pk and the in-betweens is the latest project from singer/songwriter Paul Kleinert. Kleinert founded alt/pop/rock band Waiting for Rain in 1988 with high school friend Jeffrey Larish.
After ten years of performing in coffee shops, clubs, bars and fraternity parties, the band dissolved. Other than a few open mics and a Waiting for Rain reunion show, Kleinert has stayed off the stage and under the radar, pouring all of his creative talents and energy into teaching high school economics…until now.
On the Inside is a collection of three songs that tell a story of heartache and loss with an thread of hope and redemption. Kleinert is currently back in the studio working on new material.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Paul about his music, challenges, technology 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, raised and currently live in the Lehigh Valley…about an hour or so northwest of Philadelphia, PA. I’ve always struggled to describe the type of music I write. One of my favorite lines that someone else once used was “Romanticism meets reality check meets catchy, American guitar pop.” I always loved that. That was written a bunch of years ago about my band Waiting For Rain, but I think that spirit continues with the new solo work. For me it’s pretty straight forward roots rock with a twist. I always love to hear how others hear the songs. What do you hear?
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?
I started playing and writing when I was in high school for the same reasons probably most 15-year-olds first pick up a guitar: the magic, the mystique and the ability to try to express yourself during a time when you have so many thoughts, feelings and questions that you don’t feel capable of adequately expressing. After playing in a couple of cover bands, I took a leap of faith and entered a talent show at Temple University playing a couple of original songs. After finishing in second place, I reached out to an old high school friend, Jeffrey Larish and we formed Waiting For Rain. WFR lasted from 1988-1999. When the band dissolved, I pretty much thought I was through with music…it was the only real band that I was ever in and letting that go was like losing a good friend. I pretty much stayed away from music and concentrated my energy and creativity to my classroom as a high school economics teacher. But eventually that same magic and mystique that captured my teenage imagination all those years ago, pulled me back to the studio.
How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?
This set of songs captures my first time in the studio without a band by my side. I reached out to producer/engineer/musician Brian Bricklin (Bricklin, A&M Records; Martin’s Dam, Sire Records) to see if he was available and interested in helping out with a small solo project. Brian and his brother Scott, had done some early work with WFR, so I had a level of comfort and familiarity even though it had been about 15 years since we last worked together. Brian was working at a place with a small Project Studio so these songs were built from the ground up…we started with acoustic guitar and vocals and built everything from there. I’d never recorded like that before. I had only ever “cut live” with a band and then built from there. This was a whole new world for me. While in the band, most of the recordings were a means to an end…get more shows, more reviews, new fans, new merch at shows. This time the recording WAS the goal. The band had broken up about 5 years prior and I missed the music, I missed the process. I didn’t really have any plans or goals after that. In fact, these songs sat on the shelf for the past 15 years. I’m currently back in the studio once again (with Brian at the helm) and I felt that now was a great time to get these tunes out there to stretch their legs and get some fresh air.
Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this oversaturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?
Certainly, music is cheaper and more accessible than when I was actively playing and it’s easier and cheaper to connect with your fans than ever before. We used to have an old school mailing list. We’d write, print and mail out a monthly newsletter. Now you can reach fans 24 hours a day with the click of a button. It’s crazy to think the LP (the long-playing record for those too young to know) has only been around since the late 40’s early 50’s.
Much before that, mass production of music really wasn’t a thing. If you wanted your music heard you could only do so physically, a couple of hundred or thousand people at a time. All the power was in the hands of recording companies and studio owners…the artist was essentially beholden to that structure. Now all of the rules have changed, technology changed the game.
Now you can record in your bedroom and digitally distribute worldwide with very little upfront capital. So, although it’s easier than ever to get your music out there, it’s easier for everyone, so how do you get noticed?? I’m just poking my head up for the first time in a bunch of years so I’m a bit of a dinosaur in regards to how to successfully navigate everything that comes with music in the digital age.
For me, standing where I am, all this has allowed me to dip my toe back in the stream (pun intended). Technology has democratized music the same way it has many other industries. For someone like me who began making music in a pre-digitalized world, the thought of an unsigned, unknown, indie artist, having your music heard by someone in Spain or The Netherlands on Spotify or a similar app is mind blowing!
What was the last song you listened to?
Change of Heart by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Right before that was Bruce’s new track, Tucson Train.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
Vinyl or CD’s when I’m feeling nostalgic or want the best listening experience. MP3s for anything else!
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
I LOVE Spotify!! I’m a paid subscriber so I can download for offline listening which really adds to the convenience factor. I joke with my students that I used be able to listen to ONE ENTIRE CASSETTE on my Sony Walkman. I thought that was the coolest thing I owned when I was growing up. Now I can walk around with a seemingly endless list of songs from any genre from both well-known and unknown artists. What a GREAT time to be a fan of music!
Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?
Check out http://www.pkandtheinbetweens.com/ for news and information about the new project and please sign up for the mailing list.
Email directly: info@pkandtheinbetweens.com
Check out CD Baby and Spotify for pk and the in-betweens (coming soon!!) and also check out my work with Waiting For Rain
https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/waitingforrain
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7KPSKLTVQNEj9lsZMaCS5v/about
Anything else before we sign off?
Thanks for taking the time to support independent music and keep an eye open for the new release “a lifetime of almost…”
