October 11, 2004

Interview with Paul Bonrud

To make it in the music industry today you have to be a lot of things; talented determined, perhaps a little bit lucky and above all you have to have heart. Today I would like to introduce you to Paul Bonrud a young and very promising artist that fits all of these criteria. Paul is beyond any doubt talented, his presence and style on the guitar is the stuff dreams are made of, while his writing is timeless and captures the essence of our emotions! The other three criteria can all be grouped into the last, which of course is having heart, to borrow from Dr. Suess it is safe to say that Pauls heart may be two sizes to big. He pours himself into the music with passion and determination, rather than relying on luck he relies on himself and his music and I believe that he is on the road to great success. Outside of music Paul is committed to his friends, the environment and making the world a better place. I hope you enjoy this interview and suggest checking out Pauls music in the Juke box!

1. Thank you for taking the time to talk to us about your band, and its self-titled debut album Bonrud. To start things off, will you take a moment to introduce us to Paul Bonrud, the man behind the music?
Sure thing! I grew up in Minnesota, the youngest of a family of four. My Dad is a professional musician and my sister is a piano teacher. My Mom also likes to sing though she has never pursued a career in music.

2. While this may seem silly to some but as an animal lover myself, I would like to invite you to introduce one of your greatest friends Barney.
My pleasure! J Barney is a six-year old Bichon Frise and he's my best little friend. We had an incredibly tight bond from the very first moment we met and our personalities have been very similar. I intended to buy his sister, but as soon as I got to the breeder's house, Barney actually picked me. He crawled into my lap, laid one paw on either side of my chest, laid his chin down in the middle of my chest and looked up at me. It was done. He and I were instantly inseparable.

I know you are always curious about how people strike a balance in their lives and my answer to that is Barney. Writing and recording a CD is incredibly tedious work. I get lost for hours in the music and if it wasn't for Barney, I would never put the guitar down or walk away from the mixing board. He tells me when it's time to eat, when it's time for us to go outside for a walk, when it's time to play or snuggle, and he also tells me when it's time for bed. Dogs are highly intelligent, social creatures that depend on their owners for all of their needs. They give just as much back to their loyal owners if not more. One last thing I'd like to add about animals is that they are a lot of work and they aren't for everyone. Animals are a lifetime commitment and require constant nurturing. They grow up and grow old but they need just as much love and attention at the age of twelve as they do as a puppy. There are far more animals needing homes than there are good homes for them. So please spay and neuter your pets and only get a pet if you can take care of them properly for the rest of their lives.

3. The self-titled CD is the debut album for the band Bonrud; both you and Dave Hendricks are accomplished musicians, and sound great together, do you have long term plans for the partnership?
Thanks! Dave really has the perfect voice for my music. We had the perfect chemistry from the moment we first began to collaborate. Right now I am planning to have him sing on the next CD. However it will all boil down to scheduling. He's quite a bit older than I am and has responsibilities at home since he's a husband and a father of two boys. I know he really enjoys the music so if it is at all feasible, we'll make it happen.

4. There is an emotional quality to many of the songs on the CD, especially "Desperate Heart" and "Once In A Lifetime," the energy of the music is very compelling, will you tell what these songs mean to you and what the inspiration was?
"Desperate Heart" is my favorite song on the CD and I wrote that by myself. The music came first which really set the tone for the lyrical content. Like most people, I've had my heart broken in the past so it's easy to call upon those memories and feelings for lyrical inspiration. That song is about the loneliness and despair that we feel when a relationship has crumbled and we'd do anything to get that person to love us again. "With every beat of my desperate heart, I'm crying out for your love"... There might be a few super models who have managed to go through life without ever having their hearts broken but for most of us, we've had our share of heartaches. That's okay though...that's all part of life. When you strike out, you have to be able to brush yourself off so you can swing for the fences the next time you're up to bat! :) "Once In A Lifetime" is a song I wrote with Dave. I wrote all of the music along with the lyrics for the chorus while Dave wrote the verse lyrics. You know that old saying "you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone"? That's what this song is about. It's about realizing that you let a one-in-a-million girl slip away from you. We often times learn to appreciate someone only when it's too late. Don't let the chance pass you by to let someone know just how much they mean to you.

5. Your commitment to the environment can be seen in your actions and heard in your music and words. Would you take a moment to tell us where you are coming from and where you stand on this very important issue?
My Grandpa was a dairy farmer back in Minnesota and when I was growing up he had a lot of land. I have fond memories of going to his farm and being surrounded by cornfields and cows. The dogs would be barking and chasing us up the dusty gravel road to the farmhouse. Their well water was the sweetest water I've ever tasted. Eventually my Grandpa got too old to farm and he had to sell almost everything. All of my Grandpa's land has been developed now and where cattle once grazed and corn once grew, there's nothing but strip malls, banks, gas stations, town houses, a retirement home, and a big movie theatre. There's also a big highway that cuts through what was once his land. I recently experienced this again out in Seattle. I rent a place that has a territorial view of what I used to call my "Valley of the cows". There were horses and cattle
grazing at the base of my hill and there was this cool old dilapidated barn. I loved looking out there every morning because it reminded me of my Grandpa. One day someone bought the land, took away the cows and horses, knocked down the barn, and built a big office building on the
land. That is now what I look at every day. Some people may call that progress but I don't. I wrote a song about all of this that didn't make it onto the CD since Frontiers thought it was too heavy (it probably was). Perhaps it'll be on the next CD. I want people to hear it someday.

There are houses going up left and right around here and the mountain lions are being driven back. The streams the salmon swim up to spawn in are being destroyed by the housing construction. This year the Orcas weren't around much in the San Juans...either due to lack of food or perhaps because the naval subs are using sonar that is damaging their hearing. There's lots of garbage at the bottom of Puget Sound where I dive and the plankton blooms are thick due to runoff from fertilizer. This is choking off the oxygen levels in the water which in turn is
killing some of the fish. This is also causing the deep water six gill sharks to suddenly appear in shallower waters where I dive because there isn't enough oxygen in the depths. We live in a closed eco-system where everything is affected by our actions. I'm somewhat hypocritical because my truck and car are not fuel efficient but I firmly believe we need to pursue alternative energy sources. We need to be more responsible and realize how our actions affect everything else.

6. I tried to narrow down my favorite songs from this CD, but could only narrow it down to my favorite five; do you have a favorite song off of this album?
"Desperate Heart" is my favorite song on the CD. It's big, dramatic, and heartfelt all the way around. This was the last song I recorded for the CD. My second favorite might be "I've Changed" because it's a fun rocker and is sure to put a smile on everyone's face.

7. You not only composed most of the songs, but also played many of the instruments yourself and even produced the album; will you tell us about the process that you use to create a song from start to finish?
Typically song ideas pop up while I'm playing my guitar. I usually just fall into playing a riff that I think is kind of cool. Once I've decided that I have come up with a good idea, I can usually hear the complimentary part in my head and then once I play that, I can usually hear another idea for the next part. The music usually writes itself very quickly. "Leap Of Faith", "Desperate Heart", "I've Changed", "Give Me A Chance", "Date With Destiny", and "Hollywood Movie Star" all came very quickly. "Hollywood Movie Star" was inspired by my playing a C#minorAdd9 chord. I strummed it and thought it sounded nice, but then I immediately started picking notes around that chord which led to a BAdd9 which lead to an Asus chord. I wrote the music for that song in as much time as it took to play it. I immediately recorded it so I wouldn't forget it! Earlier on, I tended to let Dave have a crack at writing the lyrics like with "Hollywood Movie Star" where I just gave him a completed demo of the music. However, as we went along I soon began writing the vast majority of the lyrics. By the end of the CD when we recorded "Desperate Heart", I had already recorded everything including the scratch demo vocal which I had him learn and then sing. I usually hear how a song should go in my head and while I'm not nearly as talented a singer as Dave, I know what I want so I keep teaching him the parts until he gets it right. I'm sort of a task master behind the board, but I'm very gentle and encouraging at the same time...at least I think I am! :)

8. With the many roles you play in the development and promotion of your music, you must be exhausted at the end of an album, what do you do to keep yourself energized and motivated?
Exhausted is right! Producing the CD the way I did really is very tedious. I was blessed with an incredible amount of patience and determination which helped me through the process. I always kept my sites set on completing the CD. However, I tried to focus on just the task immediately at hand like recording a guitar solo or laying down a bass line. I had the big picture in mind but I tried not to be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of work it would take to complete the CD. It's kind of like diving in Puget Sound where it's very dark and you can't see further than 15 feet and usually it's much less than 10 feet. If you concentrate on the life around you, you will be fine. However, if you keep looking into the deep dark nothingness, you'll freak yourself out. So in regard to the recording process, I just took it one step at a time and didn't worry about the tasks I would need to do later on. It was also important for me to take breaks. Most of the time taking a short break like walking Barney was enough but every once-in-awhile I took a day off and went SCUBA diving or went to a ball game. However, the vast majority of my time was always spent working on recording the CD.

9. Dave Hendricks voice and your guitar style seem like a perfect match, have you guys worked together before?
Each of us has what the other one is lacking, in my case a great voice! So we really do compliment each other very well. This is actually the first CD Dave and I have worked on together. We recorded about 20 odd songs for this CD and many of the first songs didn't make the record because I was experimenting with different musical styles. Dave sounded the best when singing rock, since he sounds a lot like Lou Gramm. Paul Higgins played the drums on the CD and we have worked together before. We've done recording sessions for other artists and have played together in two bands before Bonrud. He's a great guy and he really lives for the music. I hope this CD is a success because he deserves a break more than anyone. He'd be the first one on the plane once it's time to tour.

10. Who do you feel has had the greatest musical influence on you and your style? Do you have a favorite band or artist?
Journey is my favorite band without a doubt and Neal Schon is my favorite guitarist. He's the one who really made me want to play guitar. I grew up listening to my older sister's records which is why I like a few bands that are older than what my peer group typically listened to. Journey has always had fantastic musicianship and fantastic songs. I'd also like to give credit to my friend Tim Compton who is an outstanding guitarist back in Minnesota. He played in a couple bands in the Midwest back in the 80's and early 90's and should have made it big. Tim kind of took me under his wing and taught me how to rock. He was a great musical mentor for me.

11. Bonrud has been well received in Europe and Japan already; do you have plans for a tour there to further promote the album?
We would love to tour Europe or Japan but right now it all depends on how well the CD sells. Touring is very expensive so we need to make sure we can afford to do so. Believe me, there's nothing I'd enjoy doing more than going out and doing a mini tour for the fans. I love playing live! It's been nine months since I played my last gig and I'm itching to get back out there and rock! :)

12. And, what plans do you have to tour in the U.S.?
We're planning to do some local shows once I get done promoting the CD. I probably have at least another month of promotional work ahead of me. It's very time consuming and my guitar is feeling lonely! I do have several new song ideas and am anxious to go back into the studio by the end of the year and lay down the basic tracks. Keith Olsen is interested in producing the next CD from the beginning, but at the very least, he's getting us into a big, expensive studio to record the drums so we get a huge drum sound. We're really looking forward to that.

13. As one of today's up and coming artists do you have a message for other artists looking to make their way into the music biz?
It's really hard making a living in the music business so it's a good idea to have another career to fall back on. There's no substitute for having a good education and you'll still be able to put it to use if you do succeed in the music business. You'll need to be able to understand contracts and how the music business works. Technical skills can also be an asset since computers are used to promote and make music. Also, the more instruments you can play and the more job functions you are capable of handling within a band, the more valuable an asset you will become. Finally, make sure you are playing music for fun and not because you want to hit it big.

14. Thanks again for taking time away from your busy schedule, is there anything else you would like to say to your fans?
I'd like to thank everyone who has supported me in my musical endeavors and I'd especially like to thank all of the fans who buy my CD. Without your support I couldn't afford to do this for a living. We're going to be selling our CD directly through our web site at www.bonrud.com. You can also keep up to date with the band on our web site. Thanks for taking the time to interview me Kathy! I really appreciate it!

Posted by Kathy at October 11, 2004 08:11 PM