Bio
CURRENT DAY ST PoP...
Over the last couple of years we've seen A LOT of changes in the band, both in Style and Membership. We had some lineup changes, dropped 5 more songs, played larger stages, had international Radio airplay, and released a couple videos. Currently ST.PoP features St. Thomas (Thomas Lynch) on Drums, St. Robbie (Robbie Hyde) on Drums, and St.Paul of Phoenix,(Paul Perron) on Vocals and Ukulele + a lil Guitar here n there. Oh, and we're currently throwin our HORNS UP, shoutin HELLS YEAH! and drivin towards that hat brim bouncing, scowl inducing METAL SOUND! BUCKLE UP, BOTTOMS UP, HERE WE GO!!!!!!!
EARLY ST. PoP...
St. PoP has released unto the world his debut dispensation. So it has been recorded, so it shall be done. The Chapter 1, Verse 1 EP is four tracks of blues drenched tunes surprisingly driven by an electrified ukulele that provides a calling card for a fresh new act shaking things up in Phoenix, AZ. The songs show off a multi-faceted performer in all of his songwriting capabilities with artistic sincerity.
St. PoP (AKA St. Paul of Phoenix), is the solo project of Paul Perron. Paul plays both acoustic and electric ukuleles, at times fingerpicking and at other times using a slide. This combination of unorthodox playing and Paul’s songwriting style create the uniquely recognizable St. PoP sound and sets it apart from Perron's previous projects.
Chapter 1, Verse 1 kicks off with the fan favorite "Booty Call", and amidst the pounding percussion and wild horn arrangement, there is indeed a ukulele leading the pack as unlikely as it seems. Perron's vocals fit a classic gravelly blues mold with a touch of the Delta in his delivery, while the hooks found within are simply catchy as hell. Perron mentions, "People actually come up to me after a show or sometimes even a couple weeks later and recite the lyrics back to me." If a song sticks, you know it does the trick.
The upbeat swing of "Hey Bartender" follows in its wake, with a head-spinning melody, a hypnotic tempo and an arrangement that's as intoxicating as the lyrical subject matter. A single waiting for the radio, it's a glorious ode to befriending your drinking problem which plays out like actual conversations you have with yourself at the bar.
"Baby, Baby Please" is the desperate plea found in the title writ large, with extra histrionic and added pathos to drive home the sense of neediness. It's brilliantly constructed to evoke both pity and a smirk with the over the top performance found throughout.
Chapter 1, Verse 1 ends with the delightful ukulele instrumental "Rainy Mountain Morning," which somehow through sheer mysticism, conveys that exact environment through its beauty and simplicity. Four brushstrokes of completely different colors show what St. PoP has come to reveal to listeners everywhere.
Paul Perron formed this project in the summer of 2018 with drummer Eric Parker, who have been friends since high school. Parker and Perron both relocated from Seattle to Phoenix at different times and reconnected a few years ago. When the time came, Parker was his first choice to collaborate with musically when he envisioned this band. St. PoP immediately began writing and recording at Phoenix, AZ’s own Full Well Recording Studios, leading to the new record. Former Band mates Mark "Handsome Boy" Harrison and Tremaine Oliver from The Glides are often part of the St. PoP experience, each adding their own special flavor.
Perron plays a fingerpicked drop tuned acoustic ukulele and an open tuned electric slide ukulele. He started playing and writing on uke about a year ago when he bought cheap ukuleles for his children. They didn't take to it at all, but he certainly did and soon invested in higher quality instruments as his playing style developed. The songs on this record are the first he wrote and a month later he was in the studio. Perron never looked back and his kids still don't play.
St. PoP's live set can be simply Perron solo, joined by Parker on drums, or up to a full nine piece band featuring bass, a horn section, harmonica and additional percussion. Perron vetted the material on the record at open mics throughout Phoenix, working the material while recording it, figuring out what works and what doesn't. "It's a big thrill when you can hit people in the heart who are just walking in cold to your music," Perron remarks. "Another big thrill is when people say 'Ya know, I don't like blues... But I do when you play it. Never seen nothing like that.'"
"It's nice to have my own band," Perron said. "It's not a democracy--more like a banana republic. I love being in bands but sometimes people want to go in different directions. I'd like to think I know my direction now." Perron has been known for the last five years as the thumping bass man pumping the blood through every song by The Glides. He was The Glides very own personal God of Thunder--he understood it was his duty to keep the music grooving while keeping the people moving.
"I’ve got an angel crying on my right shoulder, devils partying on my left."--The Gospel of St. PoP
THE SAINTED, OVER THE YEARS...
ST. THOMAS (THOMAS LYNCH) - DRUMS
ST. ROBBIE (ROBBIE HYDE) - BASS
ST. ERIC (ERIC PARKER) - DRUMS
ST. TRAMAINE (TRAMAINE OLIVER) - DRUMS
ST. MARK (MARK HARRISON) - BASS
ST. KENNY (KEN BRUDER) - BACKING VOCALS