Paul Vernet
Personal Mythology
Paul Vernet’s debut album Personal Mythology is an amalgamation of all of Paul’s favorite influences while still being uniquely Paul Vernet. He pulls from not only the artists that influenced him but deeper back to who influenced those players he looks up to. He favors the blues but everything from reggae, jazz, pop, and country is there in each of his creations.
I talked to Paul about the album and it’s evident that his dedication to his work is always in the forefront of his music. Paul says “I’m not afraid of throwing in some changes or mucking around with the structure of the song as long as it feels true.” He’s able to do that because the album is not only self-produced, but he also plays everything on the album except for the drums, which are played by Jim Dooley, and some additional guitar and keys by Sean Bigler.
These 13 songs run the gambit both lyrically and musically and when I asked Paul about what he feels is one of the most important pieces of the songwriting puzzle. Paul says “Strong melodies and hooks…I try to be direct without being cliche”. As you dig into the music you’ll see, he’s very clever and completely unbound by any convention as he creates the music that he’s vehemently passionate about.
The first song on the album “Pregnant Widow” takes it’s name from a book by Martin Amis of the same name. As all things I find with Paul Vernet, there is an interesting side note to it all that Paul went to high school with Isabela Fonseca, who eventually married Amis in 1996. Paul pulls from everywhere and everything in his songwriting process and uses it in the most interesting ways.
“The Way I’m Wired” is probably my favorite of the album and has a cool pop/rock feel to it. It’s got some legs to it and I could see it being picked up for a tv show or soundtrack somewhere down the road. “Call Me Crazy”, “Sign”, and “Crumpled Valentine” are also a few of my favorites and Paul’s ability to throw in some musical twists and turns are what I really enjoy about those tracks. I mentioned to him that the songs have a real Use Your Illusion vibe in that they have tons of layers, that all fit, and all keep things interesting.
Personal Mythology is available to stream on Spotify and you can grab a copy of it on his website.
