Paolo Brian’s latest album release, “Tunnel Vision” is an exploration of identity via memory, longing and transition. Its sound blends classic bands like the Beach Boys and the Zombies with the modern influences of Ben Folds and Andy Shauf. We recently caught up with Brian on all things “Tunnel Vision”:
1) Q: Tell us about a song on your album that is meaningful to you.
A: The song “Amnesia” was inspired by a newscast highlighting the struggle of a man with a rare brain disorder which would not allow him to be exposed to sunlight. He needed to travel out of the country to receive expensive surgery and he and his wife were willing to give everything up to do it. It is a song about remembering and fighting for who you really are despite life’s inevitable challenges.
2) Q: Does your album have a theme?
A: “Tunnel Vision” deals with gaining perspective on a nebulous future and learning from the past. The title song “Tunnel Vision” asks “will the sun ever rise?” while the closing track “Colourblind” answers with “open your eyes” and have faith. The artwork also has a winter theme which ties in with the uncertainty in the songs.
3) Q: Did anything surprising happen while you were recording this album?
A: Though I had previously recorded demos for all the songs at home, I was surprised at how much energy, layering, and texture we were able to add in the studio. For example, in certain sections the same vocal part was dubbed four times over and then combined with four part harmonies!
4) Q: Rave about someone that participated in this project.
A: Mike Southworth (drummer, engineer and mixer) added so much life and energy to the tracks with his drumming and mixing. He was able to transform my initial demos into polished and professional tracks without taking away their initial essence. Apart from the music, Mike is a pleasure to work with and a great friend.
5) Q: Name a BC artist that’s had an influence on your music.
A: BC artist “Said the Whale” have influenced me greatly. I love the “Little Mountain” album and watching all the videos they made for those songs.
Music: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4sOtOFb4ESaIYJy8ppV0dLcVpqAezOcK
FOLLOW Paolo Brian
Website: https://paolobrian.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paolobrianmusic/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaoloBrian
Bandcamp: https://paolobrian.bandcamp.com/
