Patrick Kell

"I like to live as if my dreams had already happened," says 20-year-old Patrick Kell, a local folk musician, who will soon begin touring through the Southwest and performed in El Paso Saturday night at Q8.

Kell said his career in music began when he graduated from high school.

"I was really bored because I was not in school. I had always wanted to learn how to play guitar. I didn't think I could, but I went to a pawn shop and bought this cheap little guitar and kind of taught myself."

Kell is almost a one-man-band. Besides singing with his guitar, he also plays the harmonica.

"I've always loved to play the harmonica. It's all in the breathing pattern. When you play both (the guitar and the harmonica), it's always a jam session."

But Kell is not alone. He said most of the time he plays with his drummer Nick Bustillos, whom he's known since childhood.

Kell said he has been influenced by a combination of artists such as Johnny Cash, Paul Simon, The Beatles and Jack Johnson. Kell's music can be classified anywhere between ambient, country and modern folk.

"There is not one (major influence); I mean, it's hard to say, they all live in my songs," said Kell.

Kell's lyrics are imbued with a certain folk wisdom.

For instance, his loosely autobiographical song, "Guitar Picking Bum," tells about the romance between a musician and his girlfriend, where she breaks it off with him because he does not have a job. In the end, the musician later runs into his old girlfriend, only to find her with "a bum who don't even play guitar."

"When you hear a song it becomes a little part of you, my music is what people want it to be," said Kell. "I consider myself somewhat spiritual. Sometimes I feel my songs come from nowhere. It's almost as if the thoughts and feelings of others were floating in the air and I captured them in my music."

Besides being a musician, Kell has been actively committed to his concerns for the environment, animal rights and the youth of El Paso.

"The environment has always been important to me. I'm an outdoors-man; I like road biking, fishing and hiking." said Kell.

In regards to animal rights, Kell said he believes people should find a balance to let other beings live.

"When you sit and eat, you don't think that the burger you're eating had a life; you see it only as a product," said Kell.

Kell was born and raised in El Paso and said that this city is an inspiration to him.

"I love El Paso. It bothers me that many young people hate it. It has so much to offer. I can't see myself living anywhere else," Kell said.

Although he began performing on local stages a year ago, Kell has already released a demo album called "Food For Thought."

Soon, he will begin touring the Southwest, with dates in cities in Arizona, New Mexico, California and Texas.

"I want to make a living out of this, but I don't see myself going commercial. I don't ever want to be thrown out all over the media," said Kell. "I have nothing against commercial music - I like a lot of it, but sometimes it seems like some Hollywood executive gives directions to artists on how to make their art and I wouldn't like that."

For more information about Patrick Kell, visit www.patrickkellmusic.com.

Isaac Perez may be reached at prospector@utep.edu. - UTEP Prospector