About the Artist
After spending years in Portland with bands like Brother Hooch and Ace’s Wild as lead singer/guitar player and songwriter, Paul had an opportunity to move to Seattle where he now lives. The move to Seattle was not as smooth as he would have wished and at first it had a negative effect on his music. Settling in to a new environment proved to be a challenge and day-to-day life was taking its toll. Paul had actually quit playing his guitar for about 9 months. Then in early 2002 that all changed. Things settled down and Paul was left with the time to write and reflect without any outside distractions. After writing 7 songs in the course of a month and a half, it was time to test the songs on a live audience. With guitar in hand Paul hit the open mic circuit in Seattle to see how his music would be perceived. The response was overwhelming, the crowd reaction was very positive and the magic was back. The idea of producing a solo CD was born. There was still an obstacle to over come, being new to Seattle Paul did not have a great network of musicians to pull from for a recording as he had in Portland. This to would become a moot point At an open mic Paul met and became friends with a bass player named Brendan Wires. Brendan performs this incredible bass solo act playing touch style, a one-man bass soloist. (His CD "After the Drums Stop" is a must have and available on CD baby) After hearing Brendan and seeing him perform Paul new he wanted Brendan to play on his CD. Brendan agreed and did a fantastic job on the recording. He did not overplay but gave each song just exactly what it needed. The next step was to find a studio to record at. Paul had made a rough demo of the songs that he wanted to put on the CD (guitar and vocal mix) and sent it to a number of studios in the local area. The response was a mixed bag with most just giving lip service and ass kissing with one exception. Paul Speer at Rainstorm Studio. He critically listened to the recording and gave an honest assessment of what needed to change to make this a good recording. He broke it down to the point that he told Paul Hanover that he had used two microphones on the guitar and that this was causing some frequency cancellation problems. He was right and he was the right person for the recording sessions. Rainstorm Studio it was. Paul Speer would play another major role in this production by recommending and setting up sessions with Steve Hill and Matthew Burgess. Steve Hill is an incredible session player in the Seattle area. He has been a label drummer with Polygram and did a European tour with Sheryl Crow; Steve has also done a lot of movie work (he played all the drum tracks on the movie "The New Guy") Steve came in, laid back and anchored the groove, not overplaying but finding the pocket and giving the songs what they needed. Matthew Burgess A.K.A "the Percussionator" was the spice that flavors this CD and gives it the groovy feel. Matthew is a local area percussionist that plays regularly with Brandi Carlile. Hooch Music and Paul Hanover hope that you enjoy this CD as much as Paul enjoyed making it.
May the Universe bless you in all that you do.
Product Description
Powerful vocals with strong blues/rock hooks, sweet acoustic tones that flavor the soulful grooves of Paul Hanover.
You're going to like this sound. Know Your Soul: the debut solo CD from Paul Hanover
A passionate sensual CD packed full of soul, masterfully written and arranged. "Know Your Soul" will take you on a journey of romance and self-discovery both musically and lyrically. Pop it into the CD player on a long drive and let it play through there is a good chance that when the last track is played you won’t want to pull the disc out of the player. Don’t get left behind "Know Your Soul"
