Catching up with Paul Woida

St. Albert’s second annual Seven Music Festival kicked off on Saturday to great success. There were a few storm clouds in the air, but they weren’t enough to dampen anyone’s spirits. After a brief welcome from Mayor Crouse, the festival kicked off with a showcase of our blossoming local music scene. T8N caught up with St. Albert’s own Paul Woida to talk with him about his music career and why he’s proud to call St. Albert home.

For those who don’t already know, Paul is a modern one-man band, utilizing a guitar and a loop pedal that allow him to produce the same layered compositions you’d expect from a full musical ensemble. In the last few years Paul has been making a name for himself around the city, and his efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. Among his recent achievements, Paul found himself the winner of a nationwide song-writing contest. The grand prize? Opening for Meghan Trainor as she tours the country later this year. “I got a Twitter notification the other day,” Paul announced to the Seven Music Fest audience between songs. “And it said that Megan Trainor is now following me. She even sent me a winky-face, so it’s a pretty big deal.” The location of the big show is yet to be decided, but if Paul’s reception on the national stage mirrors his local popularity, St. Albert is about to be home to a new star.

Most musicians in Paul’s position would be starting to look for apartments in Vancouver or Montreal, where the music scene is often thought of as being more vibrant. But Paul says he’s happy to stay here in St. Albert. “I’m able to have a very safe home base here. My family is here. My friends are here. It’s important to have that kind of support when you’re starting out. And the music community here in Edmonton and St. Albert has been so great and so supportive. If I were to move to Vancouver, there is no way that I would have found this same kind of community. One day I might have to move away to take my career to the next step, but if it were possible for me to stay, I would.”

If you were to take one look around the Seven Music Festival’s grounds, you’d quickly see the evidence of the supportive community that Paul values so highly. “It’s heaven on Earth,” says Paul, referring to the crowd spread out over the slopes of Mission Hill. “I just love it.”