PAUL FAITH AND NEW PROTEST SONGS FROM NEW ORLEANS
Paul Faith, and the cover art for new protest songs from New Orleans
NEW PROTEST SONGS FROM NEW ORLEANS: AN INTERVIEW WITH PAUL FAITH
This month sees the release of 'A New Orleans Songwriter Protest Song Compilation', 21 new protest songs from musicians across the city's genres. Paul Faith put it together, with help from a local music scene that rose to the challenge with enthusiasm. We talked to Paul to find out more about the album, and the traditions that it calls on.
Hi Paul, could you introduce yourself to our readers if they don’t know you - what’s your musical/political/geographical background?
Hi! I've been in New Orleans 14 years now, by way of Virginia. I grew up in Williamsburg, VA, and spent time in the Shenandoah Valley for college. I was a child of the 90's in a small town and the son of a minister. I think that all very much informs my musical output: some Americana, some religious reckoning, and the pop/alternative rock that you might've heard on the radio during that period. I landed in New Orleans after my wife got into Tulane for grad school, and while we thought we'd be here a few years, 14 years later here we are. It is hard to imagine living anywhere else. I started playing music more seriously post-pandemic. I've put out a few albums, and play around the greater New Orleans area with my backing band, the Barstool Prophets. Besides playing around town, I'm really invested in the songwriter community here. I've run a songwriter night, called The Living Room, for the past three years at Skeeta Hawk Brewing in Mid City. I've run a seasonal songwriting workshop series in conjunction with the New Orleans Library and their Crescent City Sounds program for the past two years as well.
What gave you the idea to put together this new album of protest songs?
I had a few ideas floating around in my head at the beginning of the year, with a lot of them coming from artists on the album. Kelcy Mae, who goes by the moniker Ever More Nest, invited me to do a show where everyone wrote a brand new, original holiday tune this past December and it was really special. Then Lyla DiPaul posted a short clip of her performing an unfinished protest song that I saw. And Dusky Waters, the founder and creator of BlackAmericana Fest, is so good at doing big things that bring folks together. I kind of had these things swirling around in my head- and was feeling pretty down about the state of the world, the United States, the increasing authoritarian actions by the Trump administration, ICE in our streets targeting people because they were Black and Brown, on and on and on. I am a lazy songwriter - I have to give myself "prompts" or little tasks to complete, or I would never finish a song. I wanted to write a protest song, and I figured I'd invite some friends to do it with me.
How did you go about choosing the artists that will be featured?
I mentioned my songwriter night before - I've had about 150 songwriters come through it over the years. I put out the call to some of my favorites, thinking about half would say yes. WAY more said they would do it than I thought. It's how we ended up with such a robust double album - but I am grateful for who answered and got it across the finish line.
Walk me through the process then - I assume everyone made their own recording arrangements or was it all recorded at one place?
I gave folks the prompt: write and record a new, original protest song. The only rules really were that it had to be written with this prompt in mind and in the spirit of being a protest song. Folks were responsible for recording on their own, but I did offer some recording assistance for those who needed it - and by that I mean, I offered up my lead guitarist, talented songwriter in their own right, and good friend, Sky Choice, to record them. Sky ended up recording 5 artists on the album including their own song, so played a huge role in making this all happen. Sky also assisted in giving everything a light mastering after we got back the audio files. Otherwise, folks made just about every choice you could: some DIY in their rooms, all the way to studio productions with a full band.
Could you give our readers an idea of the breadth of musical styles? Is it mostly acoustic guitars and individual singer-songwiters or is there a mix?
I am blown away by the diversity of sound and genre on the album. I think a lot of people would assume it would be an album full of solo guitar-strummers, but there is the full spectrum here. We've got full-band rockers, piano ballads, singer-songwriter tunes, angry songs, hopeful songs, soul and funk, and a song done fully on a vocal loop station (don't miss J.Mix's song folks). I am really proud to deliver an album that is as diverse as this one is.
Is everyone featured from New Orleans?
Everyone featured may not be from New Orleans, but they are all here now and love it, and to me, that's what matters.
Do you see much difference between these contemporary protest songs or are we consistent with a musical tradition that’s been with us for 60 or 70 years, and even longer, really?
I do see these as songs as links in a chain. I think the protest song is a very American thing. And I think like just about everything music-wise here, it goes way back, and it begins with Black and Brown musicians. I am no expert on protest songs, but I think if I've learned one thing musically, there's always another layer of the onion. You could start wherever you want with whoever you want. Whose shoulders do they stand on? Protest music didn't start in the 60's - all of those artists would point to someone else, and they would just keep pointing behind them. If you look up Protest Songs in America on Wikipedia, you'll see a picture of Woody Guthrie, but before him was Lead Belly and Elizabeth Cotton. On and on.
Tell us about the upcoming concert on July 4th - what can folk expect?
It truly is going to be the show of the summer. Music starts at 7pm at the legendary Chickie Wah Wah. We've got 15 of the artists on the album, and we've got a stellar backing band for the evening comprised of Basch Jernigan (on the album), and the other two of his trio: Tyler Self on bass and Dennis Aoun on drums. It is going to be a benefit for ISLA: Immigration Services and Legal Advocacy, who provides free legal services to people in immigration detention, children, and their families in the New Orleans area. It was always part of the scope of the project to do something tangible for a worthy local cause besides just the creation of the songs. Truly - I am so proud of each of the artists on the album, and I cannot wait to celebrate and make music (as well as a little ruckus) with them, on the 4th of July no less. Can't wait and hope to see you all there!
Thanks so much for your time, Paul, and best of luck with the project and concert!
A New Orleans Songwriter Protest Album Release Benefit Show ft. Paul Faith & Friends takes place at Chickie Wah Wah, 7pm on July 4th. For info and ticketing, click here.
You can listen to the New Orleans Songwriter Protest Compilation anywhere you can listen to music, and be sure to check out the featured artists' other music. Find more info and Paul's projects at www.paulfaith.net or at my instagram: @realpaulfaith
Hi Paul, could you introduce yourself to our readers if they don’t know you - what’s your musical/political/geographical background?
Hi! I've been in New Orleans 14 years now, by way of Virginia. I grew up in Williamsburg, VA, and spent time in the Shenandoah Valley for college. I was a child of the 90's in a small town and the son of a minister. I think that all very much informs my musical output: some Americana, some religious reckoning, and the pop/alternative rock that you might've heard on the radio during that period. I landed in New Orleans after my wife got into Tulane for grad school, and while we thought we'd be here a few years, 14 years later here we are. It is hard to imagine living anywhere else. I started playing music more seriously post-pandemic. I've put out a few albums, and play around the greater New Orleans area with my backing band, the Barstool Prophets. Besides playing around town, I'm really invested in the songwriter community here. I've run a songwriter night, called The Living Room, for the past three years at Skeeta Hawk Brewing in Mid City. I've run a seasonal songwriting workshop series in conjunction with the New Orleans Library and their Crescent City Sounds program for the past two years as well.
What gave you the idea to put together this new album of protest songs?
I had a few ideas floating around in my head at the beginning of the year, with a lot of them coming from artists on the album. Kelcy Mae, who goes by the moniker Ever More Nest, invited me to do a show where everyone wrote a brand new, original holiday tune this past December and it was really special. Then Lyla DiPaul posted a short clip of her performing an unfinished protest song that I saw. And Dusky Waters, the founder and creator of BlackAmericana Fest, is so good at doing big things that bring folks together. I kind of had these things swirling around in my head- and was feeling pretty down about the state of the world, the United States, the increasing authoritarian actions by the Trump administration, ICE in our streets targeting people because they were Black and Brown, on and on and on. I am a lazy songwriter - I have to give myself "prompts" or little tasks to complete, or I would never finish a song. I wanted to write a protest song, and I figured I'd invite some friends to do it with me.
How did you go about choosing the artists that will be featured?
I mentioned my songwriter night before - I've had about 150 songwriters come through it over the years. I put out the call to some of my favorites, thinking about half would say yes. WAY more said they would do it than I thought. It's how we ended up with such a robust double album - but I am grateful for who answered and got it across the finish line.
Walk me through the process then - I assume everyone made their own recording arrangements or was it all recorded at one place?
I gave folks the prompt: write and record a new, original protest song. The only rules really were that it had to be written with this prompt in mind and in the spirit of being a protest song. Folks were responsible for recording on their own, but I did offer some recording assistance for those who needed it - and by that I mean, I offered up my lead guitarist, talented songwriter in their own right, and good friend, Sky Choice, to record them. Sky ended up recording 5 artists on the album including their own song, so played a huge role in making this all happen. Sky also assisted in giving everything a light mastering after we got back the audio files. Otherwise, folks made just about every choice you could: some DIY in their rooms, all the way to studio productions with a full band.
Could you give our readers an idea of the breadth of musical styles? Is it mostly acoustic guitars and individual singer-songwiters or is there a mix?
I am blown away by the diversity of sound and genre on the album. I think a lot of people would assume it would be an album full of solo guitar-strummers, but there is the full spectrum here. We've got full-band rockers, piano ballads, singer-songwriter tunes, angry songs, hopeful songs, soul and funk, and a song done fully on a vocal loop station (don't miss J.Mix's song folks). I am really proud to deliver an album that is as diverse as this one is.
Is everyone featured from New Orleans?
Everyone featured may not be from New Orleans, but they are all here now and love it, and to me, that's what matters.
Do you see much difference between these contemporary protest songs or are we consistent with a musical tradition that’s been with us for 60 or 70 years, and even longer, really?
I do see these as songs as links in a chain. I think the protest song is a very American thing. And I think like just about everything music-wise here, it goes way back, and it begins with Black and Brown musicians. I am no expert on protest songs, but I think if I've learned one thing musically, there's always another layer of the onion. You could start wherever you want with whoever you want. Whose shoulders do they stand on? Protest music didn't start in the 60's - all of those artists would point to someone else, and they would just keep pointing behind them. If you look up Protest Songs in America on Wikipedia, you'll see a picture of Woody Guthrie, but before him was Lead Belly and Elizabeth Cotton. On and on.
Tell us about the upcoming concert on July 4th - what can folk expect?
It truly is going to be the show of the summer. Music starts at 7pm at the legendary Chickie Wah Wah. We've got 15 of the artists on the album, and we've got a stellar backing band for the evening comprised of Basch Jernigan (on the album), and the other two of his trio: Tyler Self on bass and Dennis Aoun on drums. It is going to be a benefit for ISLA: Immigration Services and Legal Advocacy, who provides free legal services to people in immigration detention, children, and their families in the New Orleans area. It was always part of the scope of the project to do something tangible for a worthy local cause besides just the creation of the songs. Truly - I am so proud of each of the artists on the album, and I cannot wait to celebrate and make music (as well as a little ruckus) with them, on the 4th of July no less. Can't wait and hope to see you all there!
Thanks so much for your time, Paul, and best of luck with the project and concert!
A New Orleans Songwriter Protest Album Release Benefit Show ft. Paul Faith & Friends takes place at Chickie Wah Wah, 7pm on July 4th. For info and ticketing, click here.
You can listen to the New Orleans Songwriter Protest Compilation anywhere you can listen to music, and be sure to check out the featured artists' other music. Find more info and Paul's projects at www.paulfaith.net or at my instagram: @realpaulfaith