Four men with an equivalent name who all love creating music? Baltimore Paul had associate degree idea. Wouldn’t or not it's funny, he asked the opposite musical Pauls, if they shaped a band known as The Paul O’Sullivans?
Paul O’Sullivan lounged around his Baltimore living accommodations one evening in 2014, feeling bored. So, sort of a ton of individuals with nothing higher to do, he logged on to Facebook to seek out out simply what number others on the social network shared his name. Moments later, Paul O’Sullivans were kicking off of the woodwork as dozens of name twins from round the world stuffed his screen. On a whim, the then-27-year-old human resources worker determined to send friend requests to them all.
several of his fellow Paul O’Sullivans neglected him, however some felt too curious to pass up his invitation. “My 1st reaction was ‘Who is that this guy and what will he wish from me?’ ” says Paul O’Sullivan from the Netherlands—now called Rotterdam Paul.
As Baltimore Paul scrolled through the opposite Paul O’Sullivans’ profiles, he detected one thing four of them had in common: They were all musicians. Like Baltimore Paul, Rotterdam Paul sings and plays guitar. Another Paul in Manchester, England, plays bass. And Paul from Pennsylvania may be a drummer. Four men with an equivalent name who all love creating music? Baltimore Paul had associate degree idea. Wouldn’t or not it's funny, he asked the opposite musical Pauls, if they shaped a band known as The Paul O’Sullivans? Yes, it'd be, all of them agreed. and then they did.
starting a virtual band
beginning a band across multiple time zones tried to be tricky. Shaky Wi-Fi and other technical difficulties meant they were typically out of sync. And being even 0.5 a second aloof from one another destroyed their sound. to mend this, they created a form of musical assembly line. Baltimore Paul and Rotterdam Paul write and record a basic track, then e-mail it to Manchester Paul.
“I hear the song over some days,” says Manchester Paul, “to get a pity what bass arrangement looks most appropriate.” Once he records a bass track, he e-mails it back to Baltimore Paul, who then builds it into the most song. Later, Pennsylvania Paul adds the drumbeat. spherical and around the track goes, with every member adding on his own layer till they deliver the goods the sound they want.
The Paul O’Sullivan Band discharged its 1st original song, “Namesake,” in March 2016. It’s an upbeat track concerning long-distance relationships—not romantic ones, however friendships like those that they had begun to develop. Don’t miss additional moving stories of the foremost unlikely friendships.
over simply the music
however just months once the song’s release, Baltimore Paul began experiencing health problems that forced him to require day off from creating music. the opposite Pauls determined to take a clear stage too—from the band, that is.
however they didn’t press pause on their friendship. rather than supporting each other on bass and drums, they supported one another additional generally. the opposite Pauls created certain Baltimore Paul ne'er felt alone, even with the miles (and ocean) between them. They shared family pictures, chatted continue to exist Instagram, and checked in on Baltimore Paul and on one another.
“The other Pauls are gentle, dear, caring people,” says Pennsylvania Paul. “They are a fountain of joy.”
These unimaginable stories concerning the kindness of strangers will certainly cause you to tear up.
web fame
It was concerning four years before Baltimore Paul was to an adequate degree to start out creating music again.The {first thing|very 1st thing} the band did was produce a music video for “Namesake,” that debuted on YouTube in February 2020. In its first period of time online, the video force in additional than 20,000 views.
And once COVID-19 slowly clean up the planet simply weeks later, the Pauls didn’t miss a beat. once all, the band had already gotten the droop of remote work. however currently their international affiliation took on new meaning. “Writing a song with somebody across the ocean causes you to feel less trapped,” says Baltimore Paul. They used their time throughout the pandemic to record their 1st EP, or short album. Titled web Famous: A Retrospective, it absolutely was discharged last April.
half the yield from the EP are going to be given to the COVID-19 commonness Response Fund, that supports the planet Health Organization’s work.
“Life is hard sometimes,” says Pennsylvania Paul. “When you have got a chance to get joy, you have to place aside the opposite stuff.”
a brand new supply of joy for the Pauls is about to pay time with each other in person. Last fall, Baltimore Paul shocked Pennsylvania Paul at his home once coordinating along with his fiancée. it absolutely was the primary time any of them had met face-to-face while not a video display within the way. the 2 spent longer along this past summer and hope to feature the opposite two Pauls to the combination soon. And when schedules allow, they arrange to start a windstorm four-stop world tour—one concert in every of their hometowns.
“What are the odds,” says Baltimore Paul, that a random Facebook request would lead not solely to new music but to lasting friendships as well? “Some things are simply meant to be.”