‘Mic Check’ Interview with Paul Carey

We chat with instrumental guitarist Paul about his career, passions and projects!

Can you tell us a bit about your performance background and how you got started in the industry?

Like many musicians I started in garage bands with friends as a teenager. We would make our own songs, posters, tapes ( yes, tapes) and do gigs. I guess I knew pretty early that music was something I wanted to be part of. Well it’s 30 years later and not much has changed, I’m still writing music, producing recordings, touring and still loving life. I’ve been lucky enough to play music around the world and have all sorts of wonderful adventures.

 How do you approach your creative process, from ideation to completion?

For me it’s all about the concept, once I have that clear in my mind I can get down to work, which is 95% of the process really. From there it’s just using all the tools I’ve picked up along the way, from playing my instrument to arranging small or large groups whatever the project might be.

 How do you stay motivated and inspired to create and develop new work?

I always have plenty of ideas, more than time allows unfortunately, but I usually have my next 1 or 2 projects humming away in my mind

How has the Australian Arts industry changed since you first started, and what changes do you anticipate in the future?

It’s definitely a more inclusive industry and it appears that there are more spaces for people to find their place with the industry. I expect this will continue. Obviously the digitization of music and the world in general has made it so much easier to operate and get your music out..... even if music streaming sites have all but wiped out one of the main income sources for musicians, but hey, gotta roll with it.

What has been your biggest career highlight so far, and why was it significant for you?

One highlight was playing in Mexico at the Zihuatenejo International Guitar Festival with my long term collaborator Adam May as “Duo Agogo” . We were the first Australians to be invited to the festival and it was our first overseas trip together. We had a lot of fun over the 10 day festival in a perfect location.

How do you balance the creative and business sides of the performance industry, and what strategies have worked best for you?

I’ve always done the business in my groups, if I’m not doing it for myself then it won’t happen so I guess it’s always been part of the deal. I just go for it and try to adapt as the landscape changes. I’m still learning.

What advice would you give to aspiring artists looking to break out?

Just go for it. Be prepared to send out 100 emails and be happy if you get one back. Hone your craft obviously and these days make sure you have some good media.

Can you tell us about a collaboration or project that you've worked on that was particularly memorable or influential?

My most recent album  “Suite Brasileira” is easily my greatest work and it’s something that took about 7 years from concept to realisation. It involved writing, arranging, recording and releasing an album using 5 different guitars all with different sizes, tuning and playing techniques The most pleasing aspect is that I was able to achieve what I set out to do from the start and along the way built upon the skills needed to make it a success.

Can you talk about a project or album that you're currently working on and what we can expect from it?

I have a new group called “Retratos Ensemble” which I’m really excited about. It uses  my compositions as a bed for the other musicians to improvise and make a group sound. It’s early days, but we done a number of gigs and everyone is pretty excited about the it, so that makes me happy.

Wanna hear more? Contact us to discuss booking Paul for your next event!