I got a few minutes from Paul P., the drummer and vocalist of Southern Texas rockers Sidewinder, for this interview where we discuss influences and rock and roll, Southern Texas style.
Music is merely an expression of a multitude of emotions, personality, and experiences brought forth and conveyed through instrumentation and voice. From the club stage to the concert stage and all points in between, Sidewinder hopes to see you sometime soon!”
Introduce yourself to our readers and describe the style of music you create.
Hey everyone, this is Paul P., drummer & co-vocalist, with Sidewinder of Texas coming at you from way way down here on the southern most tip of Texas along the Mexican border behind the cactus curtain. Well, with that self-intro, one can assume that we are a long way from anywhere and definitely a long way from the main stream music scene. Nevertheless, we are a three piece rockin’ band with a classic rock kind of sound that we refer to as “Texas style rock”.
Who or what influences your playing and/or writing styles? Also, what motivates you to keep creating?
Growing up, I listened to a lot of 70’s & 80’s Hard & Classic Rock as well as some Motown and even some of mom and dads Country & Western, Easy Listening and Pop. So, my influences are pretty broad but, obviously, I was and am most influenced by the Hard Rock. And I can pretty much speak for the rest of the guys as well. Our mutual influences are part of what makes our compatibility and chemistry so good. It’s really weird as I feel the older I (we) get, the more creative I (we) get. I guess it stems from life itself, you know, all of the ups and downs, experiences, both, good and bad, family issues, and of course, our society’s continuing downward spiral to what I hope is not to a point of no return. What I’m referring to is all of this conflict and violence and political correctness. And the media is so manipulative and misleading. It has to stop. Something’s going to have to give and that is really worrisome. On the bright side, it makes for a good source of inspiration for writing and creating. LOL!
What was the last song you listened to?
The last song I listened earlier today was, “Love Struck Baby” by the late great Stevie Ray Vaughn.
Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what are one or two of the biggest challenges you face when trying to attract listeners to your music?
There are so many great bands and talented musicians and songwriters out there. As I mentioned earlier, we are, geographically, in a bad location regarding the music scene and industry. Down here on the tip of Texas, there are a so many super talented players with some killer original music, an untapped market if you will, but it is so hard to be seen or heard unless you’ve got some deep pockets or major bucks to dump into management, marketing, and promotion.
Do you gig, tour or perform through any live streaming services? Where can music lovers see you perform?
Unfortunately, we do not live stream. Unless you happen to catch us somewhere performing live, you would have to download our music, buy our cd’s, or watch our video’s.
Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more of your music?
The best place to connect with us online is at our website or on Facebook under Sidewinder of Texas at: Security Check Required
And our music is available at: https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sidewinder1 and https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sidewinder12
Any last thoughts? Shout outs? Words of wisdom?
Hey, just appreciate the opportunity to talk a little about the band. We have a brand new record coming out hopefully by September with some pretty catchy tunes but for now please check out our previous records, “Sidewinder” and “My Country”. What you see is what you get with us. No attitude or artificial images just some down to earth Texas boys who share a passion for loud Rock and Roll, appreciate what we have, and are simply trying to spread the word to be heard!
