Today we’d like to introduce you to Paul Niehaus IV.
Hi Paul, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I was born and raised in St. Louis and fell in love with music even before I started playing it, from listening to the “Oldies” station on the radio. I started on the trumpet in 4th grade. In 9th grade, I switched to French Horn and by 10th grade, I got my first electric guitar and discovered Blues music. I went to Truman State and Majored in Music with a Minor in Folklore. The later involved learning directly from local musicians in the community, leading me to get more involved in the local St. Louis scene when I returned. My first job after graduation was playing guitar on a cruise ship for 5 months. As soon as I got back, I joined a touring blues band and travelled all over the country, eventually playing music in 47 US States as well as Canada and Mexico. I started having interest in recording music back in college, which has grown to become my main profession currently. In 2016 I started Blue Lotus Recordings, an audiophile-oriented record label and recording studio, out of my basement in Southampton neighborhood of South City. The label has since issued a catalogue that consists of 18 releases that covers Soul, Blues, Americana, Rock, and Country. In the course of making a record, I play the role of engineer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter, often in a collaborative fashion. In addition to this, two years ago, I joined the Jeremiah Johnson Band on the bass guitar.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Nothing of value is achieved through a smooth road. It’s not been easy and I’m nearly given up numerous times. Music is an incredibly difficult industry to be successful in. I find my resolve to continue pushing from God, as well as from the encouragement of my family and friends. It’s a bittersweet process, to spend numerous hours on a piece of art that you’re proud of and comes from a personal place, reach just a minimal amount of ears when released. It’s something many musicians struggle with, including myself. As a naturally introverted person, I don’t find networking and self-promotion particularly enjoyable. Despite this, it’s pushing me out of my comfort zone to focus on making deep, genuine connections. On the recording end, you never know who might come through; what personalities are in a band, how prepared people are, or even how confident they are. This takes a lot of patience and has grown my ability to work and collaborate with a wide variety of different types of people and personalities.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My time is split between playing live and making recordings. What sets me apart is that I’m rooted in the old-school aesthetics of music, using real instruments and vintage microphones, with less reliance on computer-generated sounds. I love the raw natural vibe of a band in a room, but I also love the creative control of stacking individual parts one at a time. My favorite music was made between a window of say the late 1950’s up until around 1975. My absolute favorite sounding records are from the Stax and Hi labels out of Memphis, but I also love Motown and Muscle Shoals music. I love folk music of the world as well, which includes a lot like Reggae, Latin, Indian, African music. I kind of try to throw *it all* into the melting pot of my musical aesthetic.
I’m proud to have produced 5 celebrated compilation albums for the St. Louis Blues Society. These compilations are comprised of all St. Louis original music and have been widely played on KDHX. I’m honored to have collaborated in producing music for blues-oriented permanent exhibits featured in three museums: The National Blues Museum (St. Louis, MO), The Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience (Meridian, MS), and The National Museum of African American Music (Nashville, TN). St. Louis residents can experience my work at the NBM exhibit “Mix It Up”, which was sponsored by Jack White. Records I’ve produced have been nominated for awards: three nominations for the Blues Blast Awards and more recently a coveted Blues Music Award nomination for “Best Rock Blues Album” for Jeremiah Johnson’s “Unemployed Highly Annoyed”.
What do you think about luck?
I am so lucky to have grown up in St. Louis, a city with a truly amazing musical tradition and burgeoning scene. It is also more accessible and affordable than Nashville, New York, or Chicago. This has given me the opportunity to have been mentored by some amazingly knowledgeable and legendary veterans of the St. Louis musical legacy. This city has also given me access to a huge roster of amazingly talented musicians of a wide background that are willing to work and collaborate with me anytime. I’m lucky to have a friend and collaborator in Kevin O’Connor, who in addition to being a great drummer and multi-instrumentalist, does amazing string and horn arrangements for Blue Lotus productions. This is indeed a time in history when so much is possible in terms of recording and technology. I’m truly blessed beyond measure, as I have a wonderful and supportive family and network of friends that wish the best for me. As proud as I am of my past accomplishments, I am continually striving forward and feel that my best work is ahead of me. “But by the grace of God go I”.
Contact Info:
- Email: bluelotusrecordings@gmail.com
- Website: www.bluelotusrecordings.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bluelotusrecordings/
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bluelotusrecordings
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BlueLotusRecordings
Image Credits
Corey Woodruff
Cory Clay
