Freddy Tyler Paul
Photo credit: Freddy Tyler Paul
I am super excited about this interview. Freddy Tyler Paul is one hell of an artist and I’m proud to feature him for his debut single “Running on Fumes”. He is an incredible talent and you can hear that throughout this first single. Singer, songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist and engineer, Freddy Tyler Paul knows exactly who he is as an artist and he’s incredible at what he does. “Running on Fumes” is a great introduction to his music. It is inspiring, empowering, memorable and I believe this song will be remembered for a very long time. In other words, “Running on Fumes” is timeless.
He will be releasing his self-produced album Missed Connections very soon and I really cannot wait to hear it. But for now, let’s stream “Running on Fumes” and let’s support Freddy Tyler Paul. I believe in him, and you should too :)
By the way, the piano part at 1:03 is my favorite part. Brilliant.
Photo credit: Molly Morrison + Freddy Tyler Paul
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
My name is Freddy Tyler Paul, I’m a singer-songwriter, music producer, and photographer by trade. I moved to LA in September and very quickly found myself writing and recording what was going to be my debut album. I got my musical start in Chicago playing around the midwest in a relatively successful indie band called Ember Oceans. I would produce all of our records along with other various artists in the Chicago scene. Those years were incredibly formative for me as a writer and producer. Unfortunately, it was the disaster that was 2020 that led to the culmination of that musical journey. However, it was also the catalyst that sparked my decision to refresh my creativity on the west coast. It was honestly a very rash decision as I very quickly packed up my studio and drove out west! Chicago will always be my home but I’m getting very used to the LA sun, let’s just say that!
You're about to release your debut single "Running on Fumes" - how does it feel like to release your first single ever?
Now I’ve undergone the excitement that is ‘release day’ before with my old band but this is admittedly very different. Knowing that I’m the one responsible for every stage of these songs, it feels incredibly rewarding but also admittedly, intimidating. I’ve taken the responsibility for so many parts of the process. The writing, performing, engineering, arranging, mixing, and almost just important—the art and marketing direction. So I’m very much in control of my trajectory and I’m very much glad to have it.
What's the inspiration behind "Running on Fumes"?
This track is an encapsulation of what I’ve learned about myself over the course of the last couple years of my life. Sure, I Ioved the home base that was my apartment in Chicago, or now my now tiny LA apartment/studio, with all its little musical toys. However, the road is where I find myself most comfortable and free these days. Almost like I’m leaving a series of responsibilities behind me when I’m out venturing around. That’s not something that seems to be going away and I know playing music may be a viable gateway into that nomadic lifestyle. So I plan on nurturing that part of me over the coming years playing shows anywhere and everywhere.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this single? When did you start working on it?
So when I started writing ‘Running On Fumes’, it was one of the first musical ideas I had upon settling into my little SoCal apartment. Reflecting on the beautiful 3-day cross-country drive that got me out here, the verses were very quick to pour out of me. I actually ended up solidifying 2 or 3 more songs before I found myself returning to those verses though. For me though, every song starts differently. I may start with a chord progression on the piano. A riff on the guitar. A lyric or phrase with a vague melody. It may even just be a specific sound on one of my synths that acts as that initial spark. I believe in regards to ‘Running On Fumes’, I started with programming the drums on one of my drum machines. It’s such a simple beat that pretty much loops through the whole song. No award-winning drum parts here. I replaced the snare and kick with a couple different splatty-kind of samples, which just happened to catch my ear I suppose. I admittedly can be very lazy with my drums because I usually just want to get to playing all of my other instruments! It’s no secret that drums are my least favorite instrument as they always require the most time recording, programming, and editing. Shortly after the drum idea was in place though I put down that sliding bass line that you hear on the choruses. I think that relaxed playing style for the rhythm section, which is very much characteristic of a lot of my tunes, is what gives my vocals the opportunity to get ahead of the beat and keep your attention in this song in particular. Or maybe I’m imagining that? Still, I feel the vocals are the guiding factor in this song, particularly through the verses. More often than not I have a solid idea of how the mix will be by the time I’m done recording the song as volume and eq decisions that I made during the writing process guide me into the final product. Overall, this song is very simple, both in arrangement and composition, but it’s one of my favorites off the upcoming record.
What is your goal for this single?
This song and album is very much a new beginning for me. A new city and a new musical endeavor led me to write many lyrics that happened to be very personal to me. There’s more truth than fiction in my music and I think that’s something I’ve always appreciated as a listener and I hope others will feel the same way. If I can get an audience to hear one of my songs and have an idea of not only who I am as an artist, but as another human, then I think I achieved my goal as a songwriter.
As a producer, what gear and software do you usually use?
Oh boy that is a loaded question. And I welcome it! So my crown jewels are very much my synthesizers. My analog synths that are responsible for a lot of the retro vibes on my records are my Sequential Prophet 6 and Moog Model D. Those are both reissues of classic synths from the 70s, which is very much where my heart lies musically. My other digital synths that also put in their fair share of work are the Nord Electro 5D and Nord Lead A1. The Electro is what I use for all of my organic sounds, such as piano, strings, bells, etc. But I’m a singer and Pro Tools, the recording software I use, allows me to very easily stack all my harmonies and vocal parts, which I love doing. A lot of my songs these days have a choir of me singing harmonies in 3 different octaves layered behind my lead vocals to thicken them up. I typically use my Neumann U87 for my backgrounds and a Pearlman TM1 for my lead vocals. I also have a myriad of preamps that I use for different sources and different reasons. I have a few cheap guitars that I blast through my Fender deluxe amp, the only amp I have, but always recording into a Royer-121 ribbon mic. It just sounds good all the time. I use a lot of synth bass on many of my songs but I prefer playing my Fender P-Bass when appropriate for the track. The heart of my studio though are my monitors. I have a pair of Barefoot MicroMain 45s that are the best damn speakers I’ve ever heard. When I finally dropped the pretty penny on them a few years back it changed my mixing abilities over night. I was just hearing sounds I’ve never heard before, both in my music and in my favorite records. I could talk gear for days but I’ll leave it at that.
In your opinion, what makes a good production?
That’s tough to say as taste in music comes into play so much here. Garage rock and a lot of Indie-type music, which is a very popular scene back in Chicago, has very minimal production value as it’s typically a very live type of recording that becomes the final track. And the artists are typically independent so there isn’t often a lot of money to invest in the recordings. I love all of that music but for me personally I typically want a bit more fidelity and creativity out of a studio recording. On the flip side, modern pop is so heavily and more often over-produced that it can be just too perfect and unrealistic for me. With the vocals being overly tuned, the rhythm section all perfectly locked in sync, and 8 different songwriters, many of those songs just lose their soul over the course of a production. I’m not here to berate the top-40, as there are often great songs up there. And I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t like to see myself up there someday. But when it comes down to it, if the song is great that will outshine any lack of production value. For me, there is no doubt a balancing act when it comes to over or under-producing to my ears. It’s very easy, being the only one behind my songs, to go a bit over the top and add one too many synth parts to a song that may actually benefit from being more scarce compositionally. So for me, good performances and knowing what does and doesn’t serve the song is what results in a good production. I’m not going to deny the fact that a well recorded and mixed track will only help a song reach a greater audience though. It’s all subjective.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
I think one of the greatest things about the music industry today is that it’s very easy to buy in, so to speak. Anyone can start recording on their laptop now or even blowup on Spotify with it’s emphasis on playlisting and whatnot. But that also means there’s more competition and it’s harder to break through the mold as a young artist. I bring up Spotify as it, along with Apple Music and whoever else, are how we find new music now and that isn’t going away anytime soon. Streaming has a strangle-hold on the music industry and It sucks that streaming makes the artist essentially no money, but that’s the way of the world now. Today the emphasis is on the live-show, for better or for worse! If you can’t perform live you really are doomed if you want to be a prominent artist playing your own music as that’s where the money is made. Now I wish I could make a living just sitting in the studio writing my own songs, getting licensing deals, and selling a ton of records, but this ain’t the 70s or 80s. You can’t be The Beatles only coming out with records and making millions without playing any shows. So I guess I’m an old soul in that I loved that business model but we as artists need to adapt to today’s industry if they want to be successful. And that means playing live shows and being a great performer.
You are also a photographer - how do you apply this skill in your own art/visuals?
So I forced myself to become a photographer so I could help market my music better! Taking photos and self-portraits to show people who I am brings the audience closer to me and thus closer to my music. At first, I didn’t really start doing photography to provide a service to others, it was entirely for me. But it just snowballed and became that because I loved doing it and the artists and clients I work with loved what I was doing. But being able to curate and direct my own artistic vision is so valuable today as a solo artist because hiring others can be a serious setback for a young musician. For example, if I was to hire a photographer for a shoot or an engineer for their recording expertise, I’d be out hundreds, if not thousands of dollars just for a single release! That’s money that could be put towards new gear, gas for touring, or promotional ads or something similar. So I encourage all musicians to become visual artists of some sort or just do as much branding on their own as possible. It will only help you and your wallet in the long run.
What advice would you give to young photographers?
You have to want to do it everyday. There’s just no way you’ll get better or develop your own style. Same goes for any profession, but if you’re only picking up a camera for an hour or 2 every other week, progress won’t be made and you’re only stunting your progress. Same goes for picking up an instrument though. You can listen to all the music you want and develop your taste, but until you have the instrument in your hands to practice with, you won’t get better at playing. I started with shooting street-photography before I built the confidence to start photographing people. So I would walk around all over downtown Chicago shooting photos, until I was consistently happy with my results. Meanwhile I was shooting countless portraits of friends and family to hone that side of the craft. Now I’m shooting with artists and professional models and they don’t know I only picked up a camera last year! I think that’s why I like music, photography, and the creative world in general. No one cares how long you’ve been doing it. And no one cares if you went to a prestigious school for it. If what you’re creating is good, people will want to be a part of it.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
As much as I love our phones and everything they offer to us, I honestly think it’s stunting people’s social skills and desire to go venture out into the world. People are becoming more complacent with being entertained by their phones rather than seeking entertainment out in the world. Conversing with the people around us has taken a backseat to passively watching strangers on TikTok. I’m sure I sound like a boomer saying that but I think we all can agree to some degree. How many times have I caught myself in an endless scroll on IG and wasted my entire morning? Also, social media can just be so depressing. The people you most often discover are usually beautiful influencers, models, or celebs with plenty of expendable cash who only project perfection. More often than not there’s a heavy dose of photoshop involved with their posts as well which only pushes this unrealistic body-standard onto all the young people who may follow them. So any chance you can put the phone down and get outside, do it! Unless you live in Chicago in January. Maybe stay inside and throw a deep-dish pizza in the oven. That often made my world a better place.
What message do you want to deliver to the world?
Oh so many! But these days, take the time to check in with friends and family. We may have a thousand followers or ‘friends’ online but odds are you’re only close to handful of them. Whether they may be friends, fam, or just acquaintances, keep those people close. It gets very easy to drift apart as you get older with careers and romantic relationships becoming the priority. So be the proactive friend, checking in and making plans. That always goes a long way in my experience.
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