This week we caught up with Michael Wilson, otherwise known as the man behind the hardcore yet melodic brilliance of PaperSailor. Inspired by the likes of Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix, the lone ranger from accross the border is looking to emulate the success of fellow Scottish rockers such as Biffy Clyro and Twin Atlantc, so, we felt the time was right to get in touch with the man himself.
1. Who is PaperSailor?
PaperSailor is a solo project engineered by me, Michael Wilson. I've always been in bands writing and performing music, but I wanted to try something a bit different, so I took some inspiration from the likes of Dave Grohl, Prince & Trent Reznor and tackle things head on by myself. I recorded a 5 track EP by myself, on which I wrote all songs, played all instruments and performed all the vocals. It's obviously a lot of work, constructing an entire song by yourself, but I think that just makes the end result all the more rewarding.
2. Who are your biggest inspirations musically?
I've always prided myself for having a very eclectic music taste (pretty much anything goes), but as far as direct inspiration goes, my heart has always lied in rock music. Nirvana were a huge inspiration early on in my life, as were bands such as Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix etc. In terms of more recent bands, artists like Reuben, Thrice, Jimmy Eat World, The Xcerts, Rage Against the Machine are all huge influences on me.
3. How would you describe your sound?
Ah, the dreaded question I think pretty much every musician hates. Well, I'd describe my music simply as rock music with some loud bits and some quiet bits. I doubt I could have been more vague if I tried. I've been told it sounds a lot like early Feeder, which is perfectly okay in my book.
4. Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
Of course, the obvious answer would be touring the world without a care in the world, fame, riches, blah blah blah. Thankfully I'm a little more down to earth than that. Speculating and hoping is part of the fun, but I won't get within 20 miles of that without a shit load of hard graft. So the short answer would be doing what I'm doing now, only on a much grander scale and having a tonne of fun whilst doing so.
5. What's next for PaperSailor?
I think the next stage for me is to bring my music to the live arena. That obviously requires other musicians, because I don't really fancy looking like one of those one man bands you see busking on the street with the bass drum strapped to his back. I don't think that would work all too well. Other than that, I plan on writing a lot more songs, possibly popping back into the studio at some point. But that's neither here nor there. Right now, I'll focus on spreading the word.
Huge thanks to Michael Wilson, A.K.A. PaperSailor for the interview.
Listen to PaperSailor via YouTube:
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Visit PaperSailor's official BandCamp page: papersailor.bandcamp.com
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Posted by Charlie Ireland.
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