Prominent singer-songwriter Ellis Paul is one of the leading voices in the wave of urban, literate folk/pop singer/songwriters that emerged from the Boston folk scene in the 1990's. Since those early days, he has built up a fiercely loyal fan base, to whom he turned when he needed to record his sixteenth album The Day After Everything Changed. As an independent artist with his own label Black Wolf Records, Ellis raised over $100k from his fans in the middle of a deep recession. The result of this project is an excellent example and true testament to the relationship Ellis has built with his fans and the mutual respect they have for each other. This is Ellis’ first studio album without a record label in 10 years. An increasingly topical humanism informs his work. Like Woody Guthrie a half-century before, Paul displays a humble genius for putting the most divisive issues of his day into starkly personal and emotional terms.
"There are differences between the me now, and the me I was in the early '90s," Ellis says quietly. "I have a reliable fan base that keeps a roof over my head, for which I'm so thankful. And I think they're also willing and forgiving enough for me to go through any evolution I choose, as long as the core of what I do is honest, and that I continue to write songs and stories about the things I see around me. I need to keep feeling refreshed. I've been down the Ellis Paul rabbit-hole, you know, and now I'm looking around and trying to learn new things, experience other people's music and stories. I have no idea where I'm headed, but I think it'll make me a broader artist. "
New York-based singer/songwriter Amy Speace, originally scheduled to open tonight, has CANCELED her tour, including this show. The Cedar is grateful to folkie singer-songwriter Ellis for being willing to step in at short notice to give an opening set.
Tickets are on sale now from the Cedar Ticketline (612-338-2674 ext 2), Cedar outlets, and online at Ticketweb. $15 advance, $18 day of show
Prominent singer-songwriter Ellis Paul is one of the leading voices in the wave of urban, literate folk/pop singer/songwriters that emerged from the Boston folk scene in the 1990's. Since those early days, he has built up a fiercely loyal fan base, to whom he turned when he needed to record his sixteenth album The Day After Everything Changed. As an independent artist with his own label Black Wolf Records, Ellis raised over $100k from his fans in the middle of a deep recession. The result of this project is an excellent example and true testament to the relationship Ellis has built with his fans and the mutual respect they have for each other. This is Ellis’ first studio album without a record label in 10 years. An increasingly topical humanism informs his work. Like Woody Guthrie a half-century before, Paul displays a humble genius for putting the most divisive issues of his day into starkly personal and emotional terms.
