Get to know Paul Anthony. One of the Top 3 Finalists in #MarleyUprising.
Sonicbids: Where did your band name come from?
Paul Anthony: My current band name is my actual name. It used to be “Spyda”, but I could never come up with a good explanation for why I was called that. My friends just made it up one day and I started using it. I said things in interviews such as “because my hair looks like a Spider” or “because I’m all over the web”… that’s when I decided to drop it and roll with my real name. I felt at that point in my career that it was time to showcase my true self through my music and there was no better way to express that to my fans than doing business as Paul Anthony!
Sonicbids: What advice would you give to bands who are trying to increase their fan base?
Paul Anthony: first of all.. produce GREAT CONTENT – no matter how much marketing you do and promoting on social network sites, people are not going to respond if they click through to hear garbage. I believe the key to building a solid following is first mastering your craft, once you’ve done that, the music should naturally promote itself. Of course you will still need to do some leg work by pushing it out via social media as well as getting physical units printed to pass out or sell at gigs.. but having a great product will make that music people hear spread like wildfire!
Sonicbids: If you were stranded on a desert island with only ONE musician to listen to who would it be?
Paul Anthony: It would be NO musicians. If I was stranded I would ONLY be listening to instrumentals and writing new material so that once I was rescued, I had a slew of hits ready to be recorded upon my return home!!!
Sonicbids: What was your favorite thing about performing at the Electric Forest festival?
Paul Anthony: Since this festival was predominantly geared towards electronic music… it was a challenge for me to blend my style with that in order to still remain true to my roots and what I do, but also put together a set that people who were there to enjoy house/dance music could appreciate. Blending the reggae with electro music was a lot of fun and turned out to be a huge success at the festival.. Lots of people approached me afterwards and expressed how much they enjoyed it. I am very thankful and humbled for that.
Sonicbids: How has Sonicbids impacted your music career?
Paul Anthony: Sonicbids is great because it has afforded me the means by which to shoot for opportunities I previously did not have any idea of how to go about. It brings the contacts I would normally have had to spend hours researching online or be lucky enough to run into someone who had them, all into one place and at an attainable level for myself and ALL artists alike. Ultimately I think it is a great website and business-model and I encourage every artist to sign up and give it a try!
Sonicbids: If you could tell your fans one thing that they don’t know about you what would it be?
Paul Anthony: My fans may not know this, but I am actually a college graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Business, Philosophy, & Communications. I obtained by education from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. It has definitely helped me with my art in several ways and I plan on shooting for my Masters in the near future.
