Possessed by Paul James

Possessed by Paul James
Possessed by Paul James - Pickathon 2014
Background information
Birth name Konrad Wert
Also known as Possessed by Paul James
Born July 26, 1976
Immokalee, Florida
Genres Alternative country, folk, country, bluegrass, antifolk, blues, punk
Instruments banjo, guitar, fiddle, stomp box
Associated acts Scott Biram, Deer Tick, East Cameron Folkcore, Chuck Ragan, Frank Turner, The Weary Boys, Shakey Graves

Konrad Wert, known as Possessed by Paul James since 2005, (born July 26, 1976), is an American folk singer, songwriter and musician from Lee County, Florida.[1] His music is composed of string instruments including banjo, guitar and fiddle with written roots within folk, blues and punk. Raised within a small Mennonite Community among pacifists, service workers and transplants. He graduated from Eastern Mennonite University in 2001 with a degree in liberal arts with various minors.[2] He is currently living in Boerne, Texas with his wife and sons meeting the music demand by touring, sales on line etc. He is also a special education teacher at Curington Elementary School in Boerne, Texas.[2] Possessed by Paul James has starred in The Folk Singer, a film by Slowboat Films in 2008 while in circulation internationally. He has toured with Frank Turner of Epitaph Records, Chuck Ragan of Side One Dummy, Jon Snodgrass and Chad Price Suburban Home Records, Jim Ward and others via The Revival Tour in 2009.

In January 2011, Feed the Family was nominated for Americana Album and won the award for Alt. Country Album in The 10th Annual Independent Music Awards.[3]

Break Out Album

At the end of 2013 'There Will Be Nights When I'm Lonely' was released with Hillgrass Bluebilly Records. The album initially charted at #12 on Billboard Magazine under the Country/Bluegrass genre. National Public Radio, CMT, MTV featured both articles and tracks from the release. The New York Times stated "PPJ a one man folk wonder" [4] as well as one of the top concerts at the 2014 Pickathon Music Festival of Oregon.[5]

Current Projects

After 18 years of working in social services and education, Wert and family are presently embarking on full-time touring with a focus of social advocacy in the areas of public education/special education and arts outreach. "There must be a bond between the world of music performance and the world of social justice"; a strong theme in which the PPJ Family believes in and hopes to accomplish.[6]

Discography

Title Album details Peak positions
US Grass
Possessed by Paul James
  • Release date: 2006
  • Label: SYA Records
 —
Cold and Blind —
The Revival Tour
  • Release date: 2009[7]
  • Label: Ten Four Records
 —
Feed the Family
  • Release date: September 21, 2010[8]
  • Label: Hillgrass Bluebilly Records
 —
Live at Antone's
  • Release date: 2012
  • Label: Normandeep Blues Records
 —
There Will Be Nights When I'm Lonely
  • Release date: October 29, 2013
  • Label: Hillgrass Bluebilly Records
 12
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

References

  1. ↑ One in a Million
  2. 1 2 "Konrad Wert, a.k.a. Possessed by Paul James, draws spotlight from Billboard charts, NPR and NY Times before returning (yet again) to EMU". Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  3. ↑ http://www.independentmusicawards.com/ima/artist/possessed-by-paul-james/
  4. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2014/08/05/arts/music/20140804PICKATHON.html#6
  5. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/30/arts/music/best-concerts-of-2014-beyonc-lorde-st-vincent-romeo-santos-and-more.html?_r=0
  6. ↑ http://www.ppjfamilyfilm.com/
  7. ↑ Ten Four Records Archived 2009-08-03 at the Wayback Machine.
  8. ↑ "POSSESSED BY PAUL JAMES – FEED THE FAMILY". ninebullets.net. 2010-08-30. Retrieved 2011-04-08.

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