Introducing: Inspired Pop From Brighton's Paul Thomas Saunders
By Holly Williams in Music / Festivals on 27 January 2014
Having been carefully crafting his sound for a number of years, Brighton-based singer/songwriter Paul Thomas Saunders is finally set to unveil his official debut single 'Good Women' ahead of his debut studio album.
Paul has been interested in the world of music all the way through his teens; from singing in Lichfield's Cathedral School choir to writing his own music at 16 and enrolling at Leeds College of Music where he, alas, felt he was 'in chains all of the time'. 'I just didn't feel I was gaining too much', he explained to us in a recent interview, though he remained in Leeds for five years and even wrote his upcoming debut album 'Beautiful Desolation' in the city. He released his first EP in 2010 and in recent times has shown his face at various festivals around the UK (and Texas' SXSW Music Festival) and performed alongside the likes of Bombay Bicycle Club, The Staves and Lanterns on the Lake. New single 'Good Women' marks his first release on a major label: Atlantic Records.
'I think this is the most focused song I've ever written', Paul told us. 'We had a real solid grasp on how we wanted it to sound, even before the song had been completely finished.' 'Good Women' is a slow-paced tune about love and relationships and has an ethereal tone to it that is evidence of the influence he draws from esteemed electronic composer Vangelis. Though despite the track's exquisite beauty, Paul admits his favourite song from his new album is final number 'On Into the Night'.
Listen to 'Good Women' [Lanterns On The Lake Remix] here:
'It just sounds like a song that I wouldn't have written years ago, it makes me feel like I'm kind of progressing a little bit', he explains. The sort of thing that's evidently progressing in his music is the structure and pace; something that Paul pays particular attention to while writing songs. 'I feel that the pace of my songs is just the way I write and I just love the kind of space and openness in music', he says. 'I tend to create that simply by piling stuff on top of each other'. With progression and improvements in mind, we can't wait to see what he has to offer this year because, if his last EP 'Descartes Highlands' (2012) is anything to go by, it'll be something astounding.
Read our review of 'Descartes Highlands' here
'Beautiful Desolation' may have plenty of musical influences, but Paul's interest in film has also had an impact. He admits that he finds it easy to get lost in the world of movies and even holds ambitions to work on a film score in the future. 'It's just a medium that I respect so much', he says. 'I believe it's much more difficult than writing an emotive song.'
In the nearer future, however, we can expect to see Paul hit the festival circuit as the 2014 events get underway, and he'll also be embarking on a tour of the UK and Europe in February. The main dates are yet to be announced but he will be playing at XFM's X-posure Live night on February 11th 2014 at The Barfly in London to kick things off.
Listen to 'The Trail Remains Unseen' from 'Descartes Highlands' EP:
'Good Women' is due out on January 26th 2014, while the album 'Beautiful Desolation', co-produced by bandmate Max Prior, is expected to drop in late Spring. Paul's newest release is 'Mutually Assured Destruction' which also features on his 'Good Women' EP.
Listen to 'Mutually Assured Destruction' here:
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