It’s rare that people are able to take two distinct passions from their life and combine them into one.
But this is exactly what artist Paul K has done. He’s taken his love of music and his love of technology to create a name for himself in a notoriously competitive industry.
Paul – whose real name is Paul Kirkpatrick – released his third album, Reconstructed Memories, to rave reviews in November. The record followed his first two outings, Omertà and The Fermi Paradox, from earlier in his multi-decade career.
According to Paul, his success is rooted in the fact that he’s as much an aficionado of technology as he is of music. He explained: “I’m a technology consultant as well [as a musician].
“It helped me get into music in a different way and being into that side of technology has helped with my career as a technology consultant. One pays the bills and the other pays for the extras shall we say.”
The two passions can clearly be heard in his sound. Paul uses a range of tools when creating music, including synthesisers in his very own home studio. The final outcome is that he describes his own personal genre as being “electronic – but kind of contemporary electronic with a bit of rock in there as well”.
Paul’s creativity and unique talents were on show when he performed with his band at St. Pancras Old Church in London in 2017. The historical venue provided him with the perfect platform to bring together a vision that few people could legitimately conceptualise.
He reflected: “We spent quite a few months preparing the show and used some of my technology. We did a 3D projection of the church and we lit it up in all different ways.
“We made the walls come to life and the statues come to life. That was kind of a spiritual happening. It all just came together. The perfect concert – certainly the best one we’ve done to date.”
Paul, it would seem, craves moments like these. He admits that awards and competitions aren’t at the top of his agenda, with his aspirations instead lying in gaining the respect of his fans and musical heroes. The latter he received in a big way when he turned the head of legendary producer Tony Visconti.
Paul fondly recollected: “I sent him some tracks and he posted one of the tracks to his Facebook page and said, ‘this is really beautiful music’.
‘To me – having grown up listening to David Bowie – to have his producer give me that kind accolade was a great endorsement of what I was doing. He keeps in touch to this day.”
This story says a lot about the kind of musician – and indeed, man – that Paul is. His ambitions lie in the art of creating music, with his family providing just the right amount of grounding. After all, he is a father of five, with two sons and three daughters.
So, where exactly do his children fit into what can be a somewhat chaotic lifestyle in the music industry?
“I actually find writing late at night [when the kids are in bed] better. It’s a stress-relief. When things get stressful you can just sit down at the piano and play or write,” he detailed.
Paul then admitted:
“Trying to balance it with family life is difficult, but it’s about making time. The family always comes first and then the music slots in behind them.”
It would seem that the ties that Paul sees between family and music stretches far beyond just his children. Take, for instance, Paul’s relationship with the piano. This initially developed when his older sister hated her own lessons – meaning Paul was able to take over.
He was only eight at the time.
It’s clear that Paul’s dad – a man who he refers to as a ‘crooner’ – made the biggest impact on him. The sound of his father singing songs like Frank Sinatra’s My Way remains one of the happiest memories from a childhood where his own preference tended to be the likes of David Bowie and T. Rex.
Sadly, Paul’s dad passed away in December 2018. His death – while heartbreaking – allowed him to give his son one last gift: the inspiration for his third album.
Discussing Reconstructing Memories, Paul said: “Looking back through pictures and memories, it became apparent that when you try to remember everything you can’t really remember your whole life.
“But when you put all the small memories together they become the story of your life. I was thinking about my dad’s life and my life. I tried to make it a journey through life in an hour.”
Paul – who lives in North Northamptonshire – never fails to set a humble tone despite his success. This is perhaps most evident when he reflects on his former music teacher Tony Smith. He credits Tony with providing him with the ‘faith’ to think outside the box and bang to the beat of his own drum.
He explained: “[Tony] had some great theories about there being an audience for everything, that no matter what you’re doing somebody will appreciate it and someone will like it.
“That gives you faith to carry on playing something that’s a bit different.”
Paul’s music is largely instrumental, meaning he doesn’t always have the luxury of using words to convey feelings and emotions. This is what makes it fascinating to have a man of his talents speak so honestly and earnestly about not just his music but also his view of the world.
A musician who’s used to seizing opportunities with both hands when it comes to embarking on tours and releasing records, it is no surprise that Paul took the opportunity to share an admirable message to his fans and the wider world before the end of the interview.
“I would say stop looking outwardly and look inwardly. Look what’s around you rather than what’s unattainable,” he advised.
He concluded:
“Look at what family can bring you rather than money and possessions.”