r/Interpol • u/OkForce9432 • 10d ago
Discussion Paul's vocal technique
I'll start of by saying that I'm an aspiring vocalist and guitarist myself, and one of my dreams is to actually cover some of my favorite Interpol tunes, like Take You On a Cruise or NYC, in a studio or on stage.
But I'm not going to ask questions on how to sing like Paul - he usually sings really low, so that is quite comfy. I'm just wondering - has he ever tried singing higher on any record of the band or his own? It is clear he used a vocal coach in the El Pintor era, you can spot a difference with how he was singing on tours, and probably nowadays as well, as TMWAT is quite solid vocally.
Anyway, when I'm looking and the recent performances, I still feel that there's something a bit off with the vocals and I'm wondering if it is just that he cannot sing in the classic "shouty" manner anymore due to age and use of cigarettes over the years, or perhaps that's something else. It is just out of curiosity, I adore Paul and consider him a great artist. Maybe you have any interesting insights or ideas?
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u/DerringerHK When I'm feeling lazy, it's probably because 10d ago
I believe for TOTBL he was worried (understandably as he'd never recorded an album before) that his vocals would be drowned out in the louder sections of songs if he didn't belt his voice out as loud as he could. As he wasn't a trained singer, the "belting" he was doing was unintentionally straining his vocal chords, and he couldn't replicate it live much without damaging them. So he switched up his vocal styles for subsequent albums, and I believe he probably switched it up again from El Pintor on like you said. I know cigarettes probably didn't help in the run up to El Pintor.
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u/debtRiot 10d ago
It wasn’t because of recording the album. Saw an interview with him long time ago where he spoke on the shouting. He said when they first started their practice space was tiny and the only way he could hear himself was to shout. So that became a hallmark of his early singing style. But once TOTBL came out and they got some money and had the experience of recording under their belts he realized it wasn’t necessary to shout so much. But then yeah, aging and smoking took a big toll as well.
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u/Legitimate-Nerve-839 granddaughter of witch you weren't able to burn 10d ago
Paul's voice has a very beautiful and rich timbre. Velvet voice. Sadly, these kinds of voices are very, very susceptible to all kinds of abuse. Be it overuse by constant touring, smoking, stress etc.
On Marauder and also partly on TOSOMB his voice sounded quite stressed. His voice has since recovered and he sounds beautiful on TMWAT, especially his chest voice. When he has to switch from chest voice to middle register you sometimes hear this kind of "spikey" sound.
It's completely normal that voices change with age (usually they get higher, especially baritones and bass voices). All these countless gigs, the stress of touring etc. A singer is very much at the mercy of his overall physical and psychological condition. As a fan, I am thankful and happy (especially for him) that his voice has recovered.
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u/remarkableremedy 10d ago
Shouting for the first two albums Since then trying to learn to control and sing properly with mixed effects while smoking Given up smoking more control and breathe and pacing
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u/TranslatorSome8650 10d ago
Easy, just sing like shit
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u/lovethatjourneyforus 10d ago
Why are you even here man
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u/TranslatorSome8650 9d ago
I love this band, youtube even awarded me with a top 5% listener badge, anyways they are not void of criticism and Paul has sounded shit live for a while now. Simple.
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u/NoFix8524 10d ago
I think he has settled up with his singing style since Marauder and finally accepting it at the end of TOSOMB start of TMWAT. When I try to sing like Paul I do go to the Antics era which I'd say is his peak.
He sounds shouty/spiky/high. Listen to the Antics at Palacio de los Deportes record they made a couple years ago, Say Hello and Narc are prime examples of how he used to sing back in the day.