This interview with Paul was done before POM went over to Germany/Iraq in 2004 but wasn't published until 2005.

Messenger Jan-Feb 2005

One on One with Paul Phillips

By 1^st Lt. Dominic Mirabella

If you’ve ever met Paul’s mom then you already know about her son, Paul.  If not, you still may have heard Paul Phillips on the radio.  He’s the lead guitarist for the multi-platinum-selling rock band, Puddle of Mudd.

The group has sold more than 6 million copies of their albums, and their first one, “Come Clean,” spawned four No. 1 hits on the rock and alternative singles chart – “Blurry,” “She Hates Me,” “Control,” and “Drift and Die.”

“Blurry” earned the ASCAP – American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers – award in 2002 for the most played song of the year.  They also earned four Billboard Music Awards including the award for Rock Artist of the Year.  With all of this success, Phillips and the rest of the band remain grounded.  They have played at several charity events and recently returned from Europe and the Middle East where they played for deployed U.S. soldiers in October 2004.

I recently sat down with Phillips before the military tour to discuss his background, the band’s current status, and their future plans.

Q: “Musically, who were your biggest influences growing up?”

P:  “I was a big fan of bands like Guns N’ Roses and Pantera.  I really liked their guitarists: Slash from G ‘n’ R and Dimebag Darrell from Pantera.  I wouldn’t say that I tried to fashion my style in their image, I just really appreciated their music.”

Q: “Where do you enjoy playing more – in a packed bar or in a packed stadium?”

P:  “I would say a medium venue of maybe 2,000 to 4,000 people.  With that many people you get a certain energy and intimate feeling that is hard to get from a packed stadium where you can really only see the first 10 to 15 rows of people.  Playing in front of a huge stadium is still cool though.”

Q: “What’s the one thing you can’t live without?”

P: “I would have to say my guitar.  It’s an outlet for me; whether I’m in a bad or good mood or I’m feeling creative, it’s just a source of inspiration I always have to have it in arms’ reach.”

Q:  “If you were stranded on an island with only one CD to listen to, it would be…”

P: “That’s a tough one.  I don’t know if I could get by with only one, but if I had to pick, I would probably say “Appetite for Destruction,” by Guns N’ Roses.  I can just listen to that album from beginning to end and never get sick of it.”

Q: “Yeah, I can’t think of anyone I know who doesn’t have that album.”

P: “Yeah, that’s probably the reason it’s still so great. Everyone has a copy of it somewhere.”

Q: “How many shows does the band do for charity?”

P: “We just recently did a show in San Diego earlier during the year for firefighters and their families who battled the forest fires down there.  What we do is a small part in response to their efforts to keep us safe, but we feel it’s the least we can do.  Obviously, all the proceeds went to them; we didn’t play to make a profit.”

Q: “I heard you also spent some time with some injured Marines who just came back from Iraq.  Can you tell me about that experience?”

P:  “You know, I thought it was funny because these guys were injured after doing some remarkable things, and I couldn’t understand how fascinated they were.  In fact I was more fascinated with them.  I was like, ‘Can’t you see that what you are doing is more impressive than what I am doing? We work for like an hour a day and you are doing this stuff all day, every day.’  It was just such a cool experience.  We were all feeding off of each other and we really appreciated each other.”

Q: “Is it true that the band is going over to Europe and the Middle East to do some shows for troops?”

P:  “That is true.  We are heading that way, after our current tour ends.  Right now, I believe we are planning on going to Germany, Bosnia, and Iraq.  I don’t think the actual venues are set in stone yet and we are still ironing out the details, but we are definitely going over there for some shows.”

Q: “Let’s talk about your earlier days in Jacksonville for a minute.  Your mom tells me that you grew up in your own apartment that was attached to her house.  Did that work out for you?”

P: “It was cool.  It makes you independent at an early age.  I had to learn about things like cleaning up after myself and I think it made me more responsible. I was always good at entertaining myself anyway and I’m comfortable being kind of a loner, so it worked out well for me.  Plus, I could play my guitar at all hours of the night, as loud as I wanted to, without worrying about waking anyone up.”

Q: “I also hear that you’re a pretty good surfer.  Were you on a team when growing up?”

P:  “Well, I’m not going to toot my horn, but I was alright at it.  I was in a lot of local contests.  I surfed for the Sunrise Surf Team and then later for a local shaper.  You know, growing up near the ocean, you’re forced to surf.  If you didn’t, you were an outsider or it was like you didn’t belong.”

Q: “What would you say was an important lesson you learned while growing up with your mom in Jacksonville?”

P:  “Well, I wouldn’t say that this is a life-altering thing, but it’s something I learned.  I learned that if you get tape and stick it to the pressure sensors on your home alarm, you can stop the alarm from beeping when you open the door to sneak out at night.”

Q: “That’s pretty smart thinking.  Does your mom know about this now or will she be reading about this here for the first time?”

P: “No, she’s aware of it now. I got away with it.”

Q: When is the band planning on getting back into the studio to record another album?”

P: “Well, right now we are just finishing up this tour in the U.S.  Then, we’re going to head overseas for those concerts for the troops.

Q: “Lastly, this article will probably be read by a lot of men and women who have just served overseas or are on their way over there.  Is there anything in particular that you would like to pass along to them?”

P:  “I think it’s important that they know that whether people here support the war, or are against the war, we all respect and support our troops.  Any negative responses relating to the war is not reflective of the troops and the job they’re doing over there.  They are really appreciated ad we are proud of the job they are doing.”