For those who don't know can you give us a quick synopsis of the band and how you came to get together?
I was writing and recording a lot of demos and I eventually got to the point where I needed a sensational lead vocalist to bring my vision to life and that's when I met Dave. He has the vocal range, tone, and singing style that are the perfect compliment for my music. So, Dave and I began demoing songs. Once I felt we had enough material, I asked my good friend Paul Higgins to lay down some drums for me. Paul Higgins and I knew each other from the Seattle music scene..we had played lots of gigs together in several previous bands and had done session work together. So, that's how the three of us came together.
Given the fact that the band are based in Seattle, how did the you end up signing a record deal with Italian label Frontiers?
Andrew McNeice gave me the contact info for several melodic rock labels that he thought would be perfect for my musical style. I was already very aware of Frontiers Records since I owned several of their releases (Giant III and Kelly Keagy are just a couple examples). I sent a CD containing 13 songs to a handful of record labels and several of them immediately wanted to sign me. Frontiers Records was already at the top of my list of the melodic rock labels I wanted to sign with and after speaking with Serafino for awhile, it was clear that he was truly passionate about my music and melodic rock in general. So, after thinking about it for awhile and from getting some good advice from a few other well known recording artists, I decided to sign with Frontiers.
In the USA you are distributing the album directly via the website, was that always the intention, or was it difficult to secure a deal in America given the apparent lack of interest from record companies when it comes to the melodic rock scene?
It was always my intention to distribute the CD directly through my website. The great thing about this CD is that it started out very innocently as my own artistic endeavor and before I knew it, I was working with a 6 time Grammy award winning producer who had produced all the albums I loved as a kid. Then I was offered record deals by several labels...and that was the first time I had ever sent a record label any of my songs! :)
I never sent my songs to any labels in the US...partially because I wanted to maintain some control over my music but also because I want to be able to keep my options open for further opportunities within the American music market for this CD as well as others in the future. Melodic rock is my favorite genre to play but I also play and write other styles of music which may afford me other opportunities within the US at a later date. So, I'm actually looking forward to selling my CD independently through my web site. It's actually the best way for independent artists to maximize the amount of money they can make from their own self financed CDs. :)
Talking of websites and the internet, what is your view on the downloading of music? Does it in anyway help bands like Bonrud or is it simply killing the acts who are in smaller niche markets?
The internet is great for independent artists since it allows us to easily reach a world-wide audience. Without the internet, nobody who is reading this interview would even know my music existed! So, it's an extremely powerful tool for marketing music. It is also great for music fans since they can easily find out about new music that appeals to their personal tastes. Even better, it allows them to hear what these artists sound like all without ever risking any money. As a music fan myself, I enjoy hearing samples of songs since these help me decide what I want to buy. However, when people start downloading full songs for free and then don't buy the artist's CD, they are hurting the artists. Yes, they are hurting the record companies too but honestly, the artists make so little money to begin with that if the music fans don't buy the CD's, the artists are not able to survive. I financed this entire CD out of my own pocket so I've taken a big gamble...I'm hoping and praying that enough people will like my music and will then support me by buying a copy for themselves. In so doing, they'll be helping bring my dreams to life and will also be giving me a chance to do what I really love...which is writing and recording music. :)
You managed to secure the not inconsiderable talents of Keith Olsen to mix the record. Can you let us know how that collaboration came about?
One of my friends was building a recording studio and Keith was giving him some design suggestions. I actually met Keith up at the studio while it was under construction. We talked for awhile and I gave him a CD of four of my demos. He gave me a few suggestions so I kept working on my tunes. When I was getting close to mixing the CD, I asked Keith if he had some time to do a little mentoring and he said "yes". He listened to the first track I wanted to mix and he gave me some suggestions of things to change and redo. I did them and he then mixed the song the next week. He had so much fun he wanted to keep going! :) So, Keith gradually mixed the whole CD. He would listen to the next song we were going to mix and would then give me my assignments. I then made the changes he suggested and he'd mix the song. That's sort of how we progressed through the whole process. Its incredible how much I've learned from him and I can't wait to put it to use on the next CD! Keith told me he wants to produce the next CD from the very beginning (which would obviously make a huge difference!) but that will depend on how well this CD does and if I'll be able to afford his services for all of that. He's actually flying out here in a couple days and we're going to get together and hang out. I'll play him some of my new song ideas, we'll talk a bit, maybe work on some guitar sounds, but more than anything it'll just be great to see him. He's really become a great friend and mentor. I can't say enough about the strength of his character and his willingness to work with a small independent artist like me. He's a great guy and I'm forever grateful to him for everything he's taught me. :)
Having heard clips from the CD it is obvious that you have a great love for the classic AOR sound made popular by the likes of Journey, Foreigner etc. As a guitarist and songwriter who would you say have been the biggest influences on you musically?
There's absolutely no question that Journey and Neal Schon have been the biggest influences on me musically. I have a sister who is four years older than me and she had Journey's "Captured" LP. I used to listen to that record when I was a little kid, close my eyes, and imagine it was me on stage playing those beautiful guitar solos. That was the album that made me want to learn to play! I also grew up loving Foreigner, Boston, Van Halen, Def Leppard, Whitesnake, Sammy Hagar, Night Ranger, Ozzy Osbourne, and the Eagles. But without a doubt, the inspiration began with Journey and Neal's guitar playing still inspires me to this day more than any other guitarist. He's brilliant!
Apart from the lead vocals and drum duties you were basically responsible for all the other instrumentation on the record as well as producing and engineering the disc. Did this mean that everything had to be meticulously planned and arranged before the recording process started or were there moments of spontaneity and improvisation in the studio?
I wrote about 75% of everything on the CD and as the producer, I knew how I wanted everything. I originally demo'd the songs with a drum machine so even the drum fills were often worked out. I really worked out all of the riffs and song structures so much that the basic foundation didn't often lend itself to improvisation but improvisation did occur during parts of my guitar solos. Spontaneity is a great thing to have since it can bring excitement and tension to a musical piece so I needed that present in some of my solos. The one song that did however have a bit of spontaneity to it was the ending of "Look Me In The Eyes". That was the only song where I didn't have scratch guitar parts laid down to a click track before recording the drums. Paul Higgins was out in the live room while I was playing guitar in the control room looking at him through the glass. That big, live ending came from the two of us screwing around in the studio at the end of a long day of recording. It was very cool so I used that as the ending for the song. It's the sort of ending Eddie Van Halen used to do on some of the earlier Van Halen albums. Eddie rocks! :)
Can you give us a brief description of each track on the album please?
Leap of Faith - Upbeat rocker clocking in at exactly 150 BPM (I still remember every tempo to every song on the CD!) This song is about believing in yourself, pursuing your dreams, and knowing that somehow everythign will work out and be okay in the end.
The Phoenix - I love this song! This has a very heavy groove and also has one of the coolest hooks I ever wrote. I used to collect comics as a kid. I often found the X-Men character Jean Grey to be drawn very inspirationally. ;-) Anyway, one of the best stories in the X-Men was "The Dark Phoenix" saga. That story was the seed of inspiration for this song and is what the song is about. It's just a great fist pumping, arena rocker, put your little devil horn fingers in the air and rock type of song. :)
Desperate Heart - This is my favorite song on the CD. It's a beautiful, powerful, dramatic AOR power ballad with some of the most emotionally drenched vocals on the whole CD. I wrote the song about the loneliness we feel when a relationship ends. "With every beat of my desperate heart, I'm crying out for your love..."
I've Changed - This is a really fun, upbeat rocker. It's one of the fastest songs on the CD (158 BPM!) only behind "Look Me In The Eyes" which is even faster. What makes this song so much fun is that it is very self depricating. It's about knowing you've made lots of mistakes, have screwed up your relationship, but you're begging for forgiveness..."Cause baby I've changed! I was going through growing pains!" Begging in love songs is always fun! :) The guitar solo is really spirited in this song as well. It's just plain fun! :)
Give Me A Chance - This is a more modern mid-tempo pop rock song. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only guy in the world who made the painful mistake of falling in love with the prettiest girl in school...only to find she didn't know i even existed! This song is about wanting that pretty girl to give you a chance because you know she'd really like you if she just got to know you.
Take Me Home - This is a power ballad about longing for home but more to the point, it's about longing for returning to a simpler time and place. The world seemed so much nicer when we were young and innocent and were unaware of all of the problems. I wish the world could actually be the nice place I thought it was when I was innocent and didn't know better...
Date With Destiny - Another big rocker with harmonized guitar leads! This is a story about a guy who gets involved with the wrong kind of girl and she gets him into big trouble...This song really rocks. I wrote it with my good friend Dieter Rehrl who lives in Germany. Dieter sang some of my earlier demos before I met Dave.
Once in a Lifetime - This is another big rocker with lots of guitars. Why is it that we sometimes don't know what we've got until it's gone? That's what this song is about...realizing how wonderful someone was after they are gone and the relationship has ended.
Live Your Dreams - This song is about pursuing your dreams and not letting anything stop you. It's also about enjoying life to its fullest and making the most of our time here on Earth. I really like one line Dave came up with on the second verse where he sings "or seen Aurora Borealis..." I've never heard that used in a song before and just think that was one of the coolest lines he contributed to any of our songs. This song starts out simply with just an acoustic guitar but it keeps building and building to a big huge finish where it's a wall of guitars, drums, organ, and vocals.
Look Me In The Eyes - This is a big rocker and the fastest song on the CD. Keith really dug my guitar on this song. I actually wrote it after he told me about a high profile rock star divorce. I used that story as the seed of inspiration for the song but believe me...the actual story that inspired this song is way too crazy and lurid to put in lyrics! :)
Hollywood Movie Star - This is a beautiful power ballad about a girl who dreams of becoming a movie star and struggles along the way. It's also a very voyeuristic song...especially in the second verse. I wrote all of the music for this one but this is one of the only songs on the CD where Dave wrote most of the lyrics and I really like his second verse on this song in particular. There's one line there that is super voyeuristic but I thought was cool..."They stare at you with the lights down dear...dolby in every corner". It's the last half in particular that I think is way cool. :)
What are your hopes and expectations for the album once it is released?
I hope that lots of AOR and melodic rock fans will buy the CD and that they will truly enjoy it. This CD has been a huge labor of love for me and I put my whole heart and soul into it. I hope that love I have for the music comes through in the final product. I also hope I sell enough to break even so I can get to work on the sequel! :) I'm really proud of this CD and think it's a great start. I just want to be able to keep doing this for the rest of my lie because it is truly what I love to do.
As a three piece, I guess it would be hard for the band to play live, will you expand the line up so you can play some shows in support of the album, or do you see Bonrud purely as a studio project?
Yep, I can't play the guitar, bass, and keyboards at the same time so I definitely will need to expand the band! :) I've played lots of sessions in Seattle and have played lots of gigs so I know lots of musicians. Therefore, I'll be calling on one of the bass players in my past bands...most likely Mark Parris though Rob Potoshnik from Battery Kate is another possibility. They are both great guys and great players. More importantly, they are both great friends. Also, Paul Higgins and I have played together with both of them so it's a really easy fit. I'm sure Dave would be fine with either of them...besides do lead singers even know there are musicians playing behind them? ;-)
After the album is out there what is next for Paul Bonrud and can we expect another Bonrud album somewhere down the line?
Right now I'm really busy doing promotional work. I don't mind doing it because I want the world to hear my music and this is just part of making that happen. However, I'm very anxious to get back to my real love...playing the guitar! :) I've actually got six new song ideas in the works. A couple of the songs are mostly written while the other four are in various stages of development. As I believe I mentioned earlier, Keith Olsen is flying out here in a couple of days and I'm going to play some ideas for him and we'll talk about the next project. I'm also anxious to play live so we'll see. You can definitely expect another Bonrud CD someday though the timeline is a bit fuzzy. I can tell you this...so far I'm only writing rockers. :) I also have a bunch of songs in the can that I may release but they are more in the country rock style of "The Eagles". I may decide to shop them to other well-established artists too...I write and record lots of different types of songs but when it's all said and done, I'm a rocker! :) The Bonrud CD really is the best representation of what I really like to write and play.
And finally is there anything else you would like to add?
I hope that everyone takes the time to check out my music at www.bonrud.com and if you like what you hear, it would be great if you would buy a copy and tell all of your friends! :) Honestly though, there's nothing more rewarding than someone saying they really enjoy your music. That's what really makes all of the hard work worthwhile. We'll be selling our CD independently through our web site while it will be available in Europe starting September 20th on Frontiers Records and it releases tomorrow (August 21st) on Marquee/Avalon in Japan. I'm very excited since this is a dream come true for me! :)
Steve, thank you so much for taking the time to interview me. I greatly appreciate the work that you do!
Many thanks to Paul for taking the time to speak with HardRockHouse.com. As mention in the interview the band release their self titled debut album through Frontiers records on September 20th in Europe and you can hear some song samples by visting the bands official webiste at www.bonrud.com.
Interviewed by Steve Cummings of HardRockHouse.com August 2004.
