The thought in writing this was dealing with my hurt, but also the hope that there were people out there who could relate.

Greg Paddock – Vocals
Ryan Harrison – Guitar
J.R. Richards – Producer (and backing vocals)

Person Interviewing: Greg Paddock

Who is Paddock?

Detroit born singer/songwriter. I have been entertaining Detroit area audiences for several years fronting various rock bands, as well as providing vocals for my acoustic duo Sugartips.

In 2015, I traveled to Santa Barbara/ California to record backing vocals for JR Richard’s two solo albums – Honore Et Amore and Stripped.After working with JR, we discussed JR eventually producing my original music.

In December 2018, I traveled to Oxfordshire England to record my first two songs at JR’s studio. Cold Blue Morning and I’m Not Ready To Say Goodbye was released in late January 2019. In October 2019 I traveled back to England to record 3 more songs to complete my first EP – Cotswold along with my acoustic guitarist, and Sugartips acoustic duo partner, Ryan Harrison. The song Sunshine Smile was co-written with Ryan.

Debut EP – Cotswold is produced by award-winning singer/songwriter J.R. Richards (original Dishwalla singer/songwriter), and accompanied by guitarist Ryan Harrison.

I credit my parents, and sister for my early influences in my love for music. As a child, we would listen to Motown, Billy Joel, and Elton John during early morning car rides to my grandparents’ house in Detroit. As I grew older, I would listen to Billy Idol, Foreigner, U2, INXS as a teen, and then became heavily influenced by bands like Nirvana, Foo Fighters, and Dishwalla. It was at this point that J.R. Richards became my biggest influence. I sang in a choir in school from childhood through high school and would find the biggest connection with the lead vocals in bands I listened to.

Never losing my love for singing, I eventually started fronting local Detroit rock bands, as well as doing acoustic duo work on the side. I always had the desire to create original music, and that became a reality once I started working with J.R., and then my acoustic duo partner Ryan Harrison.

Song name: Sunshine Smile

Music Genre:: Alternative, Rock, Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Singer-Songwriter

‘Sunshine Smile’ is about hurt and betrayal. The wave of emotions in coping with losing the love of your life to someone else. The worst feeling anyone can ever have is a broken heart, and nobody wants to hear their love isn’t good enough. 

When Ryan, and I started working on this song, we wanted to create something with a change of pace from some of the other songs on our debut EP-Cotswold, which is produced by award-winning singer-songwriter J.R. Richards-original Dishwalla singer-songwriter.

This song has a Foo Fighters type vibe from the start with the pounding drums, and Ryan’s screaming guitar harmonics. I wanted to create a song that when people listened to it, they would have that feeling of wow this person is hurt, and an angry tortured soul. So we created an aggressive sound from the start, and for lyrics, I drew from personal turmoil I had been experiencing at that time.

 

A broken heart is one of the worst feelings, but my way of coping with it was writing down how I was feeling. I took lyrics I had jotted down over several month periods either from what I was experiencing as well as a story I had seen on the opioid crisis in America. I also took lyrics from a song I had been writing about how much I adored someone, and kind of turned that upside down, which is where the song got the title of Sunshine Smile. I also don’t want anyone to think I am trying to put anyone on blast. I miss my best friend and adventure partner, but I write a lot about what I am feeling or experiencing. The thought in writing this was dealing with my hurt, but also the hope that there were people out there who could relate. Plus we want people to listen, and say damn that song rocks!

Link to play:: https://open.spotify.com/track/5zQQu7bOJbeXlWvUBB35Jm

Detroit Michigan area constantly writing music and performing mainly acoustic shows.

https://open.spotify.com/track/5zQQu7bOJbeXlWvUBB35Jm

 

Who has been the most influential in your music and why?

I credit my parents, and sister for my early influences in my love for music. As a child, we would listen to Motown, Billy Joel, and Elton John during early morning car rides to my grandparents’ house in Detroit. As I grew older, I would listen to Billy Idol, Foreigner, U2, INXS as a teen, and then became heavily influenced by bands like Nirvana, Foo Fighters, and Dishwalla. It was at this point that J.R. Richards from Dishwalla became my biggest influence, and has remained so to this day. I sang in a choir in school from childhood through high school and would find the biggest connection with the lead vocals in bands I listened to. J.R.’s vocal style, and range as well as his incredible songwriting always resonated with me from the start.

Never losing my love for singing, I eventually started fronting local Detroit rock bands, as well as doing acoustic duo work on the side. I always had the desire to create original music, and that became a reality once I started working with J.R., and then my acoustic duo partner Ryan.

When did you know that this was the right path for you?

The first time I heard Rock and Roll All Night by KISS on the record player, I told myself I want to be a rockstar. As I grew up, I was always heavily influenced by music, loved to sing in the choir, and continued to harbor that dream of being a rock musician someday. I fronted different Detroit area rock bands as well as my acoustic duo on the side, never giving up my dream. One of the bands I worked with was called Treynrek, and while we mainly did hard rock covers, we all had a desire to write original music as well. That gave me the taste that I wanted to do more. A few years later by chance, I got the opportunity to sing backing vocals on two albums my biggest music influence, J.R. Richards was working on. From that first moment of singing into the microphone at his studio in Santa Barbara, I knew I belonged. J.R. eventually moved to England with his family, and during a visit in 2018 we struck up the conversation of J.R. producing a record for me. That one record became two songs, which then became my debut EP-Cotswold.

What do you like most about creating music?

I am so passionate about music. It is the one constant in my life that gets me through the day. I love the opportunity to write and perform music that can inspire people, or help them relate, maybe cope with things they may be going through or getting them through the day. When someone thanks me for a song I sang or one of my new songs that have touched them, it is such an amazing and rewarding feeling. I also have to say I love the friendships I have gained through people I have met through music. I love it.

What do you most hope to accomplish?

I would love to give back to some aspiring musicians like J.R. did for me as well as the musicians who have influenced me throughout my life. I would also like to inspire someone who doesn’t think it’s possible to follow your dreams to think of me as an example to never give up. I’ve always told my kids, the answer is always no if you don’t ask. They have always been my number one focus of influencing and inspiring.

What is the biggest obstacle you have faced in your career, and how did you overcome it?

I suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2014, which caused a lot of different issues for me. Dealing with loud noises, memory issues as well as multi-tasking. My doctor and neurologist encouraged me to do something I loved to try to occupy my time, and when I mentioned I like to sing, they told me to give it a try. There were times I wanted to quit and give up because I struggled with those symptom issues. Doctors, family, and friends encouraged me to keep trying, plus with my passion for music, I couldn’t see giving that up. Music was an amazing therapy for me, and still is to this day. The song Cold Blue Morning on my debut EP – Cotswold is about my journey trying to recover from the injury.

 

What do you want people to remember most about you and your career?

One of the compliments I love it when people comment on how my passion shows when I performing a song whether it’s live or a recording. I like that my passion comes through in that way because I love being a musician. I like people to remember me as a goofball, who likes to live life with a smile. That I followed my passion, and dreams and never gave up. The value I put on family, friendships, and all the support I’ve received from them along the way.

LISTEN TO INTERVIEW ON PODCAST:

 

What are you most looking forward to this next month?

The obvious, and the most important thing is for everyone to get through the current pandemic crisis healthy, and safe.

I hope that when things do start to work themselves back to some sense of normalcy, that people have jobs to go back to, and that venues we work with can survive. We partner with some amazing people at these venues, and a lot of them are like family. We are all in this together.

As far as my debut EP – Cotswold goes, I am looking forward to gaining new followers who get to experience the music we’ve worked so hard on, and that we gain some new friendships as well as inspire everyone who listens in some way.

 

Website & social media links:

https://www.reverbnation.com/paddock
https://paddockmusic.bandcamp.com/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4PLcJ0OJRPyz2vUB5zJ67D?si=Stsb0Kv2RWW-p67NFyL4AQ
https://www.facebook.com/paddockmusic/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh7AxXlJeQ-mY3Z8c20ApaA
https://www.instagram.com/paddock_music/
https://twitter.com/music_paddock