necessarily a bad thing. It's not necessarily a good thing. 

It just IS.

So I'm really making strides in my music career. It's actually taking this gorgeous form and moving the way I've dreamt it from the innocent, wide-eyed age of 8 years. So far in my twenty-six years of exploring human emotion I've truly tapped into some amazing experiences. For instance, as ignorant as I was, I never knew that not everybody has a life-long passion and truly knows what they want in life. It's hard for me to understand because I'm so in love with music, (songwriting, playing guitar, singing, recording, performing, etc...), and thought everyone had their thing. There is this really hip power that comes with a phrase like, "I'm just doing my thing." It's crazy. I realize now how truly blessed and lucky I am to have my thing to keep me focused and driven in life.

My career choice is literally one of the two greatest loves of my life. Do you think I'd maintain this extremely financially, emotionally, and physically exhausting lifestyle just for "shits and giggles?!" It's no walk in the park. I'm really striving right now. But damn if I don't finish a show, finish writing a song, or walk out of the studio with a huge smile on my face. This is definitely my calling, but not because I'm good at it, but because I LOVE IT. It's my strength, because it leaves me feeling EMPOWERED. I can also honestly say, when I'm on stage, it's a spiritual experience for me. And to be able to do this career... I mean... come on... this is HUGE. I thank God every day that I wake up. 

Okay, I'm done with my rambling, haha. I guess I'll try to fall asleep now. Thanks to all of my family, friends, and fans who are reading this. Your support is SO AMAZING. 

Sleep tight, y'all, and I will report back to you soon! God bless, and goodnight.      
     

Music City

It's been quite some time since I've been posting on my blog, and for that, I apologize! I've been very busy with my career. I moved to Nashville, TN from Akron, OH about a week ago and the month or so before the move was crazy! Had a lot of things to get in order. But I did it, and now here I am in Nashville, TN, music city, typing my thoughts and updates for you to read. 

So, the very next day after I moved down here I was put to work in the studio. I tracked my new single, "Turn Me On," with some really amazing studio players. I'm so stoked with how this song is turning out. It's definitely, FINALLY, evolving and sounding like it should be. I'm so enthralled to finish the mixing and release it to you. I hope you are ready and as excited as I am!

      

I am going to open up a bit. You see, this whole past year I've been dealing with some situations that completely put my creativity, integrity, and character on trial. It was the roughest year of my life. I entered into a rather dark period and was definitely not myself. It was a growing experience and I was luckily able to find myself again. I was able to do what God built me to do: be a good man and stick to my morals and values. I walked out of the year-long situation with my integrity. And mind you, this is a year of my life where I was held back and unable to launch my music career. The situation transitioned from hampering my business life to impeding my personal life. And when you mess with my livelihood, you are now on dangerous ground. I was blessed with the ability to forgive, and to give a couple of chances. But I was also blessed with street smarts and a memory. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." 

However, deep down, this whole past year was a blessing in disguise. It gave me the time and motivation to become a better guitar player, singer, and work hard on my craft of songwriting. Not only that, though, but it also taught me really valuable life-lessons and to always trust my gut. I would rather have this happen now, as opposed to later. Now I KNOW I won't be fooled again. That's all I have to say about the past year. Now onward to greater things!

So here I am, in Nashville, TN, with a kick ass single recorded and almost mixed. Plus I'll have more songs re-mixed making a full EP ready to be released by the end of Fall. I'm so stoked that things are moving forward. That's what humanity is about: progression. We're built to persevere and push forward. I love these life-lessons and growing periods. It makes life so beautiful! But of course, you won't see it that way when you're in the moment of it's happening. But now, everything all makes sense. 

Well, I'm going to leave you with what I've typed above. But before I do, I want to thank you. Whether you're a friend, family member, or fan, I just want to thank you for EVERYTHING you have done and continue to do. Your support is so essential to my career's existence. You are amazing, I promise, you will be repaid in some sort of way, (prizes, backstage passes, free tickets, etc...), and of course, with a lifetime of raw, original music. God Bless!  

From This Day Forward...

From this day forward, nothing more will I do but the things necessary to achieve success...

Yea, that's a common thought, I feel, among those who are truly striving to make their passion their career. But, the punches come from different parts of your life, every angle, and you've got to choose to either fight or run. 

I've chosen to fight.

Things have been rough for me lately. It's been a struggle with a couple of the different parts of my life. I won't go into much detail on the actual struggle, out of consideration for those parties involved, but I can tell you how it's made me feel and how I found my way out.

Certain elements within the past year slowly began to deteriorate my confidence and passion for this career. I felt like the very heartbeat of my passion had been stopped and I was choking on my doubt. I didn't know what the cause of these feelings within me was, I just knew how I felt at that moment. Things seemed so slow, nothing was moving forward, and life as I knew it was a treacherous cyclone of "if's" and "maybe's" and false hopes. I tend to be a very optimistic, passionate individual, and I found myself a pessimistic jerk to everyone around me. Wow, talk about a 180-degree turn from the norm! I was not myself.

Up until this month, I didn't know what I was going to do, but I knew that I NEEDED to move forward with things. I've been learning that this is a "now or never" industry, and if you aren't willing to make the sacrifices and necessary moves, you'll never achieve the greatness you desire. Seems pretty plain and simple, and I was making those sacrifices. I just didn't know that I was making too many. I lost myself. I lost myself completely. To better sum it up, with reference to the film, "You, Me and Dupree," I had lost my "Eric-ness." 

Well, it was in this beautiful month of July that I found the root of the undermining darkness weighing down on me. Upon discovery and acceptance, literally a cumbrous shroud just dissipated into the air. I've recovered my, "Eric-ness," and have done nothing but push forward with the new direction I'm taking. A "new direction" really means, in this context, a "new plan." And I feel much more confident in my talents, crafts, skills, and passion. The sun is shining again! And I've now learned so many great things from the experiences that I've undergone in this journey. 

It's time to get my music to the world, and it's time to achieve my success.

So with my arsenal of original songs, and my axe, (guitar), as my weapon, I will now show the industry something for which they are not prepared. Eric Paul has come to stay, ladies and gentlemen.

Before I finish, I want to thank all of you who are reading this, as well as the other friends, family, and fans who have undoubtedly supported my career. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be able to do this. I'm so excited, and I assure you, there are actually some bigger things being worked out at the moment that I'm unable to announce, but once they solidify, I'm going to let you know. But all this hard work and support on your end has made it possible for my hard work to pay off in grand fashion. Thank you so much for everything, and God Bless. 

I will repay you with a lifetime of my heart and soul: my music.        

Just Sign Your Name By The "X"

So, I finally am really getting things moving.  I just signed with LC Music Management, LLC in Nashville, TN last week.  I went down on Wednesday night and stayed till very early Friday morning.  While down there, I signed a management contract, then tracked out my 5-song EP with a truly talented and completely genuine producer.  This EP is going to sound so amazing.  There are other things in the works as we speak that I cannot mention right now, but when I'm able to, I will be sure to fill you in ASAP.

It's so surreal still.  All these things are working for me.  I'm making it happen.  I'm so excited.  But at the same time, it really hasn't hit me yet that I'm a career singer-songwriter.  I mean, I've been dreaming of this for my entire life, basically.  This is everything for which I've been working, dreaming, and rehearsing.  This is my life.  It's so bad ass!

There is still a plethora of mental, emotional, and physical work that I need to undergo for me to be EXACTLY where I want... but I'm so close now that it is only a matter of time.

I've got so much going for me that sometimes I get a bit scared.  There's so much on the line, yet, I have faith in God and myself that I will get things done, and that things will be okay.  My faith in the Lord has become much stronger the past few months than it ever has.  For the strenuous situations I've been faced with, I find myself grateful because they've pointed me in a better direction, and made my faith in the Lord much stronger.

It's crazy how things work out, though.  Literally, a year ago I was still feeling stuck and wondering how to make things happen.  Now, I find myself unstuck, happier than ever, and so close to my life's goals and dreams.

I love and am fascinated by life, human interaction, human emotion, and the power of faith.  These things alone keep this world turning at a healthy pace.

I want to take a second to thank everyone who reads my blog, follows me on Facebook, Twitter, or any other site of mine, is friends with me, is part of my family, has downloaded my music, has come to my shows, or has supported me in any sort of fashion.  Because of you, I have been able to completely pursue my passion for the entirety of my musical life, and for that, I thank you.  You are awesome.  I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you guys.  You are an imperative variable in this equation of my success.  You are awesome.  For all you've done, I assure you I will repay you with a lifetime of expression, passion, music, and other surprises you will be pleased with... I promise.

For those of you who don't follow me on twitter or "like" my Facebook page, I ask that you do, for it would be really appreciated and awesome of you:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ericpaulsound
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ericpaulsound

Hope you have a phenomenal day, and I will post soon with more details and career/show updates!

Until then, keep it classy - keep it real.

Man, Time Soars When You Least Want It To...

So it's been approximately four months since my last post. My goal is to keep you informed and let you in on the chaotic mind of a singer-songwriter as he/she pursues a truly successful career. But with a four month gap, I may have let you down a bit, and for that I apologize. Now on to the good stuff! 

Yes, I've been rather busy between booking shows, traveling to Nashville to finish up the EP and execute business meetings, writing new songs, rehearsing with the band, playing the shows I booked, and still being an adult in today's world. Haha, needless to say, it's been awesome! I would rather be this busy than be stuck in a stuffy office rationalizing my life and realizing that I should be pursuing my music career and accomplishing the tasks necessary to get there instead of being in an office all day. Yes, I've been there, and I realized that it's not what I am called to do. This music career has and always will be my niche, my calling. The Lord has blessed me with these talents and gifts, and I want to share them with you and the world! 

Now, there are some pretty cool, and rather game-changing plans being cultivated as you read this. I am not at liberty to divulge them until they are just about ready to be executed. I can't wait until these plans are put into action! They are definitely the next step up in my career. I really am very thankful for the awesome team I have behind me in Nashville. Shout out to my awesome manager, Lisa, and the very rad producer, Ric. Without them, I'd still be wondering where to begin. 

          
I'm learning that this industry's motto seems to be, "hurry up and wait." Things move quickly on a long-term basis, but day-to-day, it feels so slow! It can cause anxiety and stress, cause you're ready to go and get things moving, but the business side of it still needs solidified. Sometimes you can find yourself feeling stagnant and useless to society. Or at least that's how I felt. But I realized that it will be happening very soon, and that I've got far too much to offer the world, so I shouldn't waste it with negativity and wallowing. 

          
This is about all I've got to update so far. If you knew what these plans and developments were, I think you'd understand why I've been so preoccupied and away from my blog. And for that, I can't wait to tell you about it all! Also, I'm just stoked beyond belief for it all! 

          
I want to thank you for your continued support of my career. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be able to do all of this. I would not be able to pursue this life-long passion and dream. You are amazing and I promise to repay you with my heart and a lifetime of music. God Bless!