Paolo Nutini: Young Talent

It was on the cold afternoon of March 8th  2007 at the Time Boutique Café (www.timeboutiquecafe.com) on St-Laurent Boulevard in Montreal, that I had the pleasure of meeting the young and talented Paolo Nutini. I was the last lucky one to interview the young star. He had had a long day and seen many faces so, I have to admit, I was a bit nervous and anxious about our meeting. But all this was unjustified. My interview with Paolo, although shorter than expected (due to lack of time), was quite interesting and I learned a lot about this astonishing 19 yrs old. Here is my interview…Enjoy!

CONFRONT: Hi.

PAOLO: Hi.

CONFRONT: First let me explain to you who we are and what we want to be doing with our magazine. We are an online magazine and our motto is Dare, Defy, Provoke. Dare to Listen, Defy Stereotypes and Provoke Change. We want to make sure we are always a step forward of mainstream, we want our readers to be aware of what’s out there and that it’s not because it’s not playing on the Top 40 or on the radio all the time that it’s not good music…

CONFRONT: And now let me ask you a couple of our CONFRONT questions… What would be your definition of mainstream today???

PAOLO: Mainstream… You know my idea of certain things being mainstream has sort of changed, you know, being in the position that allows you to do the shows and the music that you love, being with a record company that believes in what you do they’re not lying, they’re making you do what they know that you need to do to make it. I think it’s the ones that don’t call all the shots that can relate to us the most…they understand.

CONFRONT: Yeah they do…

PAOLO: They’re closer to you and know how you feel about playing and playing and being overwhelmed with promotion and not have time for you… The big guys they want you to sell as many records as possible and it’s ok I understand that because I want to do that too in a sense.

CONFRONT: Exactly.

PAOLO: My schedules are crazy…

CONFRONT: Yeah it’s a constant struggle.

PAOLO: I know it’s hard and it’s ok but at the same time like you say it’s a constant struggle because I want to be chilling sometimes and just play music… just like days like today you now… promotions and all it’s hard, because to a certain extent you need to compromise yourself… I need to do it, it’s part of work but, you know.

CONFRONT: Stay true to yourself.

PAOLO: Exactly and I want to do that but it’s not always easy… I thing it’s the struggle with mainstream today, I’ve just been very lucky with my label and all the people around me.

CONFRONT: I agree.

PAOLO: That’s what I think.

CONFRONT: OK so now what would be the first and the last CD you bought? OK so now what would be the first and the last CD you bought?

PAOLO: First CD I bought…was in a yard sale… it’s a record called “Yellow Brick Road” by Elton John, you know the one that has “Your Song” on it…

CONFRONT: Yeah I know that song.

PAOLO: So I bought this album and I fell in love with this artist. And the last one I bought was a box set by a guy called Sony Davis, who is an old blues musician. He is a very good musician and brings me back to the original, you know?

CONFRONT: Good old blues.

PAOLO: Yup, you know I have a copy on CD of the first record a black person was able to record.

CONFRONT: Nice stuff, you’re lucky.

PAOLO: I love the 1920’s blues and stuff…also folk music you know, Johnny Cash…I feel like it’s opening up my horizons you know, I can go from Marvin Gaye to Ray Charles you know and pass by Johnny Cash and understand that these men had a great influence on people…including like The White Stripes and Cream it goes on and on and on. It shows the diversity and helps me see where the real music comes from and inspires me to do some music like that. I feel like if you know where it comes from you can appreciate all the hard work other people put into their work before you, then I don’t mind working hard today and I feel privileged to be there instead of always being told and not believing it, you know…

CONFRONT: Yeah I definitely understand and see that.

CONFRONT: Now of course we have to talk about “These Streets” your first album, very popular in Europe and starting to get popular here, how was the process of writing and recording your first album? Of course you went through a lot, to write these songs…there is a lot of heartache, life experiences I guess…how was that?

PAOLO: Well, the first song that was written for this album was “Rewind” I wrote that when I was 16 and the last one was “Jenny Don’t Be Hasty”. So you know it’s really, since I was 15 and a half, I’ve been writing songs you know, writing about feelings and all that stuff, so I felt really lucky to record this album, even if it’s been a crazy process…

CONFRONT: It’s been a roller coaster ride?

PAOLO: Yeah I don’t have time for me you know, I’ve had like 3 days off in the last year you know…

CONFRONT: Yeah I understand that.

PAOLO: It’s been crazy but it’s been fun, because you know before that I was dreaming of that so you know, it’s fun, but still I can’t wait to go back home…

CONFRONT: You want to get to miss the stage again?

PAOLO: Well, you know, I think if it was only the stage I’d be fine with it, it’s just that I have to do promo, interviews before, interviews after the show you know it doesn’t stop…my better judgment tells me to hold it together and I’ll be fine…

Here we are interrupted by Marlène (Warner Records) but Paolo kindly asks me to continue because he likes this interview (I’m blushing…)

CONFRONT: Well I have one last question… What would you like your legacy to be? In a couple of years…lets say 10 years… How do you want to be recognized?

PAOLO: I want to be recognized as a family man, I want to be a great musician, but I want to have kids, I want to live in the country in Scotland. I want people to also remember me as a great musician, but also maybe as an activist, or something, but mostly as a family man, as a father, a husband. I want to follow Johnny Cash’s life; he is an inspiration to me. He was a great musician, a legend and he was able to have a family and love his kids. I want to live my life … like do what I have to do, party and all that stuff, but then settle down. I want to be able to express my emotions and stuff, you know…

CONFRONT: Yeah be true to yourself no matter what.

PAOLO: Exactly you know I want to be remembered for me.

CONFRONT: I totally understand.

PAOLO: I want to be respected you know…

CONFRONT: Yeah respected as a musician and respected as a man.

PAOLO: Exactly.

CONFRONT: Well thank you very much.

PAOLO: Well no thank you, it was a pleasure.

CONFRONT: Hope you’ll have a good show tonight.

PAOLO: I will see you there?

CONFRONT: Of course.