Paddy Wells joins me on episode 96.
Paddy is based in the north of England, where he started out as a singer playing a little harp before hearing amplified harmonica, which really turned him on to the instrument.
Paddy is also a freelance music journalist, having written regular articles for several music magazines in the UK, including Blues in Britain. He also wrote an article, Blowin’ Off The Dust, for the SPAH magazine.
Paddy has also spent some time travelling the US, including sitting in with Jason Ricci, and writing two magazine articles on him.
Paddy has played in various bands in the north of England, appearing at festivals and supporting some notable names. His current band is called Dust Radio.
Links:
Paddy’s website:
https://www.paddywells.com/
Dust Radio music:
https://dustradio1.bandcamp.com/music
Music:
https://www.paddywells.com/music
Paddy’s article: Blowing Off the Dust: Modern Masters of the Blues Harp:
https://www.modernbluesharmonica.com/modern-blues-harp-masters.html
Videos:
Lyndon Anderson:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26yIoZVYuVA
Interview with Paddy on the Tim Green Blues show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yTEBIuKJGk
I’d Rather Go Blind with Poorboy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNH0Qs8GEeM
Problem and The Remedy video:
https://dustradio1.bandcamp.com/track/problem-remedy-2
Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com
Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB
or sign-up to a monthly subscription to the podcast:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/995536/support
Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ
Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com or on Facebook or Instagram
Support the show
Paddy is originally from Hull, on the north East coast of England, now lives in Yorkshire
Sound of the harmonica grabbed Paddy from hearing it on the BB King Live In London album
Had an epiphany the first time saw harmonica played live
Started playing harp age 15
Paddy is a singer as well, and singing was his main thing before he took up harp more seriously
Started playing in bands from age 18
Own harmonica playing really took off when obtained a Roland tube amp to really taste amplified harmonica in his own hands
Early bands Paddy was in were blues bands, even when he wasn’t playing a lot of harmonica
How Paddy first got into playing in bands
Started learning harp by playing along with blues harp records and the importance of tone
Didn’t have any formal music lessons when young, played a little guitar
Developed singing in same way as harmonica by singing along with records
Paddy is also a freelance music journalist, and how he got started doing that
Started off writing for the UK Blues magazine
Isn’t doing as much writing for magazines now as several of the printed magazines are no longer active
Plenty of non-paying writing jobs are available, and the question of quality
Paddy has written about different genres of music
How writing about music informed Paddy’s own music development
Writes own lyrics for songs he performs
Contacts made in music industry has helped with the promotion of own material
How publicity of music has changed with the advent of the internet
Wrote an article published in SPAH magazine in 2016: Blowin’ Off The Dust
Paddy’s view on keeping the harp relevant
Lists his top twenty harmonica songs at the end of the Blowin’ Off The Dust article
Mitch Kasmar and Lyndon Anderson
Spent some time travelling and playing in the US, including in New Orleans, where he met and interviewed Jason Ricci
Sat in with Jason Ricci’s band, and has recorded a Ricci-esque riff on one of his albums
Also played in one of the last Juke Joints in Clarkesdale, Mississippi, and in Austin
The benefits of experiencing the venues at the source of the blues, and a Brit playing in the US
First main band was Poorboy, in the city of Leeds
Played some festivals in the north of England and Scotland with Poorboy
Used music scene contacts to get spots playing at festivals, with some further encouragement
Poorboy supported Mud Morganfield and Paul Jones, and getting Poorboy played on the BBC Radio 2 blues show
Played in the band Crosscut Saw, where Paddy enjoyed being the sideman harp player, not the singer
Paddy is a reluctant front man at times and difference in playing harp as a sideman
Crosscut Saw had two harmonicas with the lead singer playing some harp
Played with the Dave Hanson band
Had another outfit called Welter, which gets together as and when
Dust Radio is Paddy’s current act, who have released an EP and an album, both self-produced
Albums have been recorded DIY, and process followed to do that
Problem and Remedy album from Dust Radio released in 2023
Wrote most of lyrics to the songs on latest album, and influence of writers Raymond Carter and Willie Vlautin
Writing new blues lyrics to modernise the genre and how audience responds to them
How audience responds to original blues songs
Other writing that Paddy is currently doing
Uses recorded audio recordings of harmonica to include ideas into a new song
Harmonicas of choice are the different flavours of Hohner Marine Bands, after initially trying Lee Oskars
Has some customised harmonicas and the value they bring
Does some set-up of harmonicas himself
Uses some custom combs and brass combs on low tuned harmonicas and colour coded combs
Different positions used are mainly 1st, 2nd and 3rd, with some 5th
Different tunings are mainly minor and Country Tuning
Embouchre: uses some puckering and some tongue block
Plays a little third position chromatic
Amp is mainly Fender Bassman, some boutique amps and a Sonny Junior
Effects pedals: slap back delay and EP booster
