Biography
I’ve been a performing musician since I was 4 years old imitating David Bowie in Ziggy Stardust with my first guitar (plastic). Both my parents were musicians and got me started. I home-schooled which gave me a lot of extra time to focus on my music. So I’ve pretty much spent my life developing my music and musicianship.
At 15 I was deep into songwriting and recording as well as gigging at local events and interning in a couple of local recording studios. Then at 17, the summer of ’06, I went to Berklee’s Summer Performance Program. I was selected as 1 of 12 finalists in the Songwriter Showcase (see video), playing to a packed concert hall. That did it. Full circle back to Ziggy…
In ’08 I was selected as the youth finalist for the Mountainstage/Newsong western region contest and flew to L.A. to open and close the showcase at The Mint (see pix). Big, small or famous - performing in a music venue is in my blood. I rocked and the crowd rocked back. I continued to gain recognition as a nominee for best new artist in the ’08 Independent Singer Songwriter’s Association’s contest as well as honorable mentions in other contests.
Since then I’ve been perfecting my musicianship and my songs. The songs keep coming and I keep polishing them - maybe the curse of having my own studio. But I’ve settled on the first few for an EP to be released this summer. Next is the LP. Stay tuned.
Instrumentation
Vocals, guitars, & harmonicas - unless there's a back-up band. In the studio I also play drums, bass & keyboards.
Discography
My first EP, "Paden West" (self-titled), was released on 11/18/09 with four songs ("Counting Down the Days," "Haze," "What a Place to Be" and "Rope Swing"). The other songs in this EPK are works in process and were recorded, mixed & mastered in my studio.
Links
| http://www.padenwest.com |