Pauper & Poet

Ryan Rees, a.k.a Pauper and Poet is an acoustic singer songwriter from Llanelli, who's currently uploading cover songs online between recording original material and songwriting. He took the time out to tell me a little more about his music endeavours.

Where did the name Pauper and Poet originate?

"I think from day one I was planning on having a moniker to go by as I never felt 

comfortable going with my name. The original idea was to have a title that reflected my name in some way as well as my music. So, 'Ryan' is an Irish name meaning little prince and considering my songs tend to be quite lyrically dense, I wanted 'Poet' to be a part of the title. 

So, Prince & Poet was what I was going to go with first. I then decided against it as I don't think 'Prince' relates enough to me, also I didn't want people to think of the musician 'Prince' when listening to my music. The word 'Pauper' felt more appropriate and I still got to have the alliteration in the title."

What got you in to music to begin with?

"When I was 10 years old, my older brother started teaching me how to play guitar. He taught me how to read guitar tabs and I went from there. I learnt every Green Day song and Blink 182 song that I could manage through out my early teens. 

I think being a part of the band 'January' was a huge moment in regards to me being on this path in music. It was the start of 

my songwriting journey and it lead to being apart of a few other bands with friends. Being in a songwriting environment and playing live shows for a good few years really stuck with me and embedded this passion for performing music in me."

What are your influences?

"I've had many influences such as Green Day and Blink 182 in my early teens. Anything with Jason Lancaster involved in my later teens. Currently my main influences would be Dallas Green (City and Colour) and Newton Faulkner. I find their music relatable both in terms of subject and their particular playing styles."

Would you class yourself as a cover artist or a singer songwriter? Or both? 

"I would say I'm more of a singer songwriter but looking at my online presence and all the videos I've uploaded, cover artist seems more appropriate. Once I start releasing my own music I think I can officially refer to myself as a singer songwriter."

What is your set up when it comes to your playing?

"My Guitar and I. That's it I guess."

What is your songwriting process? 

"The guitar always comes first. I'm not much of a singer so I'll be messing around on the guitar and if I like something I'll go with it. I'll hum a melody on top and some words will stand out. Lyrics are what I struggle with the most. I've had songs with the guitar finished for years before I finish the lyrics for them. I'm not good at forcing lyrics. I'll sing different words until they stick and I never, NEVER write the words down until they're finished. Every time I read back lyrics that I'm working on they almost always go straight in the bin."

You're currently in the middle of recording, how's that going?

"Yes! I'm working on my first acoustic EP. I've been recording the guitar to the 5 songs that will be on it. I'm now recording the vocals and making some final tweaks. It should be ready for amid-July release. It's my first time recording anything and having to do it all on my own has been challenging yet rewarding."

Are there any musicians out there that are grabbing your attention?

"Absolute loads are catching my eye. The Milk Carton Kids, Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, Daughter, Gary Clark Jr and Yvette Young to name but a few that I've experienced in the last year or so."

If you could jam with any other musician, dead or alive, who would it be and why? 

"Such a tough question. I think it would have to be Dallas Green. His music has been the most influential to me in the past couple of years. His lyrics are what inspired me to write my lyrics in such a personal way. To sing what you feel. It was a big shift in my songwriting process. His playing style is similar to my own so it would be interesting to have a jam with him."

Final word: Pauper & Poet takes the mic

"Firstly, thank you for the interview and thank you to anyone reading. If you'd like to check out my music you can find me on Youtube and Facebook under Pauper & Poet. Stay tuned for the upcoming release of my first acoustic EP."

It was great having a catch up with Pauper & Poet, wishing him all the best with his creation of music.

If you would like an opportunity to "take the mic", drop me an email at stewjones22@gmail.com