Gregory Paul Group Bio

The Gregory Paul Group (GPG) is growing in every way imaginable. The Rochester, New York, rock band, popular throughout the northeast United States and across the Internet for the past four years, has recently added a new member, signed a new record deal, and released a new CD. Each move represents an adventurous step forward.

In September of 2001, the duo of Gregory Paul (vocals, guitars and electronics) and Aaron Boucher (drums), added bass player Tony Wensel. In April 2002, the group signed with OnlineRock Records, a company affiliated with one of the largest music communities on the Web, and in June 2002, the group released Spirit & Decibels, their first CD as a trio.

Before Wensel's arrival, Paul and Boucher had been performing and recording as the Gregory Paul Group in the unique duo configuration since 1998, winning popular and critical success in the process. In performance and on their recordings, the group creates a textured, hypnotic sound — Paul's alluring vocals interwoven with haunting, minimalist instrumentals, all propelled by Boucher's inventive percussion and Wensel's solid bassline. Billboard Magazine called the group "a hybrid of atmospheric ambience and powerful acoustics.”

“Hybrid” is a good word for the GPG, as their influences are wide ranging. Echoes of world music, hip-hop, jazz, reggae, electronica, rock and Brit pop (to name a few) surge through the mix during the band's spirited, electric performances and on their CDs.

Beginnings

Paul and Boucher met in 1989, when Paul performed at a benefit concert for the homeless produced by Boucher's group, Head Cheese. “I was really into what he was doing,” Boucher recalls.“ A few years later, he was forming a new group and looking for a drummer. He saw I had the feel and I had the drive. And musically, we clicked perfectly.”

The group that grew out of that union was Stillmotion, an experimental “shoegazer” band that thrived in the Rochester area from 1992 to 1995. The group performed with a variety of international acts and appeared on the College Music Journal charts nationwide with a seven-inch vinyl release on Word of Mouth Records.

After three years, the members of Stillmotion moved on to individual pursuits. Paul launched a solo career, while Boucher took on the challenge of running a local record label. In 1998, however, Paul began to feel that a stronger rhythmic presence would help his music, and Boucher came back on board. “I knew that Greg's music was my favorite kind of music,” the percussionist says. “It was powerful, emotional and very interesting.”

A reputation grows

The Gregory Paul Group was born. Fueled by Paul's compositions and instrumental creativity and Boucher's dynamic drumming, the duo quickly gained a following throughout the northeast. From 1998 through 2001, they played over 450 shows, headlining in area clubs and opening for a diverse group of heavyweights — from the Moody Blues and Foreigner to the Crash Test Dummies, Jeremy Toback and One World Tribe. They received a standing ovation for their performance on the main stage of the 2001 National Association for Campus Activities Great Lakes Conference.

Of one Gregory Paul Group performance, Rob Cullivan of music@rochester-citynews.com wrote, “Instantly, the room is transformed by [Paul's] mesmerizing sound and the steady, muscular drumming of Boucher. Paul has a great voice, and Boucher plays like he knows he's backing a serious singer. Together, they're singular visionaries.”

In 1998, GPG were semi-finalists in SPIN Magazine's “Best Unsigned Band” contest. They followed up the release their first CD, Factotum (1999) with The Sea is Rough (2000), for which Boucher handled the recording and production. Frank De Blasé of music@rochester-citynews.com had this to say: “The Sea is Rough . . . showcases the duo's ability to be sensitive and insightful, forsaking pretense and cliché.” The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle lauded “the airy, acoustic, eerie style that has made [Paul] one of the most distinctive guitarists on the local scene.”

The Internet music community also took note. Among the band's online accomplishments in 2001 alone, the title track to The Sea is Rough climbed to #3 on the UK Sounds.com Top 10 Chart in February, as England caught on to the band. During May, Paul was named Artist of the Week at both UK Sounds.com and LoudEnergy.com. In August, HitMixUK.com named GPG a Pick of the Week. Listener reviews on sites like MP3.com and garageband.com have been glowing.

A natural growth and a fuller sound.

In 2001, the Paul and Boucher finally decided to add a bass player. “Aaron and I explored the two-man idea as long as we could,” Paul explains. “We had a great full sound in spite of the fact that we didn't have a bassist, and people liked that we were doing something different. But one of the things about us is that the music's always evolving.”

Tony Wensel, a long-time friend of Boucher's who was familiar with GPG's repertoire and sound, was tapped for the job. The addition of Wensel was an instant success, as the bassist's playing fit the band's minimalist style perfectly. “I'm there to add that low tone,” he says. “It's a nice touch to what's already a pretty good piece of music.”

“Having Tony frees me up to explore a lot more possibilities with the guitar,” Paul adds. “He's provided that bottom end that makes our sound more complete.”

The new CD: Spirit & Decibels

With the trio in place, the band went into the studio to record Spirit & Decibels, with Boucher once again handling production. As with all the group's recordings, the CD is comprised entirely of Gregory Paul originals. If anything, Spirit & Decibels adds a new dimension to the band's signature style.

“Our sound has evolved since the duo CDs,” Paul says. “It's even more atmospheric. On the new album, you notice a powerful difference. That sense of space is definitely an important aspect to our sound. I use the term ambient, but I don't like to use it too much because it gives people a specific idea. I like to cross genres enough so that the labels get tricky. Ultimately, I just want to produce something that sounds interesting and new.”

OnlineRock Records

At least as important as the new CD to the Gregory Paul Group's future is their recent artist development/record deal with OnlineRock Records, as the company's first band. An outgrowth of OnlineRock.com, a portal for independent musicians and music enthusiasts, the Internet-based record company is poised on the cutting edge of the music industry's web-based future, and strongly positioned to help boost the career of bands like the GPG. Based in San Carlos, California, OnlineRock provides hosting services and resources to help bands promote, distribute and sell their music online. Over 6,000 bands across the U.S. and Europe are currently promoting their music on the portal.

With his Internet and production expertise and connections in the music community, the decision to begin a recording label was a natural one for OnlineRock founder/president Steven Beck. He launched a search for the right band to begin his new venture and received a message, and then a press kit, from Linda Fullerton, GPG's manager. Beck was sold on the band after watching two performances, and a relationship was forged.

“This is a great opportunity for us,” Paul says. “Everybody knows the Internet is the new frontier, especially for new bands. Companies like OnlineRock that can take advantage of the technology and tap into the growing independent arts community are likely to really take off. Everything's moving in that direction. And Steve has been great to work with. He's helped us with everything we need, and he gives us complete creative control. That means the world to any band that's committed to creating something new.”

The Gregory Paul Group

Gregory Paul (vocals, guitars, percussion, ambient sounds, composition) The 32-year-old guitarist, composer, and electronic sound architect has been defining his sound and refining his craft in the Rochester, NY, area for the past ten years. Prior to forming Gregory Paul Group, Paul's most notable ensemble was the shoegazer electronica band Stillmotion (1992-95), which also featured GPG drummer Aaron Boucher. Both as a solo performer and as leader of the GPG, Paul delights in creating acoustic sound stylings infused with electronic eno-influenced hypnotics. Along with his group activities, Paul gives solo performances of his electronic/ambient music and has released three solo CDs, including Tales of Transcendelia, (1997: with recording help from Kramer, of Shimmy Disc fame), the EP Pollyanna Smile (2001), and Anon (2001). Paul's musical influences are wide ranging, and strains of world music, reggae, hip-hop, jazz, and all kinds of rock and pop can be heard in his music.

Aaron Boucher (drums, percussion)

Growing up in Rochester, Boucher, 29, was exposed to reggae and jazz at an early age, courtesy of his parents. His earliest band experiences were as a guitarist in an alternative/punk band, but he soon switched to drums. In 1990, Boucher went to Allegheny College, where he played varsity basketball and studied drums with Dr. Floyd Williams, Jr., a jazz master who had performed with the likes of Lionel Hampton, Duke Ellington and Ray Charles. Returning to Rochester, Boucher joined up with Paul, whom he had met in 1989, to take part in Stillmotion's three-year run (1992-1995). From 1995 through 1998, Boucher was involved in the music industry from the other side, running a local label, Endless Records, while performing with the band Lazarus Go Home. He reconnected with Paul in 1998 to form the Gregory Paul Group, which has been going strong ever since. Boucher says his musical influences are, “just completely everything,” but most specifically lists African music, jazz, reggae and hard rock, with influential drummers including Elvin Jones, New Orleans legend Zigaboo Modeliste, reggae master Carlton Barrett and rock drummers Jimmy Chamberlin of the Smashing Pumpkins and Phil Rudd of AC/DC.

Tony Wensel (bass)

The 26-year old Wensel joined the Gregory Paul Group in September 2001, adding a new dimension to what had been a successful duo band since 1998. Wensel studied music theory and piano briefly in college, but is essentially a self-taught musician. And other than filling in on bass with a friend's band for six months in 1998, the GPG is Wensel's first full-time group experience. It is perhaps that lack of preconceptions that has helped him bring a fresh perspective to the Gregory Paul Group. “I didn't go into it with any expectations,” he says, “and it's been great. I think my style coincides naturally with the band's music. I guess I'd call it minimalist. I'm not the type of player who wants to fill up every inch of space. I especially didn't want to do anything to change the older songs, because they sounded great the way they were.” One reason Wensel's been able to fit in so quickly is that he shares a strong affinity for African rhythms, jazz, reggae and hard rock with GPG drummer Aaron Boucher, with whom he's been friends for years.

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