Indie-folk musician, 6 and 12 string guitarist, Paul Doffing, is currently touring the United States (and beyond) on a bicycle. His first music/bike tour was the five-month Freedom From Fuel Tour in 2012. In five months he traversed the entire continent by bicycle playing thirty tour dates from Washington, D.C. to San Francisco, California. He released his second, self-titled album in October 2013 and continues his tradition of touring without fossil fuels.
A road-worn depth reverberates throughout Doffing’s work. Songs unfold naturally, and a peaceful reflecting point is provided through his virtuosic guitar work and rich, poetic lyricism. The direct, unbridled nature of this music hints at someone who has spent long, contemplative hours harvesting melodies. Doffing’s voice shines as brightly as his guitar work, at times, evoking an otherworldly Neil Young. His lyrical content is reminiscent of Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy – expansive, symbolic, and surprising. His music is influenced by his compassionate sense of duty more than it is by any particular artist.
His debut album, Blossom is You, combines graceful finger picking and rich lingering chords with deeply introspective lyrics. Like great cinema, the album has moments of bliss, torture, and melancholy. Doffing spent years in a psychedelic rock band before realizing he needed to go in his own direction. After completing Blossom is You, he set out on a 5,000-mile bike trip across the U.S. to bring his music to a broader audience. “I learned to smile at the challenges, to accept and accomplish the tasks I faced, and to feel safe without a plan.”
Songs of a man reveling in a new facet of his artistry were evident in his self-titled follow-up album. It brought out the lyrical side of his work. His vocal style brings in elements of rock and roll, blues, and folk. Lastly, his latest album, Songs from the (quaking) Heart, was released on May 30. The track “The Legend of Mick Dodge” can be viewed on YouTube. And the Austin Town Hall premier of his newest single “Reason” can be heard on Soundcloud. Plus, have a listen below to another gem from the latest album, “Slow I Go.”
“Slow I Go” by Paul Doffing
