Paul Saint John and the Nighthawks

A review of the 2015 New Jersey Folk Festival featuring an interview with Paul Saint John. - Daily Targum

April 11th Showcase at The Venice Island Performing Arts Center - Philadelphia Folksong Society

Interview for Panic Merchant - Popas Tunes

Make Music Philly spotlight - Paul Saint John - The Key

New Jersey Folk Festival - Singer Songwriter Showcase - NJ Folk Fest

October Feature on the new release - Panic Merchant -

One of the great things about having a record label is meeting all the great talent out there in the U.S. and abroad that may go unnoticed or unheard in the growing throng of independent releases and live music venues. We have assembled a small cross section of music that will provide a good listen. The soundtrack to a drive home from a hard days work , maybe a little happy hour music or just something to keep you sane at work. Americana is a term often overused but all things beneath that that platform are rich if you know where to dig. So we dug, in the bars taverns and coffeehouses around the States and came up with "Folk America". It will be first in a series of free to inexpensive music compilations from ALTCO. So far we have a great lineup of folks not on the label but we think you should listen to like: Graham Lindsey, Muleskinner MacQueen Trio, Bullfrog McGhee, Paul Saint John, Izzy Cox , Todd Seeley, and Ernest James Zydeco just for starters! Stay tuned for info on the release and swag for this Comp.

In other directions or new online store is up and running we will be adding audio samples and more info on the releases ans well as new swag from us. Digital releases are available still from I-tunes as well as direct from Altco here's our official site WWW.ALTCORECORDINGS.COM - Altco Music

Scottish folk lies just under the surface of his songwriting as simple things in life oft overlooked anchor his story telling. - Popa's Tunes

Concerts not to miss at this years Millennium Music Conference. - Penn Live .com

Alongside established Artists - The Roots, Kurt Vile, and Dr. Dog, Paul Saint John made it onto The Best of Philly 2014 Playlist. - Rock on Philly

Come hear four top-notch Philadelphia Music Co-op artists showcase for an opportunity to play at the Philadelphia Folk Festival. While this is not a battle of the bands, a panel of programmers from the Festival will select one (or more) artists for the 2014 event based on each performer's level of craft, performance quality, audience draw, crowd response and more. Come support your favorite act for the chance to send them to the Philadelphia Folk Festival!

A Fistful of Sugar - A collaboration between veterans of the Philadelphia folk, trip-hop, bluegrass, R&B, and musical theater scenes, A Fistful of Sugar was convened in late 2010 to solve all the world's problems with pretty little tunes. So far, so good.

Centered around strong, lush vocal harmonies and driving "new folk" instrumentals, the product is a distinctly modern sound that resonates with echoes of 1930s hot jazz, traditional 'old-timey' country, gypsy jazz, and other roots musics. With six vocalists and distinctly bluegrassy instrumentation, A Fistful of Sugar has wowed audiences across the Northeast with their powerful, genre-bending, energetic performances that range from the syrupy-sweet to the gritty and swampy.

Paul Saint John - Originally from the east coast of Scotland, Paul Saint John is an award-winning songwriter who quit the UK music business in the late 90s before moving to the US in 2000 and eventually re-emerging on the Philadelphia music scene in 2012. His songs have been featured on various radio networks throughout the United States, radio stations and music blogs throughout Europe, and worldwide on internet radio, as well as on promotional releases for music festivals and music conferences. Paul's folk rock sound is a touch of old school Tom Waits and Bob Dylan mixed with David Gray's songwriting and the raw power of The Tallest Man on Earth. His critically acclaimed debut album Eleventeen was released in August 2013 and new single "Finn McCool" available February 5, 2014 - PFS

Popa's Tunes Top 10 picks of 2013. Eleventeen made #8 out of top 50. - Popa's Tunes

Singer-songwriter Paul Saint John is geboren en getogen in Schotland. Als teenager begon hij rond zijn vijftiende live op te treden. Hij speelt los vast in enkele bandjes en rond zijn vijfentwintigste richt hij de tweekoppige folk-rock band “The Cottonfield” mee op. Ze nemen enkele EP’s op en touren als duo enkele keren. Met de drang om te groeien werd de band uitgebreid met nog twee muzikanten en tekenen ze een platen contract. Op zijn negentwintigste komt het besef dat dit toch niet is wat John wil, hij verlaat de groep en stopt wat gedesillusioneerd met musiceren. De gitaar wordt in een hoek gezet en John gaat uit huis werken. Door een gescheurde meniscus a.g.v. een werkongeval, moet John thuis blijven en moet hij geopereerd worden. Tijdens de herstelperiode die meer dan zes weken duurt, wordt de gitaar afgestoft en speelt John als afwisseling enkele Schotse en Ierse nummers. Dan komt bij John opnieuw het besef en het goed gevoel van muziek te kunnen maken. John haalt ouder materiaal uit de jaren ’90 uit de kast en werkt hier opnieuw aan. In het voorbije jaar heeft hij vierenveertig nieuwe nummers geschreven… en zijn back up bestaat momenteel al uit meer dan vijfenzeventig songs. Hieronder ook het award winnend nummer ”Who Knows What The Gods May Bring Tonight”. In 2000 tijdens een vakantie in de States, ontmoet hij in een bar zijn toekomstige vrouw en besluit hij naar Philadelphia, PA, te verhuizen. Sinds zijn verhuis naar Philadelphia, treedt John regelmatig op rond Philadelphia. Zijn muziek heeft zijn roots in de folk-rock, maar hij mixt ook naadloos zijn Schotse en Amerikaanse invloeden, zoals Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, de Britse folk band “Mumford & Sons” (Marcus Mumford – zang / gitaar / drum / mandoline, Winston Marshall – zang / banjo / dobra / bas, Ben Lovett – zang / keyboard / accordeon en Ted Dwane – zang / bas / drum) en de Amerikaanse folkrockband uit Denver “The Lumineers” (Wesley Schultz – zanger / gitarist, Jeremiah Fraites – drummer / mandoline & Neyla Pekarek – cello / mandoline / piano). Momenteel onderhandelt John met een muziek maatschappij om zijn muziek in TV shows, radio, films en commercials te krijgen. Dit zou na een muzikale stop van vijftien jaren, een doorbraak kunnen betekenen. In 2012 brengt John een promotie EP uit met vier nummers. Vanaf begin 2013 werkt John aan zijn eerste studio album. Het album zal opgenomen worden in de ‘Stetson Studios’ Elkins Park, PA.

“Eleventeen” is het debuut album van Paul Saint John en bevat tien tracks met soms heel prachtige namen, alle nummers zijn door John geschreven. Alle nummers zijn mede geproduced door de bassist Mark Robinson. 1”All The King Horses” [John zingt de opener met een krachtige volle stem, waardoor het lyrische van het nummer volledig gedragen wordt en de luisteraar onmiddellijk ingepalmd wordt] – 2”Marry Me” [Van de vele vragen is er voor John maar één belangrijk: “Marry me and I’ll take you to the show…] – 3”Raining Cats And Dogs” [Een nummer dat door de akoestische gitaar en de mondharmonica grooves mag gesitueerd worden tussen de folk van de Amerikanen Bob Dylan en John Prine] – 4”Summertime” [Overpeinzingen op een zonnige dag met maar één conclusie: “I want to spend it with you!” Of wat het gevoel van samen zijn kan doen] –5”Bank Holiday” [“I got no dollars in my pocket left…”] – 6”Pilars Of Hercules ” [De zachtere kant van John weerspiegelt een singer-songwriter uit de jaren ’60, die in een bar zijn verhaal doet] – 7”Six Feet Under” – 8”The Rainbows End” [Een happy song als de regen gestopt is… en mandoline tijd] – 9”Lord, I Got A Problem” [Bel de noodlijn: “Lord, I wonder if you can help?”] – 10”I’m Dr Jekyll, Mr Hyde” [De vlotte afsluiter met de lugubere naam, is door zijn structuur erg aantrekkelijk, waardoor het nummer zich stevig in dat deel van je brein nestelt, dat deze songs erg waardeert].

Paul Saint John heeft me met zijn debuut album “Eleventeen” erg verrast. Deze uit huis wonende Schot brengt hedendaagse folk, maar kan in zijn songs zijn Schotse roots met moeite verbergen, als hij zijn prachtige teksten zingt. Dit debuutalbum is heel gevarieerd en bevat meerdere folk pareltjes, die ontroeren en je meenemen in de fantastische wereld van een meesterlijke singer-songwriter. Dit vraag zeker naar meer!

Eric Schuurmans - ROOTSTIME ( Top Belgian Music Website )

The Bands & Bites Grand Finale Showcase went down at the Hard Rock Cafe Tuesday to a packed house. Surprisingly, the light drizzle, the fact that it was on a Tuesday, and rush hour didn’t stop people from piling in.
I arrived as soon as the first performer, Paul Saint John, got on stage. There were no seats available. Fortunately, a stranger invited me to sit with him. Paul Saint John sounded great. It was just him, his guitar and the crowd. As people continued to come in, order food, and settle down, his strong and soulful voice raised above the noise. He was able to grab the crowd’s attention as his simple set allowed his talent to shine through. Check out his song “All the Kings Horses”. - THAT MUSIC MAG

" Dylan meets Mumford and Sons " - Rock on Philly

Hailing from the suburbs Philadelphia, Paul Saint John is a modern day example of the old school folk artist. John’s crackling voice and rhythmic guitar work together to create a “Bob Dylan meets Mumford and Sons on their first album” kind of sound. I remember hearing someone say that Bob Dylan was a brilliant solo artist because he used his guitar as a drumbeat. Paul Saint John practices the same technique, allowing the one-person-band to emit a more full sound. After a long break from music, Paul Saint John has returned and is determined to spread his music with the release of his album The Eleventeen. Being the winner of the April edition of Bands and Bites, Paul Saint John is Rock On Philly’s Artist of the Month.


So you are originally from Scotland. Can you describe your time there?

When I first started getting into music, I was a teenager. I started playing live when I was about 15 and its been downhill ever since (sarcasm). I played in a few different bands in my teenage years and by my mid 20’s I started a two-piece band called The Cottonfield. We recorded a few EP’s, and went on a couple of tours, but reached a point where we wanted to be bigger. We added two more members to the band and signed a record deal. It seemed that we were right where we needed to be in order to break we just never broke. By 29 I was kind of disillusioned with music and thought if I hadn’t made it by now I probably won’t. So I gave it up.



What made you pick up music again after you had given it up?

Well I’ve always kept a guitar around the house, and one day at work I tore my meniscus. I had to get surgery on the knee and was laid up for about six weeks. With nothing to do I thought, “why not pick up a guitar”. I started playing some old Scottish and Irish tunes and began thinking “maybe I could get back into this”. I was having fun. I went back to some of my material from the 90’s and realized that my voice had transformed quite a bit. I began tentatively writing again and once those flood gates opened that’s all I did. Last year I wrote 44 songs and this year I’m right around 15.



What prompted your move to Philadelphia?

I was vacationing in the states back in 2000 and I met my future wife. That’s what happens when you get drunk in a bar, you make promises you have to keep. But it was love at first sight so I decided to move to Philadelphia with her.



Where do you plan on taking your music career now that you live in Philadelphia?

Right now I’m in negotiations with a Midwest music company who are in the process of pitching my songs for TV shows, movies, and commercials. I’m hoping that one of my songs will break through them. I’m also working on an album, The Eleventeen, that’s about 60% completed. I plan to go in today and lay down the last 4 tracks. It should be ready by the end of June. I plan on either releasing the album myself or contacting small labels to see if they would be interested in releasing it. The Midwest company can also get me radio time on small stations so maybe one of my songs will be picked up from there. I’m also playing live as much as I can. I’ve done a couple music festivals this year, and I played quite a lot on South Street. I’ve got two more gigs coming up on South Street, one at the Lickety Split on June 14th and one at The Legendary Dobbs on July 6th. Ultimately I hope to play the Philadelphia Folk Festival. I don’t want or need to be a rock star, I just want to find an avenue to get my music out. My aim is for every song I write to be better than the last.



Do you feel like Philadelphia is a good place to find that avenue?

Oh yeah, Philly is a great spot for that. I remember the first time I came to the states, I was in San Francisco, its big and its overwhelming. Same with Philly, there’s just as many people who are just as talented if not more talented. It makes it a tough fight, but you just have to persevere. When I watch other people perform, I always think, no matter how good they are, that I’m better. It might sound bad, but that’s the attitude you need. If you see someone and think, “I’ll never be as good as them” then you’ve given up. You can see all sorts of different people and there’s a lot of different talent in Philadelphia. There’s also plenty of venues to play and plenty of places to be seen. Really there’s only a few better places in country to be situated. - Rock on Philly

Originally from the East Coast of Scotland (he was a founding member of the UK folk-rock group, The Cottonfield), now based out of Philadelphia, Paul Saint John is a one man band, his debut album – 'Eleventeen' (as his kids learned to count to twenty each one of them counted 9,10, eleventeen 12, 13, etc) is interspersed with harmonica throughout the album, John’s crisp unique vocals used at times as call and response and his rhythmic guitar that he works as a drum beat create the sound of a robust band. Scottish folk lies just under the surface of his songwriting as simple things in life oft overlooked anchor his story telling.
The opening track ‘All the Kings Horses’ is an earworm that immediately pulls you in and you’re hooked, “Raining Cats and Dogs” finds its groove somewhere between Dylan and John Prine, and is propelled with a forcefully strummed acoustic guitar and a bright harmonica adds detail. “Pillars of Hercules” shows a gentler side, and its ‘60s coffee-house ambience brings to mind Fred Neil and Buckley Sr. The album ends with “I'm Dr Jekyll, Mr Hyde” – its rolling structure is incredibly appealing, and lodges itself firmly in the part of the brain that appreciates that sort of thing. you’ll keep coming back to this album for multiple listens.

Paul Saint John available as download at Cd Baby, iTunes, Amazon Available as physical Cd at Cd Baby and Amazon - Popa's Tunes NJ Music Blog / Couch by Couchwest

Paul Saint John – Eleventeen (Lynnewood Records)
Born and raised in Scotland (he was a founding member of the UK folk-rock group, The Cottonfield), though now based in Philadelphia, PA, Paul Saint John has earned himself an enviable reputation as a vibrant live performer, and plays frequently in and around his new hometown. Also, with an award winning song and a new debut album under his belt, and festival and music conference appearances already booked, 2013 promises to be an interesting year for the singer-songwriter.
His sound remains rooted in folk-rock, and he seamlessly mixes his UK and US influences, a list which includes Dylan, Waits, Mumford and Sons and The Lumineers. He sings his songs with a distinct, full voice that’s wholly his own, and when he applies it to the opening track “All the Kings Horses”, it combines powerfully with a lyrically rich song, which doesn’t skimp on hooks. No wonder he’s making inroads into radio.
Indeed, it’s an album with no shortage of pop flourishes. “Raining Cats and Dogs” finds its groove somewhere between Dylan and John Prine, and is propelled with a forcefully strummed acoustic guitar and a bright harmonica adds detail. “Pillars of Hercules” shows a gentler side, and its ‘60s coffee-house ambience brings to mind Fred Neil and Buckley Sr. The album ends with “I'm Dr Jekyll, Mr Hyde” – its rolling structure is incredibly appealing, and lodges itself firmly in the part of the brain that appreciates that sort of thing - Leicesterbangs Blogspot UK

Paul Saint John & Friends - Upstairs at Dobbs
Fri, May 9, 8:00pm – Sat, May 10, 1:30am
The Legendary Dobbs, South Street, Philadelphia, PA, United States (map)
Description
http://legendar​ydobbs.com/even​t/paul-saint-jo​hn-friends-upst​airs-legendary-​dobbs/#.U1cW1fl​dWSo

Philadelphia Area’s Great New Emerging Artist – Scottish Singer Songwriter – Paul Saint John His Folk-Rock sound, original unique songs and raw emotive vocals,combine to create the breakout Artist for 2014. His songs have been featured on various radio networks throughout the East Coast,on music blogs and radio stations throughout Europe, and worldwide on internet radio. Fresh onto the music scene, his powerful Live Solo Performances have him fast becoming Hot property on the Philadelphia Live music scene and beyond. Debut LP – Eleventeen, released in August 2013 to critical acclaim. In fact Eleventeen made it into Popa’s Tunes Top 10 Albums of 2013 !! Playing Live throughout the Philadelphia region and at upcoming Festivals and Music Conferences throughout the East Coast. His Folk Rock sound is a touch of old school Tom Waits and Bob Dylan mixed with David Gray’s songwriting quality and the raw power of The Tallest Man on Earth. A featured front page Artist in European Music Website – Rootstime, who gave away copies of Eleventeen to their readers promoting Emerging Artist’s. He is also an active member of the Philadelphia Folksong society Cooperative. 2014 is sure to be the breakout year for this artist. For more info/contact Go to – http://paulsain​tjohn.com ** BREAKING NEWS ** – “All the kings horses” will be on ALTCO RECORDINGS Compilation Album – FOLK AMERICA to be released early 2014 !!

Ages 21+

$10 - The Legendary Dobbs

" COOL SONG " - Pocket Dynamite - WSTW 93.7 Mark Rogers ( Hometown Heroes )

" Dylan meets Mumford and Sons " - Rock on Philly's - Tim De Sario

E'mai possibile che a questo mondo il valore di un artista riconosciuto solo se pubblicizzato e quindi monetizzabile ? GREAT SINGER and SONGWRITER. - VIVERCOMAMETADONA ITALIAN BLOG

" Raining Cats and Dogs finds its groove somewhere between Dylan and John Prine " - LEICESTER BANGS

".Amazing night of Music " - Rock on Philly

" Why is this man not heard on the radio !!? " Great Voice, Great Melodies. - Luke Ashlocke

So on Friday, April 26th, Rock On Philly hosted its first event EVER at The Pyramid Club- “Rock On Philly: Bands and Bites.” Sponsored by PUMEX Technologies, it was a night of amazing music, food, drinks, and rooftop views. Much thanks to everyone involved, including COSA COSA art at large, Jim Tretick Art, The Pyramid Club, Steve Trager Photography, Joyful Sound, Jackie Anderson, and of course, our incredible performers- Paul Saint John, Carmen Magro, Run to Sandy, and The Silent Signals - ROCK ON PHILLY

Cool Tune - Pocket Dynamite - Mark Rogers 93.7 WSTW ( Hometown Heroes Host )

This Debut album includes several folk gems that take and move you into the fantastic world of a masterful Singer- Songwriter. - Rootstime ( Belgium )

Why is this man not heard on the radio !? Great Voice , Great Melodies. - Luke Ashlocke