Paul JM, aka Future One, is a self-taught artist in several disciplines. In music he plays the drum kit, guitars (acoustic, lead, rhythm and electric bass). In visual art he has shown paintings in galleries throughout DC, Manhattan, Westchester and Fairfield. Currently residing in Peekskill, NY, Paul is involved in several musical bands and projects.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Paul about his Future One project and the latest release Lost Mighway. We talk music, technology, challenges and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
I was born and raised In Westchester County, NY although I did spend 20 years or so In Connecticut. I was a creative director at the World Wrestling Federation (before WWE) and wanted to live close to the job. As far as music goes, I usually have a blend of pop melodies, with dark subjects at times and adding some progressive elements. However this new release, under a brand new band name headed more towards a quirky pop vibe.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?
I wanted to get into the other side of my being which has major influences from Squeeze, XTC, The Jam, Costello, etc. Very happy to have made the move. It’s opened me up to a new perspective; a way of delivering a message. It is a challenge and the thought of one day writing something important to the world (or at least NY state) keeps me going. But I really feel I’m connecting with Lost Mighway.
How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?
I’ve had several releases (The Ager, Lily Still, It’s Me Old Man, and The Greatest Hit). Those were done under the band name Period Comma. Maybe judging from the titles and name, you can sense they were not the most “relatable” projects. Well that is correct. I’m basically an abstract surrealist and my words were meant for me – mostly me alone. With the Future One release I dove into my soul and brought out some light; and it feels great. Lost Mighway is connecting with folks and slowly but surely gaining an audience.
Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this over saturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?
Great question. A major challenge for me is the age group. I am older now than I have been (?), and don’t really have the support from the younger crowd that gets excited about new bands and spreads the word to everyone they know, although my group of friends are totally supportive. But some positive insights from Spotify tells me I’m bridging the gap a bit – which is awesome.
Another challenge is I do solo work, as in I am playing all instruments save for shakers, strings by Katie Jacoby on a track and Trombone on 2 tracks by Broadway musician Chris Olness, so gigging/touring “solo” would not be the type of promotion I’d want. The next step would be to put a band together – very possible but not easy.
Technology is great and really enables musicians to get in touch with anyone, anywhere. But it does seem nearly impossible to make any type of living. There’s always a cost involved to get social media to work for you – and the monetary return is really nothing. It’s an art of love for sure.
What was the last song you listened to?
Regeneration by The Darkening Scale
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
Vinyl has the best sound. CDs are more convenient because you don’t have to change sides every 20 or minutes. High quality MP3s work fine. I mostly listen to music in my car – so I guess CD is the preference.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
Spotify – as awesome but the toughest to break into I feel. I’ve had most success with Bandcamp so far and working on getting SoundCloud to get songs out there.
Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?
Anything else before we sign off?
Would like to thank you for your interest in Future One and the Lost Mighway release. Support from music lovers really goes a long way. I am working on a bunch new titles which I hope to have 10 or so demos by end of year – then back to the studio.
