Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Paul
Hi Jeff, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Jeff Paul’s journey from Boston to the “Live Music Capital of the World” has been anything but ordinary.
Based in Austin, TX, Jeff Paul is a guitarist, songwriter, and storyteller who uses his music to explore life’s highs, lows, and everything in between.
Growing up in Boston in a musical household—his father a drummer—Jeff started learning to play the drums while still in diapers but found his true voice in the strings of a guitar as a teenager.
“I write all the words and music for my songs, even the drums.” Jeff shares. “On my demos, I play all the instruments myself before collaborating with professional musicians to craft the best possible final recordings.”
Jeff taught himself by combining the modern and the vintage. Learning from his father’s 50s and 60s era Mel Bay guitar method books and exploring online tabs, Jeff discovered music theory through the trial and error of songwriting.
Better to Burn Out than Fade Away?
Listening to Classic Rock radio growing up heavily influenced Jeff’s taste, which is clearly demonstrated in his music. It’s common to associate rock ‘n’ roll music with drug and alcohol abuse, a life of excess, and dying young.
“These are the recurring themes in my music, there’s a lot of depression and poor coping. I used to talk about joining the 27 club, dying young, I think a lot of people treat that like a badge of honor rather than a curse. I’m 37 now. I don’t know what I was thinking, maybe I had a chip on my shoulder and wanted to make a statement about how cruel life can be, but I didn’t have the words to describe what I was so upset about. I hope I can use my voice as someone who’s on the otherside now, and speak as a survivor.”
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Jeff’s teenage years were marked by a love for music and the party scene.
Jeff was constantly practicing guitar, playing all day and all night, skipping school, and he was even that guy at the party who insists on playing the acoustic and trying to get everyone to sing along and jam.
He attempted to start several bands that never made it out of the garage, but they blew the roof off of their frequent house parties.
“We had a house rule. No more than FIVE, but no less than TWO house parties per week, and when you have 6 roommates in one house, we always had a quorum.”
Jeff was entirely focused on his musical ambitions, while his peers were focused on actually showing up to class and graduating on time.
Alcohol proved to be a distraction from his artistic pursuits and frustrated any productivity or study. He spent most of his days at college drinking and partying with friends rather than turning in schoolwork.
Eventually dropping out, he joined the U.S. Navy, where he thrived as a Blackhawk helicopter technician, earning respect for his skills even as he lived the life of a high-functioning alcoholic.
“I partied my way across the world,” Jeff admits, “but my pockets were always empty, my only friends were people who drank and partied as hard as I did, and that lifestyle caught up with me.”
After eight years in the Navy, Jeff sought a new purpose but found himself adrift, battling depression and self-destructive habits without the safety and support he once had. His struggles eventually culminated in a near-total collapse—nights spent recklessly driving and days filled with regret.
“I could have died a thousand times. I have been pulled over while driving under the influence, too drunk to form words or say my own name. I thought the cop was definitely going to arrest me, but for some reason he didn’t ask too many questions and let me go.” Jeff recalled driving home from a night at the karaoke bar.
“I’ve known people who survived car wrecks that killed someone else and had to live with that grief. I never considered that my actions might have unexpected consequences. I thought I had it all under control. I didn’t want to hurt anyone else, but I didn’t care what happened to me, I was ready to die.”
“I was on a really bad path, I am grateful to have come to my senses without causing any tragedies.”
Through his music, Jeff Paul invites listeners to explore their own stories, joys, and struggles. Whether it’s through a searing guitar solo or heartfelt lyrics, his songs resonate with authenticity.
“I can deglamorize my old lifestyle and hopefully people are able to relate and learn from my experience,” he says. “I hope it makes people think, I hope it makes them feel, and I hope it makes them move – on the dance floor or to a different place in life, to chase what really matters.”
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
“I realized I was wasting my talents,” Jeff recalls the turning point that led to his sobriety.
“I was spending Christmas Eve in a Karaoke bar by myself. I wasn’t connecting with anyone anymore.”
Jeff decided to renew his commitment to his guitar playing and songwriting. He started going to open mics and jams instead of the karaoke bars, networking with musicians and honing his craft.
“It was like a quest, I would meet one spirit guide after another, people just offering advice and tips that kept me moving on to the next objective.” Jeff described the chain of events that lead him from one meet up to another, gradually finding blues jams where he could get on stage with some of Austin’s most talented musicians.
“The music community in Austin is wide-open. There are tons of open mics and blues jams where people mix it up, and it’s really welcoming. People are really tolerant of newcomers and understand that we’re all in this together, trying to get better and have fun doing it.”
Jeff started going to jams at Friend’s Bar, the Skylark Lounge, and Austin Garden Studio with the Tunesmith’s Community, but he said the turning point was when he was introduced to Jim Briggs, who hosts “The Hideaway Jam”, at the Hideaway Kitchen and Bar in South Austin.
Jim’s “Hideaway Jam” format involves letting the singers submit their songs a week in advance, and the musicians who want to play on those songs sign up and learn the songs ahead of time, then assemble on stage for the first time to play that song together.
“I could pick any song I want, and unknown friends would come and sign up to play with me because they liked that song, too. Otherwise Jim and his house band would fill in where people don’t sign up, and they’re incredibly talented.”
Jeff says this format allows the musicians unprecedented access to practice the songs they love with a live band, “I got to learn and experiment on my favorite songs. Other folks, they’re into metal or other complex genres, there are some really ambitious and complicated song choices. I get to expand my skills learning songs other people pick, and I try to learn as much as I can every week.”
Jeff Paul credits his skills to the Hideaway Jam and its sophisticated and well-organized approach to the Open Jam format, allowing singers and musicians to bond over their favorite hits, and allowing for much more complex song choices than you will ever see at a typical blues jam.
“It helped me find what works, it helped me stay consistent week after week, it helped me find my voice and it gave me the challenges I needed to become better as a musician and a performer.”
Over two years sober, Jeff travels the country in a motorcoach as a digital nomad with his loyal Australian Cattledog, Misty. His music became the outlet for his recovery, a way to process his past and connect with others.
“I’m grateful that the friends I’ve made in my music career will never know me as a drunk or a playboy. I’m grateful that my nieces and nephews will never know the person I was back then,” he says. “Through my music, I want to share cautionary tales and show that transformation is possible.”
Jeff’s music reflects a wide range of experiences, with each song telling a story.
His next upcoming release is called “Selfish”, a blues-rock anthem inspired by songs like “Bad to the Bone”, “Sharp-Dressed Man”, or “Wanted (Dead or Alive)”, that critiques toxic behavior. With its bold wolf-howl chorus and intense guitar solo, the song juxtaposes drunken bravado with private vulnerability.
“I wanted to create a fictitious persona that was boasting about being such a badass, but position it ironically with how weak and pathetic a person like that will be behind closed doors,” as Jeff describes it. “It’s definitely not autobiographical, it’s a composite of experiences and observations. The story just came to me, and I hope it makes a clear point as a satire of toxic behavior.”
In contrast, “Why’d You Kiss Me Like That?” is a danceable pop-rock tune about fleeting romance and missed connections. “I want this song to inspire people to take chances,” Jeff says. “It’s for the wallflowers who finally get out on the dance floor.” This song has a driving heart-beat style drum rhythm and features moments of awkward tension and push-pull that make it feel like a hesitation before they decide to say ‘let’s go for it.’
“It’s a song about approaching the climax of flirtation with a person you’re really excited about and starting to think you’re falling in love with them, then the other person pushes pause to say they don’t necessarily want a relationship, but they still move forward together with a really meaningful and electrifying kiss, but that doesn’t guarantee happily ever after.”
His latest release, “Hourglass,” takes a darker, introspective turn. A slow, haunting requiem influenced by Pink Floyd and David Bowie, the song captures the weight of time and regret.
“This song is a Dirge, it’s like being in a dream where you’re trying to run as fast as you can but it feels like you’re getting nowhere, it’s like drowning in quicksand but you never truly go all the way under.” Jeff explains, “I wanted to give the feeling that you’re untethered in outer space and no one can hear you scream, you’re just trapped with your thoughts, forever.”
Jeff Paul has been releasing the singles one at a time, but says he plans to release a full album coming soon.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
“I am Texan by choice. I love the weather, I love the people, I love the outdoors, the forests and parks. I love staying active, hiking and getting exercise with my dog, Misty!
“I love bringing this dog everywhere no questions asked. I like taking walks in the woods with Misty, or taking her down to the Barton Creek Greenbelt to go swimming by the waterfalls.
“I’m a summertime person. I grew up a city kid but we were always camping full-time in the summers as long as I could remember, and I enjoy being outdoors and away from the city.
“I like fresh air and the warmth of the sun, I like nights sitting around the fire, being under the stars, or out on the water. I’ll always be a sailor at heart, I’ve got salt in my blood and stars in my eyes.
“I hate city traffic, I hate the smell of exhaust, and worrying about bothering the neighbors if we’re playing music too loud. I hate being in crowded bars or packed into subway cars, or wherever there’s commotion behind me all the time. Growing up in Boston, that’s all there was.
“I like to be anywhere that you’re far enough away from buildings, street lights, and the sounds of cars that you couldn’t know if you stepped into a time machine and went back to when the world was nothing but nature.
“I grew up in the city and at all hours you could always here the highways, the buses, commercial vehicles, police cars, there was never a moments peace.
“I love living in an RV, with solar-panels helping me go off-grid and having the confidence I can fix anything that breaks down.
“I’ve put a ton of work into upgrading the solar-power and batteries, the lighting and plumbing that was deteriorated, it reminds me of doing maintenance on the helicopters.
“It’s running a 1989 Chevy 454, and I’ve had to stop and troubleshoot a couple of engine gripes, but it never sidelined me for more than a day or two.
“It’s a challenging lifestyle, but I grew up camping like this and it keeps my housing costs low so I have the freedom to choose how I spend my time and living life on my own terms, which is thankfully outside with my dog more often than inside an office.
“I like long road trips and the freedom to go anywhere spontaneously, racing against the ETA and making the journey in great time, while having a great time.
“I love singing in the car, I love watching the landscape change as you pass long distances. I love long bridges over water, or when it feels like you’re driving along the treetops.
“I love making a wish and holding my breath in the tunnels until you come out the otherside. I love taking vacations with friends and family, renting cottages or tenting and getting explore new places. I like cooking over a fire grill, I love cooking for people, I love hosting parties and barbecues. I love bringing the fireworks!
“I love live music, and I love living in Austin Texas, the Live Music Capital of the World, where I am surrounded by incredible, talented people, and that I am able to walk from one venue to the next, and I can see friends play Americana, Blues, Comedy, Dance, Electronica, Folk, Garage, House, Indie Pop, Jazz, the list goes on and on.
“I’ve been able to make friends from all kinds of genres and performance communities. I love all my music friends, folks I’ve gotten to jam with, folks I’ve connected with here in Austin.
“I have favorite genres but I can listen to any artist making art, any artist expressing something deep and profound.
“A musician who is a great player is fun to watch in the moment, but it doesn’t stay with you unless there is something timeless in the message. It helps to have skills and to make the instrument do amazing things, but the choices we make in using those skills as an act of expression of our own taste is what makes for a really compelling performance.
“I love that there are incredible musicians who make all different styles of music, and these scenes all cross pollinate, and we all jam together from time to time.
“I hope I can be the type of artist that makes music that people relate to, and I hope they keep coming back to it, because it sounds good, it connects to their feelings, and it has an impact on the way they think and act.
“I love the deep intellectual conversations about things that matter. I hate getting bogged down talking about things that don’t. Let’s talk philosophy, not politics. Let’s talk about the universe, not people. Let’s find the meaning in the everyday little things, let’s ignore the mainstream hysteria of today.
“I love being sober, clear of mind and heart, and finally able to appreciate the world for its beauty, accept the world for its flaws.
“I’m grateful that I’m able to connect with people and see them for who they are. I’m grateful to understand that everything that has happened to me in life has built me, informed me, focused me, and driven me where I needed to go, and now I’m really doing it.
“I would not be who I am today if things had happened any differently. I have never been late for anything in my entire life, I was always exactly where I needed to be.
“Most of all, I hope you understand that I love you. With all my heart, I love you. Thanks for listening.” – Jeff Paul
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/jeffpaulband
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jeffpaulband
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JeffPaulBand
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jeffpaulband
- Other: https://jeffpaul.bandcamp.com/
Image Credits
Emily Diane Fesette, @efezet
