Canonblue: “How would you classify what genre you’re in? Because to me, it’s more outlaw with a bit of old school mix to it, but I’m curious to how you see your music.”
Paul Cauthen: I just think it’s kind of, you know, everybody kind of rummages around their whole careers trying to figure out what they are. And then I just stuck to being me, you know? And people as what genre it is. I say, it’s Paul Cauthen, you know? And I’ve just created my own little thing. In my head, I’m never thinking about, I need to lean this way or that way. I just do what I feel. And I’m lucky enough to be tapped into myself and tapped into what I’m doing musically to just let it flow, you know? Sometimes I’m leanin’ a little hip hop, one day it’s, you know, a rock and roll song and it can lean gospel, or straight 90’s country.
I’ve got stuff that just sounds like it’s everything I loved growing up, and it’s just in a big ole pile, you know?”
The first song I ever heard of Cauthen’s was Holy Ghost Fire, and it absolutely has that 70’s Elvis feel. When I mentioned that to Paul, he laughed, and said,
PC: “I love that. Elvis in the 70’s was one of my favorite things. You know, that track especially, has a little trap kind of beat to it a little bit. And we put on live drums, just building and building around the song. I kind of made this whole vibe.”
And he absolutely did.
When speaking about his music, Cauthen is disarmingly down-to-earth. There’s no posturing, no pretense, and I particularly enjoyed his honesty regarding the moves the industry is making. He seemed like a man who loves what he does and isn’t afraid to bare his soul for the sake of a good song. Whether he’s talking about the spiritual weight behind his lyrics or the wild ride of life on the road, his passion is palpable. When recounting a story from a time when he played with the legendary Kris Kristofferson, the smile in his voice was audible.
