Ellis Paul is already one of the most significant stars in the modern history of folk music. He was a chief architect of what has become known as the Boston school of songwriting, an urbane, literate folk-pop style that helped ignite the folk revival of the 1990s. Though he remains among the most pop-friendly of today's singer-songwriters - his songs regularly appear in hit movie and TV soundtracks - he has bridged the gulf between the modern folk sound and the populist traditions of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger more successfully than perhaps any of his songwriting peers. Note: the preceding text was taken from Ellis’ website (www.EllisPaul.com).

Ellis Paul and Vance Gilbert are currently touring together to promote their new album, Side of the Road (see inset), a collection of songs from some of their favorite artists as well as new songs o f their own. Ellis was interviewed by BSA member Regina Verlow after he and Vance appeared at St. Johns Cellar Stage on October 11, 2003.

RV: How do you write songs - do you start with the lyrics, the rhythm, the melody?

EP: I come up with a guitar piece that I like and then a riff of words that sound right with a piece of the music. It’s sort of like a Rorschach test or an ink blot test where you open the paper and say, “oh, that looks like a butterfly.” Then I come up with that one phrase and I’ll say, “Oh, that one phrase is what it’s about.” And then I’ll write the song around that one phrase I came up with. It works kind of like that. It’s not an exact science. I rarely know what I’m going to write about.

RV: So you trust in the creative process?

EP: Yeah it’s very much about tapping into the flow. The subconscious is very important - in the beginning anyway. Editing on the other hand is a very conscious process. But in the beginning, inspiration is very important.

RV: Do you try to sit down every day and write, even if you aren’t feeling inspired?

EP: No, I don’t. I write when I can. When I am inspired, I sit down really late at night - usually from 10 p.m. until about 2 a.m. in the dark, light a candle, have a glass of wine. And I begin by playing my guitar. It takes about an hour before I connect to the flow. So there’s the process. However, I wrote “She Was” in a band in a forced session and it worked great.

RV: How does your personal style of songwriting differ when you work collaboratively?

EP: I kind of give up me. For example, when I write with others its, “let’s just serve the song” instead of trying to serve me. It’s not my original, it’s not my personality, it’s not what I want, it’s what the group collectively wants. So, when you argue points, you’re always arguing for a center-point for the song rather than your personal point. A lot of people write songs because they want to talk about a particular subject, like describe love in a certain way so that everything would be around their views of love in that song. When you’re working in a group, you’re really always working on it with the collective ideas and that forces you to be less predictable. You can get things done a lot quicker and it forces objectivity, which is sometimes missing.

RV: What do you think is the best thing about collaborating?

EP: The best thing about collaborating is objectivity. You get to step out of your groove, which is important occasionally.

RV: What’s the most difficult thing about collaborating?

EP: I don’t do it enough to know how hard it is. I know that the best way to collaborate is to do it when you are inspired, but then you have to battle through yourself, your own voice. But for me it’s more like an experiment.

RV: Can you describe the collaborative process for Citizen of the World?

EP: I had written it and it was probably ninety percent done when I realized that it was probably going to be on the Vance/Ellis record. I had it relatively the way I wanted it and my wife, Sharon, wrote a couple lines in particular. Normally, if she gave me a couple of lines for a song, I wouldn’t credit her with a song credit. But she came up with the lines “seeds of violence, seeds of peace, what will grow in the holy land” and I thought it was crucial to what the song was about. Then I invited Vance to come in and I cleared out half a verse to write what his nationality/racial make-up was because first I talked about my make-up and that was it. That’s all he had to do.

RV: Working on this album and this tour together with Vance, have you learned anything that’s different from touring and doing an album solo?

EP: We learned that we could do this and we learned how to give up. Like, my vision of the album and the tour was one thing, but with Vance here I’m made to work with him and his vision. Whatever happens is okay. We both bring different things to it and it creates something completely different.

RV: What do you hope the listeners get out of this album that maybe they don’t get out of each of you individually?

EP: The sense of community. That’s really the point of the songs. That people are collaborating together, traveling together. The record is certainly about it. Coming to terms with the circle around you. How you are as a person bringing yourself to where we are at today. We’ve been trying to keep the idea of community in the front.

RV: Do you have any words of wisdom for our songwriters?

EP: Quit now! Quit! Quit! No, I think, everyone’s heard it, but the greatest advice is write about what you know, write with passion, whether it’s hard or soft or intellectual or dumb, just write about passion, write about truth, make it rhyme and the rest will come together.

Who Do You Know in the Music Business?

By Paul Iwancio

Have you ever heard the expression, “It’s who you know in the music business,” when people talk about how someone succeeds? Well, I’m here to tell you that, to a large degree, it’s true. Now many of us will take it as a negative observation. Especially when we see people that we perceive to have lesser talent raking in money, power, press and adulating fans. I want to tell you how knowing people in the music business can be a good thing that you don’t have to be ashamed of.

We are defined by how we treat people. Are you a giver? A listener? Do you give off a good vibe to those around you? Here’s an example: Try walking down the street and genuinely smiling at a person approaching you. Ninety percent of the time that person will smile back. Why? Because they are mirroring your attitude. Treat a sales clerk with respect, empathy, and kindness and you will get the same back. Go on stage and radiate joy in music and your audience will emulate that positive energy. You’ve given them permission to have a good time and set the tone for the evening.

But that could be a whole other article on performance techniques. A key foundation to your success in life is building relationships. And I don’t mean just choosing important people to asssociate with or kissing up to everyone. You’ve got to build good relationships with everyone you interact with - from the coffee barista to the head of a record label. All are people who are worthy of your time, attention, and yes, respect. I know that many of us are musicians, performers, and artists who have healthy egos.

A confident ego is essential to persevere and that’s okay. But humility is a virtue that can go a long way too. Michael Laskow, the founder of TAXI (http://www.taxi.com), was in town last month. He spoke of how he got his start in the music business. He went to a recording studio and heard that they were looking for a janitor. He was so persistent and so humble that they finally gave in and gave him a non-paid internship. He cleaned the bathrooms and swept the floors. Eventually he graduated to running errands. All along the way he watched, listened, and learned a lot about the recording and music business. Ultimately he built relationships, gained trust, and became first an engineer and then a producer. Today he is the head of his own company with many long-term music relationships.

How about getting deeper in a relationship? Since I founded the BSA almost 7 years ago, I have gained many new friendships. First based in kinship with music, they have evolved into ties that will last a lifetime. We have shared joys and sorrows and supported each other in so many ways on and off-stage. These enduring friendships are like any other healthy relationships, they are two-way streets. I know I can depend on my friends and they know they can rely on me as well. We trust each other. Communication is open and honest. There are no hidden agendas. We have also learned to accept each other and our differences. We are different people with varying behavior, idiosyncracies or quirks, and personalities. But we RESPECT each other and appreciate one another. Respect and appreciation will go a long way on your journey.

When I was in high school I had many energetic, pure but naive thoughts. One was an idea to try to make a new friend every day. Nowadays I am not so sure it was a stupid prospect. Today I am rich, not with money but with friends. I am surrounded by comrades who are helping me in my musical dreams. They are donating their time and effort to my CD project. They continue to aid me in my musical journey. And in return I am happy to help them. On my upcoming CD I am including some cover songs. Of course I have influences like many of you in Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan, and so many other famous writers. But the songs that I have chosen to record are those of my friends whose songwriting I admire. I want listeners to hear their songs because they are worthy of our attention.

Let’s go back to giving. By giving your time, your ears, your attention, you are giving people respect and worth. Do it selflessly, without any intention or expectation to receive anything in return. Just like a soundwave going out, you will be surprised somewhere down the road with reverberated kindness. Maybe all those notes won’t come back to you, but that’s okay. You’re helping make the world a better place. To summarize, be respectful, sincere, humble and selfless. This positive path will lead to relationships that are priceless.