Paul Roland (born 6 September 1959) is an English singer-songwriter, author and music journalist. Roland typically writes his songs in the form of stories, often addressing historical figures, characters from literature and film, or his own creations. He has explored genres including

gothic rock Gothic rock (also called goth rock or simply goth) is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie a ...

, psychedelic pop,

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...

and

baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

. Described by ''

Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...

'' as a "psychedelic cult celebrity", Roland has enjoyed an

underground Underground most commonly refers to: * Subterranea (geography), the regions beneath the surface of the Earth Underground may also refer to: Places * The Underground (Boston), a music club in the Allston neighborhood of Boston * The Underground (S ...

career as opposed to mainstream success, gathering a stronger fanbase in mainland Europe than in his native UK. He has been credited with spearheading

steampunk Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and aesthetics inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. Steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of the Victorian era or ...

music. Aside from his recording career, Roland has written for various music magazines, and has authored numerous books on subjects including popular music, crime, World War II, and the supernatural.

Early life

Roland was born on 6 September 1959 in

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, England. He is an only child. His father was a writer of short stories and TV comedy scripts and his mother an actress. Roland's earliest influences include the authors

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells"Wells, H. G."
Revised 18 May 2015. ''

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...

, H. P. Lovecraft and M. R. James. He also developed a love of classic

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...

s. Roland was "pretty much fixated" with rock musician Marc Bolan from the age of 14, and later became an adherent of composer

Michael Nyman Michael Laurence Nyman, Order of the British Empire, CBE (born 23 March 1944) is an English composer, pianist, libretto, librettist, musicologist, and filmmaker. He is known for numerous film soundtrack, scores (many written during his length ...

, whose work introduced him to classical musicians such as

Henry Purcell Henry Purcell (, rare: September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer. Purcell's style of Baroque music was uniquely English, although it incorporated Italian and French elements. Generally considered among the greatest E ...

and

George Frideric Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque music, Baroque composer well known for his opera#Baroque era, operas, oratorios, anthems, concerto grosso, concerti grossi, ...

Music career

Roland's work is generally rooted in psychedelic pop and

, with influences from

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

, and 1950s

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...

. His style has been described as "idiosyncratic". Roland's songs typically present as stories, addressing historical figures, and characters from film and literature. He has also written about non-specific characters including supernatural visitors, pirates, and villainous judges. As well as being a singer, Roland plays guitar and keyboards. Roland issued his first single, "Oscar Automobile", in 1979. In 1980 he released his debut album, ''The Werewolf of London'' (originally credited to the Midnight Rags), inspired by horror stories and

Edwardian era The Edwardian era or Edwardian period of British history spanned the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 and is sometimes extended to the start of the First World War. The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 marked the end of the Victori ...

concerns. Ian Canty of '' Louder Than War'' observed "a nice Garage Psych sound", adding that "at times this album could almost be superior New Wave pop like

XTC XTC were an English rock band formed in Swindon in 1972. Fronted by songwriters Andy Partridge (guitars, vocals) and Colin Moulding (bass, vocals), the band gained popularity during the rise of punk and new wave in the 1970s, later playing in ...

Magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

but it's always pulling in weirder directions". Roland was managed by David Enthoven (manager of

Roxy Music Roxy Music are an English rock music, rock band formed in 1970 by Bryan Ferry—who became the band's lead vocalist and principal songwriter—and bassist Graham Simpson (musician), Graham Simpson. The other longtime members are Phil Manzanera ...

) and June Bolan (widow of Marc Bolan) during the early 1980s, but was unable to secure a satisfactory record contract. In 1982 he took a hiatus from recording and focused on music journalism. 1985's ''Burnt Orchids'' was characterised by ''

'' as a "pleasing early inkFloydish collection"; Roland considers it his first "authentic" or "real" album. The record has been noted as a "blueprint" for 1987's ''Danse Macabre'', an album that has garnered critical acclaim. Appraising ''Danse Macabre'', ''

Prog Prog may refer to: Music * Progressive music ** Progressive music (disambiguation) ** Progressive rock, a subgenre of rock music also known as “prog” *** Progressive rock (radio format) * Prog (magazine), a magazine dedicated to progressive ...

''s

Kris Needs Kris Needs (born 3 July 1954) is a British journalist and author, known for writings on music from the 1970s onwards. He became editor of proto-punk and early punk rock ''ZigZag'' magazine in August 1977 at 23 and has since written biographies ...

referred to "horror-psych masterworks" including "Witchfinder General", "Requiem", "Twilight of the Gods" and the "hallucinogenic waft" of the title track, as well as an "uncanny" cover version of Pink Floyd's "

Matilda Mother "Matilda Mother" is a song by British band Pink Floyd, featured on their 1967 debut album, ''The Piper at the Gates of Dawn''. Written by Syd Barrett, it is sung mostly by Richard Wright with Barrett joining in on choruses and singing the whole la ...

". "The Great Edwardian Air Raid" has been identified as the song that connected Roland to

. ''A Cabinet of Curiosities'' (1987) and ''Happy Families'' (1988), influenced by

EC Comics Entertaining Comics, more commonly known as EC Comics, was an American publisher of comic books, which specialized in horror fiction, crime fiction, satire, military fiction, dark fantasy, and science fiction from the 1940s through the mid-195 ...

and H. G. Wells's writings on the Edwardian era, were more sparse, stripped-down baroque albums. The former includes a cover of

The Adverts The Adverts were an English punk band who formed in 1976 and broke up in late 1979. They were one of the first punk bands to enjoy chart success in the United Kingdom, UK; their 1977 single "Gary Gilmore's Eyes" reached No. 18 in the UK Single ...

' " Gary Gilmore's Eyes". ''

Music & Media ''Music & Media'' was a pan-European magazine for radio, music and entertainment. It was published for the first time in 1984 as ''Eurotipsheet'', but in 1986 it changed name to ''Music & Media''. It was originally based in Amsterdam, but later ...

'' observed

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

themes throughout the "fascinating" ''Masque'' (1990), and suggested that "pop music in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

" would have resembled 1991's ''Roaring Boys''. Roland continued to write and record until 1997, when he halted his music career for seven years. This was due to the collapse of several record labels to which he was signed. During this hiatus he concentrated on his writing career and raising his children. Roland said of this period, "I didn't play the guitar at all and I didn't listen to my own music. I had to pretend it had never happened and that that part of me was dead. It is possible to pretend that you are someone else – I was 'dad' to my two little boys and I wrote nearly 20 books... but it was not 'me'. I was denying a part of myself and that isn't healthy." He returned to music with 2004's ''Pavane''. ''Nevermore'' (2008) saw Roland recount the case of Jack the Ripper, revive stories by Edgar Allan Poe, and address characters such as

Leatherface Leatherface is a fictional character in ''The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'' film series created by Kim Henkel and Tobe Hooper. He first appears in ''The Texas Chain Saw Massacre'' as a disfigured, cannibalistic and mentally unstable mass murderer ...

(from the 1974 film ''

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre ''The Texas Chain Saw Massacre'' is a 1974 American horror film produced and directed by Tobe Hooper from a story and screenplay by Hooper and Kim Henkel. It stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow and Gunnar Hansen, w ...

'') and

Captain Nemo Captain Nemo (; later identified as an Indian, Prince Dakkar) is a fictional character created by the French novelist Jules Verne (1828–1905). Nemo appears in two of Verne's science-fiction classics, ''Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas'' ( ...

(from the novels of

Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...

); it was positively received by

Metal.de Metal.de is a German-language online magazine launched in 1996. The magazine focuses on the subgenres of heavy metal and hard rock, but also reports on similar styles. ''Metal.de'' foundation in 1996 makes it one of the longest-running heavy me ...

. A 2010 remastered version of 1989's ''Duel'' – a record that Roland had originally "hated" – garnered favourable reviews from Marco Rossi of ''

Record Collector ''Record Collector'' is a British monthly music magazine. It was founded in 1980 and distributes worldwide. History The early years The first standalone issue of ''Record Collector'' was published in March 1980, though its history stretches ba ...

'', and ''

Ox-Fanzine ''Ox-Fanzine'' is a monthly punk zine from Solingen, Germany, founded in 1988. It is edited by Joachim Hiller and has had many contributors. Besides its focus on punk subculture, it also covers similar genres, reviews of comics, books and films, ...

''s Joachim Hiller, who recalled the album as a "masterpiece". ''Grimm'' (2011), based on tales by the

Brothers Grimm The Brothers Grimm ( or ), Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786–1859), were a brother duo of German academics, philologists, cultural researchers, lexicographers, and authors who together collected and published folklore. They are among the ...

, saw Roland play all the instruments by himself; it was described by Andrew Young of ''

Ptolemaic Terrascope {{Infobox magazine , image_file = pto.png , image_size = , image_caption = ''Ptolemaic Terrascope'' logo , editor = Phil McMullen (1988–2005) Pat Thomas (2005-07) , editor_title = , staff ...

'' as "one of the strongest albums in Paul Roland's quite extensive catalogue". In December 2016, Roland released ''White Zombie''. Initially intended as an unofficial soundtrack to the 1932 film starring Bela Lugosi, it turned into a collection of songs with incidental music. Recorded mainly in Italy, the album was well-received by Italian magazine '' Blow Up'', who named it "record of the month". It was produced by Max Marchini (who also played bass), and includes guest appearances by several Italian artists. "Mambo Jo" also featured as the title track of a simultaneously released EP. In 2017, Roland's 30-minute ''Grimm Fantasy'' suite was arranged for orchestral performance by composer David Roche. Roland has amassed an extremely large discography. Kris Needs referred to a "vast catalogue" representing a "creative maze which continues to expand". Roland often signed to labels that soon went out of business, rendering his musical output only partially available; several of his works have been revised and republished during the 21st century.

Cherry Red Records Cherry Red Records is a British independent record label founded in Malvern, Worcestershire by Iain McNay in 1978. The label has released recordings by Dead Kennedys, Everything But the Girl, The Monochrome Set, and Felt, among others, as well ...

assumed responsibility for his catalogue in the mid 2010s.

Reception and legacy

Roland is recognised as an "

" artist within the psychedelic sphere; ''

'' dubbed him a "psychedelic cult celebrity". In 2010, Marco Rossi of ''

'' described Roland as "a cherished figure on the gothic rock and psychpop periphery for 30 years", while praising his "impeccable narratives". Rossi's colleague Ian Abrahams proclaimed Roland a "psych-pop genius", his work "full of gruesome atmosphere" and featuring a "mastery of character". Roland has gathered a stronger fanbase in mainland Europe than in his native UK, which Abrahams called "a peculiar situation when you hear his quintessentially eccentric Englishness". '' Louder Than War''s Ian Canty hailed him as a "master story-teller" with a "unique gift for songwriting", asserting that "Roland belongs alongside great British musical eccentrics like Ivor Cutler, Robyn Hitchcock, Momus and

Billy Childish Billy Childish (born Steven John Hamper, 1 December 1959) is an English painter, author, poet, photographer, film maker, singer and guitarist. Since the late 1970s, Childish has been prolific in creating music, writing and visual art. He has le ...

". Canty compared his singing voice to that of

the Only Ones The Only Ones were an English rock band formed in London in 1976, whose original band members are Peter Perrett, Alan Mair, John Perry and Mike Kellie, they first disbanded in 1982. They were associated with punk rock, yet straddled the music ...

Peter Perrett Peter Albert Neil Perrett (born 8 April 1952) is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. He is the singer, rhythm guitarist and principal songwriter for the rock band the Only Ones. Prior to forming the Only Ones, who were ...

. Roland was described by Hitchcock as "the male Kate Bush", while musician

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by wikt:nonconformity, nonconformity, Free improvisation, free-form improvisation, sound experimen ...

said, " olandwrite nice melodies and has a very particular personality, but is far too intellectual for me!" He has been labelled in the media as "the

Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and Peerage of the United Kingdom, peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and h ...

of rock" and "the Edgar Allan Poe of psych". Roland has been credited with inventing

music; Cory Gross of '' SteamPunk Magazine'' wrote that bands like Abney Park and

Vernian Process Vernian Process is an American band formed in San Francisco in 2003. Taking its name from the works of 19th century author Jules Verne, Vernian Process is a band that creates music themed around Victorian scientific romance and its modern counte ...

manifested the genre while "following in the footsteps" of Roland and others. Vernian Process founder Joshua Pfeiffer asserted, "If anyone deserves credit for spearheading steampunk music, it is oland He was one of the inspirations I had in starting my project. He was writing songs about the first attempt at manned flight, and an Edwardian airship raid in the mid-80s long before almost anyone else." Roland was also influential on rock band

Temples A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

. Roland's work has been generally well-received by critics throughout his career.

Jim DeRogatis James Peter DeRogatis (born September 2, 1964) is an American music critic and co-host of ''Sound Opinions''. DeRogatis has written articles for magazines such as ''Rolling Stone'', '' Spin'', ''Guitar World'' and ''Modern Drummer'', and for 15 ...

credited Roland for "masterful

Syd Barrett Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett (6 January 1946 – 7 July 2006) was an English singer, songwriter, and musician who co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd in 1965. Barrett was their original frontman and primary songwriter, becoming known for his ...

-style pop tunes orchestrated in the manner of ''

S.F. Sorrow ''S. F. Sorrow'' is the fourth album by the English rock band Pretty Things. Released in 1968, it is known as one of the first rock operas ever released. Based on a short story by singer Phil May, the album is structured as a song cycle tell ...

'' by the

Pretty Things The Pretty Things were an English band formed in September 1963 in Sidcup, Kent. They took their name from Willie Dixon's 1955 song "Pretty Thing". A pure rhythm and blues band in their early years, with several singles charting in the Unite ...

", and placed ''Danse Macabre'' (1987) at number two in his "Two Dozen Great Psychedelic Rock Records from the First Revival". Ian Canty wrote that the album is "perhaps oland'smasterpiece – eleven sepia-tinted excellently constructed novellas wrapped in pristine Psych Pop, totally out of step with the modern world of music at the time and benefiting hugely from the fact". ''

''s Joachim Hiller also had praise for ''Danse Macabre'', hailing it as a "classic album" that "delighted quite a few people at the time". Several of Roland's works have been listed as collectibles.

Writing career

Roland has worked as a music journalist, writing for publications including '' Sounds'', ''

Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...

'' and ''

Hi-Fi News & Record Review ''Hi-Fi News & Record Review'' is a British monthly magazine, published by AV Tech Media Ltd, which reviews audiophile-oriented sound-reproduction and recording equipment, and includes information on new products and developments in audio. It i ...

''. He has authored five books on musician Marc Bolan, and was a key contributor to the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

documentary film ''Marc Bolan: The Final Word'' (2007). Aside from popular music, Roland's many books cover subjects including crime, World War II, and the supernatural.

Personal life

Roland lived in

Margate Margate is a seaside resort, seaside town on the north coast of Kent in south-east England. The town is estimated to be 1.5 miles long, north-east of Canterbury and includes Cliftonville, Garlinge, Palm Bay, UK, Palm Bay and Westbrook, Kent, ...

, Kent during the 1980s and 1990s. In 2006, he left England to live in Germany. He later returned to the UK and lives in Cambridgeshire with his wife and two sons. Roland is a

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

fan.

Selected discography

The following is a sampling of Roland's extensive discography:

Albums

*''The Werewolf of London'' (1980, as ''Midnight Rags'') *''Burnt Orchids'' (1985) *''Danse Macabre'' (1987) *''A Cabinet of Curiosities'' (1987) *''Happy Families'' (1988) *''Duel'' (1989) *''Masque'' (1990) *''Roaring Boys'' (1991) *''Strychnine'' (1992) *''Sarabande'' (1994) *''Gargoyles'' (1997) *''Pavane'' (2004) *''Re-Animator'' (2007) *''Nevermore'' (2008) *''Grimm'' (2011) *''Bates Motel'' (2013) *''White Zombie'' (2016)

Compilations

*''House of Dark Shadows'' (1986) *''Confessions of an Opium Eater'' (1987) *''Waxworks'' (1995) *''Gaslight Tales'' (2003) *''Demos'' (2009) *''In Memorium 1980–2010'' (2010)

References

External links

The Music of Paul RolandPaul Roland - The AuthorPersonal blog
* *
Paul Roland
biography at Prog Archives {{DEFAULTSORT:Roland, Paul 1959 births Living people English male songwriters English male singers English writers English writers on paranormal topics English male journalists Steampunk music British male novelists