The famed musician and songwriter discusses the definition of power pop, his days with Velvet Crush, and his exciting transcontinental band, The Small Square.
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The Spotlight shines On singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Paul Chastain.
Paul is one half of the duo The Small Square, with drummer, percussionist, and vocalist John Louis Richardson. He is also a songwriter for and co-founder of the group Velvet Crush and has worked with Matthew Sweet, Roger McGuinn, Susanna Hoffs, the late Tommy Keene, and many others.
Paul and John released the second record from The Small Square, Ours & Others, on Farm to Label Records in October 2023. While separated by a continent and ocean (Paul lives in Japan, John in Wisconsin), they co-produced the record and created a modern sound using modern techniques rooted in classic songwriting and musicianship in the Beatles, Beach Boys, and Big Star tradition.
Enjoy!
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from The Small Square’s album Ours & Others)
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00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:24 Paul's location and early start to the day
00:03:06 What brought Paul to Providence
00:04:53 The music scene in Providence when Paul arrived
00:05:48 Paul's thoughts on the power pop genre
00:08:19 The influence of technology on Paul's music-making process
00:13:49 Collaboration and the creative process within The Small Square
00:18:19 The evolution of Paul's DIY approach to music production
00:21:39 Balancing the roles of musician, arranger, and producer
00:23:44 The story behind the song "Twenty-Third"
00:27:38 Paul's approach to songwriting and arrangement
00:30:21 Adapting to the changing music industry landscape
00:33:18 The impact of the pandemic on Paul's creative process and the music business
00:36:35 The division of labor and collaboration between Paul and John in The Small Square
00:39:13 Experimenting with new sounds and textures on "Ours & Others"
00:43:29 Future plans for promoting "Ours & Others" and potential live performances
00:46:03 The importance of creative contributions from collaborators
00:47:10 Closing thoughts and upcoming projects
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Purchase The Small Square's Ours & Others from Qobuz → https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/ours-others-the-small-square/amj19pusnhjzb
Bandcamp → https://thesmallsquare.bandcamp.com/album/ours-others
or directly from Farm to Label Records → https://farmtolabelrecords.com/product/ours-others-by-the-small-square-cd
You can also listen to the album on your streaming platform of choice → https://songwhip.com/thesmallsquare/ours-and-others
Follow The Small Square on Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/TheSmallSquare
and Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/smallish.square
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