Copyright - Copywrong

Copyright  - Copywrong. Would you work 20 days for 3 days pay?

It's been well over a year since I last blogged but I thought I take a break from mixing and hammer my thoughts down. And yes it's that old chestnut "Illegal Downloads", a topic well discussed online, but when I read most of the articles I note the comments are generally posted from two opposing camps with some of them written from pure ignorance. So I thought I'd have my say.

When I wrote my first album I was in full time employment and Focal Point was a bit of fun. As I started to consider writing my second album I lost my real world contract and money was tight. I decided to take the gift of time I'd been given and build my studio and record my second album, p'dice, using money I borrowed from my family and also money that I raised by selling pre-orders to fans that showed faith that I could deliver.

When you lose your job and find there's no work out there, your confidence takes a beating. But the faith shown by family and fans in my music helped me through the dark days.

With time to focus on my music, and dare I say my "music business",  I scoured the interweb looking at business models or ways and means to encourage sales. In all this reading I saw a common statistic that 85% of all music is illegally downloaded. Yes 85%.

So for every 20 songs downloaded only 3 are paid for. OK to put it another way...

Imagine personally working for 20 days and getting paid for 3. How would you feel?

Now my issue with illegal downloaders is that they try to justify their action using the following (and I paraphrase) statements, and I want to address their arguments from my personal point of view.

1: The big record companies had it coming, they were ripping us of, its a level playing field now.

I don't give a monkeys about the plight of the big record companies. Illegal downloads of my songs are theft from me. I didn't rip you off, so why rip me off?

2: I use illegal downloads so I can hear the full tracks and decide whether to buy the music.

All my music can be previewed in full on my website and the various online streaming services.

3: Buying music is just too expensive.

Making music is also very expensive. Equipment, musician hire, manufacturing costs etc and also keeping food on the table while I'm writing and recording for months on end.

Most people who can afford a PC and broadband can afford to buy music. I am well aware that some people may be a bit strapped for cash and occasionally I give my music away for free. All I ask is for a small donation of what you think it is worth and many people do. I receive donations ranging from a few cents/pence up to significantly more than it costs to buy the CD. But every penny counts and it shows appreciation.

You have to remember that giving away my music for free is not actually free to me. I have to cover the costs of the services/bandwidth used via the host website.

4: I've bought more music because of illegal downloads because I've been introduced to more artists.

OK but if you have been introduced to me by way of an illegal download and you have kept a copy of my music on your player and you listen to it for pleasure, have you rewarded me? The use of an MP3 as a marketing tool can be great and I do it myself, but if my music adds any value to your life then you should add value to my life and and support my work.

5: I get illegal downloads and share them with my friends which helps promote the artist

You could send your friends links to my website or my streaming music player. That would be better promotion.

.....,

The list of these type of arguments goes on and on but;

a: I like MP3s and think they are a great marketing tool but it should be down to me to give my MP3s away not some peer to peer site making big bucks from 3rd party advertisers.

b: if my music adds any value whatever to your life then support me directly so I can make more. It really is what I would love to do for you.

c: if my music adds no value to your life, then delete it from your life, and take yourself of my mailing list / fanbase. We are of no benefit to each other.

Anyway I've had my say and I feel better for it. Back to mixing my music.

Silhobbit Review

Like many of you out there, I had never heard of Paul Cusick until I saw the ads on Facebook and the like, and the tone of them intrigued me enough to get a copy of the Focal Point album. And am I glad I did or what? This was one of 2009s hidden gems to be sure.

For those of you who are still unaware of Paul Cusick (or "Q"), he is a British multi-instrumentalist, formerly of bands such as Gabriel, Ripped and Riversea. A couple of years ago, he decided to "go it alone" and record a solo album. And "solo" really is the word, as he plays all the music himself, except for the drums which are handled by Alex Cromarty. Prog loon Andy Edwards also contributed drums to one of the tracks, Touch.

I'd say that the musical style of this album sits between "Progressive Rock" and "Alternate Rock". There are no overly long songs or complex solos here, just an excellent demonstration of songwriting. My favourites are the Porcupine Tree-ish Big Cars and Soul Words, Hold On, the emotional Touch, and final track (except for the GM remix of Touch), the atmospheric Hello.

There's plenty here to interest the fans of bands such as modern Porcupine Tree and Pink Floyd, as well as mainstream rock bands.

The Album Is Dead?

I'm starting to think the album is dead.., well slowly dying?

Now don't go all nostalgic on me and talk of days gone by when you used to queue outside music shops waiting for the latest release, because I'm not talking about the history of the album but more the future.

I have given this a lot of thought and decided to write these thoughts down in order to make sense of them. I am drawing upon my personal experiences as a consumer of music and, in some lesser way, my limited experience as a recording artist/producer.

An album is simply a distribution model for releasing songs. If the songs follow a common "Theme" e.g. Pink Floyd - The Wall then it makes sense to buy the album in whichever format you choose, Vinyl, CD, MP3 Flac or even Tape.

But another way is to view an album is as a "Snapshot" in time of an artist/band(s) work. This is the case for the majority of albums. An album quite simply is a collection of separate songs where the only common denominator is the artist/band that wrote it and the time when it was written.

But I remember buying singles (7" and 12"). Why? Because I couldn't afford the album? Sometimes.., but sometimes it was because I didn't like all the songs on the album. And I repeat this buying pattern online. I preview the album and if I like all the songs I buy the CD. If I find there are only a few songs I like then I buy the downloads of the individual tracks.

There are few artists making concept albums now. The advent of pirate downloads has stripped income going into the music industry. Once upon a time big record labels used to invest in their artists, nurturing their talent and encouraging their creativity. With less money big companies are focusing on those few artists that have a ready audience (X-Factor etc). They are not interested in the music but are focused on the return they can get from an artist as a commodity / T-shirts / Ring Tones / Endorsements / Products etc. This is how the music industry is shaping up. They cut the lower rungs of the ladder and concentrate on the top echelon.

Yes there are lots of smaller independent labels, but they only act as part of the distribution chain and do little to market their artists other than cross pollinate between their signed acts. The artist signed to the smaller label may sell a few more CDs by association, but the Indie Label will take their slice of the ever dwindling cake for their work.

So Vinyl’s, CDs, Digital Albums or Digital Singles?

Now I love liner notes and album artwork but these can be distributed online as digital products and are often embedded in MP3s. All that info can be found quickly online at the artist’s website.

But CDs give better quality.... yes they do but that's to do with the lossey format of MP3 files. But FLAC and other better quality lossless files are now available and I distribute my own work in lossless formats.

But Vinyl’s sound better than CDs..., yes they do? And they can't be digitally uploaded. I think that's the primary reason why many people are starting to release on vinyl. It is a product that can't be stolen and distributed illegally online. Add a limited version of an unreleased song, some great artwork and the artist regains the exclusive control of the sale of their work.

I own an iPod and it sounds acceptable. I've added some studio quality full size headphones and it sounds good. I also use a nokia phone which has a music player and there is an option to rip uncompressed music files to my phone. Add the headphones and it sounds very good. What I'm getting at is digital does not sound as bad as some people would have you believe.

Anyone involved in music production will tell you that the problem with the sound of modern music isn't the digital format in which it is delivered, but it is in the treatment and mastering process done to those digital recordings to make them commercially viable in today's world. There is a trade off between "dynamics" and "volume" and unfortunately to exist in today’s broadcast world "volume" usually wins over "dynamics".

As you can see there are arguments for and against the different formats.

So when I look at things wearing my song writers hat then things change: Focal Point was a collection of songs that represented important points in my life. There was a theme and I hope that is carried through in the CD.

Now as time has progressed I am starting to see how my digital sales have gone in the first few months of release. Roughly 50% CD Albums to 50% Digital Albums. But interestingly over 2000 digital singles have also been sold. So digital is strong, and even with an album that I consider follows the "themed" package, buyers are still cherry picking their favourite singles.

Now I have been working away on Album 2 and again it was going to follow a theme and should therefore be an album. I have been writing away with specific concept(s) in mind and tailoring songs to sit in place. Now I am conscious that it will take some time to write the full album, especially when I do it all myself. But I have been approaching my work from an "album" point of view.

But I keep getting new ideas for new songs that do not tie in with the theme of album 2. I quickly record these and set them aside to carry on with Album 2. A linear approach of one album at a time.

Now I'm starting to think about working on one single at a time, released digitally. Then releasing CD/digital album(s) as and when my body of work warrants it. The albums would be either "themed" or "snapshot".

The next "themed" CD/digital album would be released when I have approx 50+ minutes of related songs that capture a theme. Not all themed songs would be officially released as digital downloads but would probably be released on my own website.

"Snapshot" digital singles (those that don't follow the theme of album 2) would be released as and when they are finished. I did this with "Christmas Through Your Eyes". Then a "Snapshot" CD/digital album would be released once there are enough singles to warrant it manufacture.

My point is there is a demand for both singles and albums but why does it have to be the creation of an album that dictates the release of songs? I'm starting to question why I, and many other bands, focus on releasing album after album? Why not release single after single? Perhaps many do and I just don't buy from those circles. I wonder what the pros and cons are?

Remember I started saying the album is just a distribution package, whether it be a "themed" or "snapshot" album. Buying an album based on the strength of one or two songs is a great way to discover new and, many times, better music.

In the end the songs are the contents of that package and they will continue to sell irrespective of whether the album format lives or dies.

Personally I like the album format, but I think market forces and cash flow will see a rise in the dominance of singles.

I'm looking foward to reading your thoughts on this topic.

Review of Focal Point on musicstreetjournal.com

Focal Point

Review by Gary Hill

I like this album a lot. It’s rather moody progressive rock that gets pretty crunchy. It’s very atmospheric. There’s plenty of alteration here and while some of the music borders on metallic, it never crosses into metal. All in all, this is a fine album that should please fans of neo-prog for sure, but I think classic progressive rock fans will dig it, too.

Track by Track Review

Focal Point
Starting with "Chopsticks", this moves out into fusion from there and as it continues it becomes something akin to both Dream Theater and space rock. This is a killer instrumental and it drops to a weird guitar solo section a bit like Malmsteen or Satriani for the outro.

Everblue
A hard rocking cut this comes in with more instrumental work akin to the first cut. As it moves into the vocal section I can still hear some of that Dream Theater thing, but also Porcupine Tree. It’s hard edged, dark and tasty. The cut is taken through a number of changes and is both meaty and quite cool. It gets very intense on the closing segment.

Fade Away
A sharp contrast to the previous one, this is a mellow and very pretty ballad that has a lot of keyboard layers. This definitely reminds me a lot of modern Marillion. I also make out Pink Floyd and even Queenryche and the Beatles at points on this. It’s got a tasty melodic guitar solo.

Soul Words
This one is simply incredible. It alternates between mellower and harder rocking sections and I can make out Pink Floyd and points on this, but that’s only one small piece of the picture. There’s a killer, almost funky groove to a lot of it.

Scared To Dream
Another killer cut, this is majestic and powerful and yet quite melodic and much of it is fairly sedate.

Touch
This is a melodic and pretty instrumental that has a bit of an electronica texture to it.

Senza Tempo
Here we have basically a bluesy hard rocking guitar solo.

Big Cars
This hard rocker reminds me a lot of Hawkwind. It’s definitely crunchy, but also very space rock oriented.

Hold On
A rather dark cut, this is a real rocker that’s quite accessible.

Hello
Sedate and dark, this somehow reminds me of a totally different arrangement on something from Dan Fogelberg. It doesn’t sound anything like Fogelberg in terms of the way the track is done, but the vocal hook and the lyrics make me think of someone like him. It’s a cool song and seems an intriguing contrast.

Touch (GM Mix)
Here’s a different mix of the track that showed up earlier in the set. It’s cool and quite ambient.

My Interview For Rock Radio

Multi-instrumentalist Paul Cusick recently released a debut album I said was ideal for fans of Porcupine Tree and Marillion, to name but two. So who is he?

Paul, the album Focal Point is your solo debut. What have you been doing up to now?

Musically I’ve been guitarist for other bands such as Gabriel, Aura and Ripped. Professionally I’m a Chartered Civil Engineer. I also have three kids.

You’re based near York?

I was born in York, spent my childhood in Scotland, attended Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, lived in Israel, USA, London and Leeds, eventually returning to York when the kids came along.

You write and play everything yourself except for drums. Was that always the plan, or had you lost faith in the band format?

I never planned to do it all myself - I just found it easier that way. When you co-write a song there are compromises, but with Focal Point I had a collection of songs and an idea of what I wanted. I had tried a couple of songs from the album within a band environment but they didn't work. The band showed almost no interest in my songs and I guess I didn't have much confidence in my writing - so as soon as their faces started to glaze over I’d just get back to playing guitar. Generally, bands I’ve been in have worked around the singer. I don’t consider myself a singer so I’d just do my bit on guitar. My approach is different now. Working on my own I take a song and imagine how a “dream band” would play it. I then develop the song with that in mind.

Having gone it alone, do you feel this is the best way to work?

I think so. I find it easy to write by myself. No pressure, compromise or egos to deal with. But things may change - I’m open to offers.

You had early interest from several record labels. Why set up your own?

I wanted to know how it all worked. I didn’t like the idea of blindly signing away a few years or a few albums to someone else. I used Myspace to get some demos out. I trawled the internet to research the ins and outs of being an indie artist. Through Facebook I started to build a fan base I could interact with. The natural progression was to set up a label, so Q Rock Records was born. I’m still learning but the internet is a great leveller.

Reviews have mentioned possible influences like Porcupine Tree and Marillion. Is that fair?

Listeners like a frame of reference and I’m flattered by the comparisons, especially when it's to bands I admire. It’s also fun to be compared to bands I've never heard of because then I get the chance to discover them. OSI springs to mind.

Do you plan to record soon, or have you already started?

I'm already recording album number two. There's no better place than my studio on a cold winter’s night.

Obviously you don’t have a band readily available for live work. When can we expect to see you gigging?

I think a band may be in order after the next album - but it depends on whether there's a demand. Only time will tell.

Posted: Wed 11 November 2009 15:46 by Martin Haggarty

Interview for Classic Rock Society Magazine Oct/Nov 2009

I did quite a lengthy interview for the Classic Rock Society ... enjoy...

Paul Cusick’s bio reads that the “………British born multi-instrumentalist started his solo music career in 2009 with the release of his debut album "Focal Point". Previously Cusick had spent years as the lead guitarist in several bands, but in 2008 his new year's resolution was to step out from behind his guitar and concentrate on his own song writing and production skills.”

Paul, your bio’s rather enigmatic introduction to you could come across that you wanted to either forget the past or concentrate on the present. For those who like to know an artist’s background, what was your earlier musical genealogy?

Forget the past, concentrate on the present? Mmm….no help needed on forgetting things as I don't have the greatest memory... Actually, the present is what it is because of what's passed before. So my musical present is I suppose a culmination of my musical past:

Looking back I started to learn guitar at school under the careful tuition of my art teacher Bob Greenwood, a great blues player, who used to have us fetch songs in to him that we wanted to play. He would transcribe them for us, and then patiently teach us how to play what we heard. I think he transcribed most of "Heaven and Hell" by Black Sabbath for me.

At school I joined my first band playing the obligatory Status Quo tracks. At University I played in a couple of bands covering tracks by Marillion, Van Halen, Queen, Alan Parsons etc. These bands were just for fun and I don't think we played more than a handful of gigs. Some people say when you join a band you get girls. Actually I just found rehearsal nights were nights that could be better spent with girls (laughs).

After University I moved to Leeds and joined my first serious band. We were a three piece that went by the name of "Aura". Our set list included some self penned prog numbers, but we never failed to impress with a combination of covers from bands such as World Trade and Rush. I loved playing songs such as "Freewill", "YYZ", "Spirit of the Radio" and "The Pass", among many others. Alex Lifeson is one of my guitar heroes. We also combined that prog set with some popular songs by The Police. I remember I especially had a soft spot for the track "Synchronicity II".

As a three piece band it was my role as the guitarist to fill the atmospheres between the rhythm and the vocals. I think it was this requirement that helped define my guitar style. Echoes, Volume swells, Violining etc. Atmospheric sounds that turned the electric guitar from a rhythmical/ lead instrument into an ambient background instrument that harmonised with the vocals. The technical requirements of songs by Rush were thrilling to play but I really enjoyed the textures I was starting to create within our original material. But unfortunately other life demands forced me to leave "Aura" and shortly after I moved to York.

I gave up on bands for a while and started to learn my way around PC's and audio recording. But software and computer processing speeds were pretty slow 10 years ago, well they were on my home PC, so to satisfy my creative appetite I decided to look out for a new band.

I remember replying to a small ad for a band called Gabriel, a 5 piece rock band fronted by vocalist “extraordinaire” Marc Atkinson. They were looking for a lead guitarist to replace their then departing lead guitarist Colin Elsworth. He was a technically fantastic guitarist, classically trained with all the tricks needed to play most styles you could imagine. He was about to head of for the Birmingham Conservatoire of Music to pursue the craft of classical guitar.

At that time Gabriel were promoting their recently completed album "Ascension". An album that I think many of your readers may be familiar with. If not, they should be. Not only does it feature the great song writing and voice of Marc Atkinson, but guests artists such as Bryan Josh and Heather Findlay from Mostly Autumn. One particular track "Faith and Betrayal" featured an epic guitar solo by "BJ", which I remember was actually part of the audition. Anyway Gabriel needed a replacement that could cover both Colin's and BJ's guitar parts and for some strange reason I got the job.

Gabriel continued for a few years, gigging, writing new songs, releasing a couple of CDs, but drummers came and went, different members got involved in different side projects, and the momentum for the band eventually ran out. At one point our keyboard player Andy "Rob" Swann decided he would step in to play drums. To provide live drum practice, Gabriel then played as a 4 piece cover band called "Ripped". As Ripped, we just played great rock songs, U2, Train, Lenny Kravitz, Feeder, Coldplay etc - that was fun. But the fun eventually fizzled out so we stopped gigging.

After Ripped I played guitar on a couple of Marc Atkinson's solo studio albums and for a brief period joined the ranks of Riversea, a new Project he had started with keys man Brendan Eyre. I was actually in the process of writing songs for ‘Focal Point’ when we (Riversea) were offered a support slot to “The Reasoning”. We accepted the gig and then realised a set of songs had to be written and rehearsed for our debut gig at The Robin in Bilston.

To our surprise Riversea went down a storm. Sometimes you can just tell when an audience gets your songs, and the audience that night got Riversea. Unfortunately it was starting to dawn on me that I did not have enough time to both finish ‘Focal Point’ and give Riversea the commitment it needed. So I bowed out of Riversea to concentrate on my own album.

His bio continues: “Within four months Cusick had received record offers from two separate progressive rock labels. This interest gave Cusick the confidence to continue writing and recording his debut album, whilst still maintaining his career as a Chartered Civil Engineer.”
It seems quite impressive getting offers from rock labels without any previous solo track record. How did all that come about?

Yeah, and surprising. It was January 2008 and I had decided, for my New Year’s resolution, to concentrate on writing my own songs. I didn't know at that time I was going to be doing a full blown solo album. I had just created a MySpace site and uploaded a couple of songs for a bit of a laugh. Some were instrumentals and some were rough demos that featured Marc Atkinson on vocals. A couple of tracks had even been rehearsed by Gabriel, but I guess the guys never really got my songs and I've never been one for pushing them on anyone.

The problem I encounter when I write a song is I actually have little confidence in what I write. Don't get me wrong, I know when my guitar parts work, that's why I enjoy playing guitar. But as a song writer I struggle with my art. And on the vocals front... well let’s just say I feel a little uncomfortable hearing my own voice. I guess most of us have that sense of embarrassment when we listen back to a recording of our own voice..., how many times do you record your answer phone message before you are happy for it to be heard by others? Imagine that amplified with the added dimensions of pitch, lyric and melody!

I don't envy the role of vocalists at all. It takes balls bigger than space hoppers to stand in front of a crowd and open your voice. As a guitarist you stand behind your guitar. It's a six string wall of defence.
Anyway I digress..., where was I? I told you I had a bad memory...., oh yes MySpace….well I started to get feedback from complete strangers that they liked my songs and some were asking where they could they buy them. This made me wonder how to proceed? The early demos featured Marc on vocals, and he kindly offered to sing on my album, but I knew if I was to proceed with a "solo" album that I would have to face my fear and sing myself. I mean Marc's voice sounded great on the demos but his style of singing didn't convey the feelings I had in my mind for some of my songs. I could have used Marc on some tracks and me on others, but again I kind of felt driven to try it myself.

My first attempt at vocals was on ‘Big Cars’. I used a voice affect that made my voice sound mega phonic. It's a trick used by many artists. It adds a certain quality to a voice but at the same time hides pitch problems. Anyway I recorded a working demo of ‘Big Cars’ and hired a session drummer, Phil Robertson, to play drums. I then emailed some Prog Rock Radio stations and asked if they would consider adding my song to their playlists. To my surprise I received offers from 2 Prog Rock labels.
I hadn't expected that sort of interest. It took me completely by surprise. Remember the idea for Focal Point was only starting to form in my head and the degree to which I was going to develop it had still to be finalised. But I was starting to think I should do the best I could within my limited resources.
I remember Marc and Brendan (Riversea) were supportive of my idea to have a go at a solo project, and Brendan was actually more enthusiastic about my offers than I was. I had been emailing both of them mp3 after mp3 of rough demos / instrumentals trying to gather feedback and to gain perspective on my ability, but the guys in Riversea were supportive and instrumental in giving me the push. (By that I mean encouragement and not that they kicked me out)

It seemed strange having 2 offers on the table and no album. Kind of a horse before the cart situation. But, in hindsight, it was only the feedback from labels and friends that made me persevere with Focal Point.

My partner, Theresa, says I hide my light under a bushel and I think I needed her blessing before I started the real work on Focal Point. During the time I subsequently spent on my album, she had to look after all the things that need looking after for a family to function.

Chartered Engineer and rock guitarist appear to be two ends of the spectrum. How do you balance both vocations?

I don't sleep! (smiles). In reality I can't balance both. I have managed to burn the candle at both ends for ‘Focal Point’ but that was only possible because I had support from my family. I am quite lucky in that I work as a freelance consultant engineer, my hours are flexible. I can work as much, or as few, as I decide. With work I decided, shortly after my dad died, that I wouldn't wait until 65 to start enjoying my retirement. He died young, well before he had time to enjoy his retirement, so I have decided to have a semi-retired life. Hence my flexible "reduced" working hours.

I am lucky enough to enjoy my work, and my music is really my only serious hobby. I would love to say I have mastered the balancing trick, but in reality I still need my professional careers as a consultant. Unless of course ‘Focal Point’ sells enough copies to justify me concentrating solely on my music. That would be a dream come true. I have ideas for album 2 and several songs are already written but..., well only time will tell.

Paul’s bio continues: “Cusick's guitar style has been compared Steve Hackett, David Gilmour, Steve Rothery and Steven Wilson. His songs draw upon the sounds and audio landscapes created by bands such as Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, Porcupine Tree, Chroma Key and Nine Inch Nails. However, the long instrumental pieces that are sometimes associated with the progressive rock genre have been replaced by catchy vocal melody lines akin to those evoked by more mainstream rock artists such as Coldplay and U2.”
There are a lot of names in that description to make the typical CRS member’s mouth water at the prospect. Do you feel lumbered, embarrassed or inspired by these comparisons?

Honoured! By far the biggest comparison people are saying about my music is it sounds like Pink Floyd mixed with Porcupine Tree. How can I not be flattered by those sorts of comparisons? If I was being compared to artists that I hadn't heard of, or artists who I didn't enjoy listening to, then I would be worried. But to be mentioned, in a complimentary manner, in the same breath as Dave Gilmour, Roger Waters or Steven Wilson is simply an honour.

I am also being told I sound like bands I hadn't previously heard of. OSI springs to mind. I have since become a big fan of their music, and fans are always introducing me to new artists. I love it.
There is a downside, when fans of other bands get all defensive of their idols and post messages on forums insulting my music, belittling the comparisons made by others. Everyone's free to have an opinion but some of the comments posted are insulting and can be quite personal. I never started comparing my music to other bands, it’s the listeners who make the comparisons. Objective comparisons I can read and respect but why some choose to send nasty emails I’ll never know. If people don't like my music then why do they listen to it?

But on the whole, as I said, I am flattered by such favourable comparisons and touched by the number of compliments people post on my Facebook page.

Actually when I think about it I'm actually in shock at the feedback my album has generated....,

For his album, as we’ve heard, Paul sang and played all instruments himself, apart from his friend Alex 'The Groove Monster' Cromarty on drums, with Andy Edwards (FROST*, IQ) a guest drummer on the track 'Touch'.
Was it your decision to be as self-sufficient as possible with the album, Paul?

Yes. My nature is to understand how something works. I created www.uksingles.co.uk as one of the first UK online dating agencies just because I wanted to learn about the web. I then created the www.4jobsonline.com network because I wanted to tie in web design to civil engineering. I have renovated numerous properties, tinkered with classic cars and had a house built in Florida. I just like doing new things. Life's too short to get stuck in a rut.

On the music front of things I love playing instruments. By choosing to play them all, I gave myself the freedom and time to experiment to my hearts content. Home recording techniques can now provide studio quality audio. It was the same with the production of the album. When you're paying hundreds of pounds a day for a studio, it makes sense to save money and do as much of it as you can at home. As I record songs the whole process is dynamic. The freedom to make changes by yourself, in your own time, is invaluable.

Obviously I had limitations..., I can't play the drums. I can programme them, but alas drums are an instrument I'm yet to attempt. Anyway, when you have friends like Alex willing to help, you willingly accept their skills. He is a star and we’ve known one another since his drumming days in Gabriel. He is without doubt a world class drummer that the world has yet to hear about.

But eventually, the recording of the drums and the final mixing I did with John Spence at Fairview Studios. You have to know your limitations.

On the artwork side of things, I had a strong idea of what I wanted, but initially I didn't have time to create the artwork. As luck would have it a facebook fan, Martin Roberts, offered to help. His Photoshop and design skills were great and we struck up a creative relationship that just worked. Our ideas gelled and we quickly gained respect for each others point of view. I love the artwork included in the CD booklet. It’s great to have a visual representation of every song. Other people offered their help as well, Mark Nowicki a graphic designer from the US and Paul Newsom a photographer from York all volunteered their art to the project. T-shirts will be next but I need to find a company I can trust to work with on that front (hint).

On the distribution front it would have been great to take my completed album and hand it over to a third party, but when I started to look into the record contracts I had been sent, there were certain terms and conditions that I considered worked strongly in the favour of the record company. I know certain clauses will always favour one of the parties to a contract, but my concern was they could hear my music and use their expertise to decide how successful my album would be for them, but I had no tangible proof as to how successfully or otherwise they could distribute my music.

The idea of signing years or albums away to an unproven entity was unappealing. That's not to say I wouldn't sign if the right offer came along, but how could I determine how good an offer was if I didn't understand its practical application.

So, as is my nature, I researched the role of record companies and distribution companies and decided to do it all myself. I guess the internet has empowered the artist with the potential to do as much as they want. I combined what I learned with my background in web design and set to work promoting Q Rock Records www.qrock.co.uk.

I also picked up advice along the way from "bigger" artists and players in the music scene, and that advice favoured my decision to stay independent.

So, what does your immediate independent future hold? The CRS had been expecting a Riversea gig earlier this year which turned out to be a Marc solo. Might we see Paul Cusick live in one form or another perhaps?

I’m having a rest. My kids are on their summer holidays so I’m spending time with my family. I’m continuing to work on promotion and distribution for Focal Point and I’m in discussion with a video production company about a possible video.

If all keeps going well, I’ll be working on a second album over the winter and then next year I will be looking for a band to gig both. I need two albums so I have enough original material to play decent gigs. That’s my plan, but a lot can change in a year. Who knows what opportunities may appear in the future?
Eighteen months ago I would never have dared to dream I would be sitting here in summer 2009 having written, recorded and released a solo album on my own record label. And to my great surprise Focal Point is also an album I’m immensely proud of.

I have learned so much along the way. From the mechanics of recording and production to reconfirmation of the spirit that exists in others to freely give help and support.

But the greatest lesson I have learned is that I can do it. I can make a News Year’s resolution and stick to it (laughs) it’s probably the first time I’ve managed that. The journey so far has been fantastic and I believe it is only the start.

Focal Point Review - Background Magazine

I discovered British born multi-instrumentalist Paul Cusick, while visiting Facebook on the internet. Facebook is a wonderful medium to meet new friends with common interests. Mr. Cusick must have had the same idea, when he tried to reach a bigger audience for his debut album Focal Point. He put an announcement for the album on Facebook that drew my attention. I asked him if I could get a copy for a review and he was so kind to send one. For those who are not familiar with Paul Cusick here’s a very short introduction. He used to be a guitar player for Peter Gabriel, Ripped and Riversea. The latter two names didn’t ring a bell for me, but that’s not of any importance. He put some demos on his MySpace-page on the internet that became very popular. Some record companies were willing to release his music, but he decided to release it on his private label instead. By doing so, he was free to record the music he likes best.

Apparently, I have the same musical taste as Paul Cusick for I got addicted to Focal Point. The music got me by the throat right from the start. Paul did an amazing job on his first album and he almost played all the instruments by himself. Why do I like Focal Point so much? Initially the groove on this album reminded me of Porcupine Tree especially Paul’s strong guitar riffs and the way the drums are played by Alex ‘The Groove Monster’ Cromarty. On one track, Touch, Andy Edwards (IQ, Frost) plays the drums. Good examples of strong grooves can be heard in the opening tune Focal Point and in Soul Words and Big Cars. Another fine aspect of this album is the way Paul Cusick creates fantastic atmospheres with wonderful synthesizer and acoustic piano sounds. Tracks to dream away by are Everblue and Touch. However, that is not all Paul Cusick has to offer. What to say about his awesome and very melodic guitar solos? They prove that he’s a big fan of musicians like Steve Hackett and Dave Gilmour. Just listen to Fade Away and Senza Tempo and you know exactly what I mean. Besides, Paul Cusick is a very gifted singer with a warm voice that never gets bored. The way he declaims the concept story on this album appealed to me either, but the combination of short soundscapes with fantastic background music really did the trick for me. It gives the music a certain tension and atmosphere that I like. It reminded me of albums made by Rain (Cerulean Blue) and Mickey Simmonds (The Seven Colours Of Emptiness). Those albums also contain a story and have the same kind of atmospheric orchestral music.

People who are interested in this fine album may download or buy the album from Paul Cusick’s website. You can listen to some new material as well. If you like Porcupine Tree and all the above-mentioned names you will have a great time with Focal Point. Anyway, I enjoyed it a lot.

**** Henri Strik (edited by Peter Willemsen)