The Papers

Emerging in 2005 as England's most recent serving of home grown talent; The Papers promise to deliver a shot of something strong, passionate and stylish to the U.K.'s burgeoning music scene. A combination of fresh ideas and skillful song writing with a mixture of strong melodies and classic harmonies give The Papers a complete sound that is distinctive and well worth hearing. Comparisons to The Papers have included Rock / Pop artists such as The Police, The Kinks, Squeeze, The Coral, The La's, Turin Brakes, The Finn Brothers and The Divine Comedy.

It was way back in 1990 when school friends Paul and Rich decided they wanted to make music and recorded their first demo under the watchful eye of Paul’s father. With his own experience in the music industry, Steph Griffin was signed with England’s answer to “The Band” “Sundance” to Warner Brothers / Decca from 1973 to 1977. This and a close association with ELO’s Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood meant that Paul and Rich were already learning the ways of professional musicians and that good advice was never far away. Numerous demos followed as a productive song writing and recording partnership blossomed. Paul and Rich later formed “Djembe” who at their height were gigging to capacity crowds at Wolverhampton’s Wulfrun hall and London, Covent gardens, “The Rock Garden”.

Individually Paul and Rich have pursued their own goals. A spell at The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts has since given Rich a greater knowledge of sound engineering and production. At the same time Paul had been re-mixing for Charlie Pinder, then of Sony ATV Publishing, the likes of Cat Stevens and Sharon Eusebe. Paul was also submitting his song writing regularly to top ten producer for No19 management and formally of “the Chimes” Mike Peden.
Paul’s Remix Credits also include: Daisy Hicks ‘Mistress’ (Concept Music), Stateside Hombres ‘Mary Mary’ (Concept music)

The long awaited rhythm for the Papers sound was found in the form of Adam Roberts, currently studying towards his Bachelor of Science degree at Staffordshire University, Adam first picked up a pair of sticks aged 14 and from that moment on, drumming had a massive influence on his life and the music he listened to. Finding The Papers was a breath of fresh air to Adam, who looking to express himself in a more creative environment, was glad to be in the company of like-minded musicians who cared about the music as well as each other.

The Papers have been performing live since December 2004 and have not been restricted to playing only in their native Birmingham. Transporting an eager crowd of Brummies to Manchester may be enough to deter even the most ambitious bands however if showcasing on strange turf is part of making it then The Papers have what it takes! Launching their music on a national basis is important and will prove instrumental in the bands long term goals.

With so much knowledge of music production within the band it is hardly surprising that they have invested in their own recording equipment so that they have control over how their songs are produced and this has already paid off with the track ‘Lonely Being Beautiful’ winning first prize in the pop category of the indieTunes song contest and also being selected to appear on the Braun and Brains inaugural compilation CD ‘The Independents’, The Papers being the only artist from the UK to be selected. This song was taken from their debut EP ‘Life At Light Speed’ which was reviewed by overplay.co.uk (the definitive site for unsigned bands) who said ‘across the three tracks on this EP, the Birmingham three-piece take the insecurities, subtlety and low-key drama of many of the great British bands and polish it up with a professional contemporary sound.’ Their second EP ‘You Can’t File Us Away’ was equally well received being hailed as ‘a master class in sly, sophisticated pop music’. April 2005 saw the launch of The Papers Official website www.wearethepapers.com to keep a growing fan base up to date with their latest songs, photos, gigs and merchandise.

Looking to the future, The Papers will continue bringing their sound to a wider audience with more nationwide gigs and the recording of their first album. If you are interested in participating in any of these projects and would like to find out more please do not hesitate to contact us on enquiries@wearethepapers.com or Paul on 07765 867 278

You can’t file us away…