Meet Paul Childers

Today we’d like to introduce you to Paul Childers.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
When you’re a kid, you don’t really dictate the kind of music that’s being played in the house. In your memories, it’s just on. My parents didn’t know it at the time, but they were giving me the best musical education anyone could ask for just because of their amazing taste. Earth, Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder, Chicago, The Police; it goes on and on. But hearing that kind of music constantly around the house created an affinity for groove and harmony.

Once I could pick what I was listening to, I found Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B. King, and Hendrix. The guitar became my companion and I felt like I finally had the ability to communicate things I could never say. So for hours and hours every day, I was locked away learning everything I possibly could. But it never felt like work or forced in any way. It just felt like I was catching up with my old friends and learning from the masters at the same time.

The natural progression after that was to find other people like me and start a band. We were terrible, but it was some of the most fun I’ve ever had! In school, there are debate teams, basketball teams, chess clubs, etc. For musicians, it’s a band in a garage playing far too loud and trying to play far too much. But the feeling is the same. And then the camaraderie is only fortified by the idea that you and your best friends are going to ‘make it.’ Of course, we didn’t… but we thought we were the next Rolling Stones anyway! It’s a beautiful thing for teenagers to just get together and jam.

It was doing the jamming that finally got me writing. Which then made us want to record and start playing proper gigs. By 15, I was playing all of the local blues clubs in Kentucky so long as my parents could be there to chaperone. Funny how it all comes full circle! But as they say, the rest was history.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s never a smooth road when you’re doing something creative.

But I do believe any struggle is just experiences in disguise. From something as simple as breaking the only high E string you brought on the first song to bailing your key player out of jail for some unpaid parking tickets right before hitting the road, you’re going to learn something. In the end, it always makes you grow and in my particular case, I’ve probably grown into a better writer because of strife.

Though the most important thing for me has easily been having nothing but extreme support from my family. I know not every musician gets that. It’s a gamble. And it’s incredibly difficult to convince people you’ve got what it takes. But my parents never once thought I couldn’t do this. They taught me that you’ve got to risk it to get the biscuit!

From the second I picked up a guitar, I knew I didn’t have a choice either way.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a Singer/Songwriter who revels in the idea that my music is hard to describe because it lives in so many different worlds. I’m a musical gadfly and nothing is off-limits. There is always something more to learn or that I don’t know. It’s the best part about being creative.

Blending Pop, R&B, and Soul, Paul Childers is leading a new breed of singer/songwriters and guitarists. Hailing from Nashville, he finds a way to blur the lines between Stevie Ray Vaughan and Hendrix styles of guitar playing, a Motown rhythm section, and pop vocal melodies.

Touring internationally since 2017, Childers has opened for Vince Gill, Robert Cray, Third Eye Blind, Leann Rimes, and headlined the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He has also played the actual guitars of Chuck Berry, B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Jimi Hendrix in tribute as the Songbirds Guitar Museum Ambassador.

Childers was selected by Acmeville Records as the debut artist on their label, which features live recordings from the Nashville music hotspot. His debut album, Naked Poetry, was released in the Top 20 worldwide for both Pop and RnB Billboard charts. His second album, ‘Secondary Colors,’ amassed critical acclaim and has been featured in Film, TV, and radio all over the world.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
So far, you’ve never finished learning, and every single person you meet has a story. Listen to it.

Contact Info:

• Email: paulchildersinc@gmail.com
• Website: paulchilders.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulchildersmusic/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulChildersMusic
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/childerspaul
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVUi-Sh7I12f5LuTb4Mj4Vg

Image Credits
Sophie Balchin