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PAUL BUSHNELL
Born in Dublin , Ireland to musical parents......Mother a singer , Father a multi instrumentalist. Grandparents , musicians.
I Started my musical education studying Classical Piano..Miss Russell(....torture!!....wish it hadn't been....) , then Classical Guitar(Bill Brady...Truly inspirational!!). Gravitated toward high school rock bands , then to College rock bands and rock musical productions.
Wandering on Grafton Street one saturday afternoon I happened upon four college friends playing music on the street. Having already hitch-hiked extensively in Europe , guitar in hand and busked on many a street , I joined up with my friends and started busking on a regular basis on Grafton St. A large following led to TV exposure and to requests to play with other bands. Started playing with many 'local' bands in Ireland , most notably Mary Coughlan , Delores Keane , The Fountainhead , The Partisans , The Big Noise.....And from the beginning , with my mother , celebrated Irish chanteuse ANNE BUSHNELL( aka Mom!).
Became involved in the auditioning process for the ALAN PARKER movie of the RODDY DOYLE book THE COMMITMENTS through JOHN HUGHES, who has since nurtured the CORR'S to stardom. Congrats John!
Music directing the 'audition' band , I was given more responsibilities by PARKER who noticed the ease with which I got performances from the kids who were auditioning. This eventually led to me Co-Producing and Music Directing(with Kevin Killen and Alan Parker) the soundtrack CD's for the movie and the performances of the actors in the movie.
All songs in the movie were played by myself and my bandmates in Dublin.
Came to California to mix to film and mix the album, and found a new life.
Initially the 'laid-back' California lifestyle caught me in it's pillowy grip and after a year or so of , well , celebration....ok partying, I had to start from scratch again! Small clubs , word of mouth.This all led to involvement with a few great CA bands , Danny Peck , The Boxing Gandhi's , The Search , and then EDNASWAP. Five years , a small van , two labels (East West, Island) , and then the kick in the nads of having Natalie Imbruglia cover our song TORN (written by Anne Preven and Scott Cutler) and have a huge success with it two months before we were due to release it as a single, (Check out Torn on WACKO MAGNETO by EDNASWAP) , led to the break-up of the band........Perfect timing actually as I was now a father of a beautiful daughter , India , with my wife Nicole , and I needed to be bringing home some bacon....Being in a rock band was fun...a LOT of fun....and I'm so glad that I got to live the experience , stinky motel rooms , driving forever to get to a gig that noone knew about , 20 hours stuck in a white-out going over Mount Shasta toward Portland listening to am radio while everyone else slept( I drove...they sucked!!).....but it was a cash-light experience....and you need money if you're going to raise a family.
Still record with Scott and Anne......Great people and great writers.
Fortunately , the exposure brought by playing bass in EDNASWAP , most particularly on the TRAGIC KINGDOM tour with NO DOUBT and WEEZER , led to more recording sessions , and to what is now quite a substantial and diverse discography with artists such as FAITH HIll , SHAKIRA , DAUGHTRY , ELTON JOHN , PHIL COLLINS, SUGARLAND, LL COOL J ,TRACY CHAPMAN , LUCIANO PAVAROTTI , LAURA PAUSINI , MYLENE FARMER, AlI AND AJ, and MILEY SIRUS....to name a few.
With one of my oldest LA musician buddies , PAUL GRAHAM( aka PAULY G) , I have been writing and producing from our studio on the old A&M lot in LA , under the name PAPAGENIUS PRODUCTIONS. We've had a hit , HUSH , with LL COOL J , written in my garage on Hayworth Ave....just goes to show you can write a hook anywhere!!........And we've written and performed , with AARON ZIGMAN , seven pieces of music on the recent hit movie , AlphaDog.
I toured for the last two summers with FAITH HILL and TIM MCGRAW on their huge Soul 2 Soul tours.....playing bass for Faith. An incredible journey with great people!
Have recently recorded with GAVIN ROSSDALE on his new CD and with HOOBASTANK on their upcoming CD, and with a girl named JOANNA WANG. Check her out!! You have not heard a voice like this from a young singer!.
In studio right now with GREEN DAY and MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE producer ROB CAVALLO recording the debut CD for DAVID COOK, the winner of AMERICAN IDOL.
What's not to love!!!
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