A decade ago I was approached and asked if I’d be interested in covering the inaugural Hinterland Music Festival. TV on The Radio was playing, and that’s honestly all I needed to make my decision. It was my first time ever going to a festival alone, which would soon become a trend in my life, and actually was a huge motivator in regaining my confidence. I was broke beyond belief, retreating to my car between bands to replenish with the few snacks I brought along, and regulate my body temperature as the sun was unforgiving and a photo pit constructed of concrete played no positive role. I had no place to stay, and would be making the 3-hour return trip home soon after the final headliner took the stage. I look back fondly on this weekend, when I was just beginning to live out a photojournalistic dream I had originally drawn up as a teenager. A dream I am still chasing, or living, as sometimes the lines between those two begin to blend. Life is a chase more than a race, for we are out here attempting to better ourselves, not to beat others. Though I digress.

Back to that summer heat, and a stage nestled at the base of two hills that would soon become the bane of my weekend. While there were several names on the bill that I had known for years, many of the acts I was naïve to before this weekend. However, many I would not only come to love, but they and I would cross paths again, often at Codfish Hollow. I was introduced to acts like Justin Townes Earle, Future Islands, Joe Pug, Lucius, and St. Paul and The Broken Bones. The latter being the focus for this interview. This 8-piece powerhouse played Saturday afternoon, during one of the hottest points of the weekend. They came to the stage, dressed to the nines, and I can still recall lead singer, Paul Janeway, saying between songs, as he sweat through his suit, “Oh we’re from Alabama. This isn’t hot.”

It’s only fitting that when I finally have the chance to see them again, it’s during another Iowa heatwave. However, the welcome walls of the Codfish Hollow Barn provide a comfort I didn’t quite find all those years ago, where St. Paul and The Broken Bones got the crowd dancing with their infectious blend of soul, only a matter of miles from the covered bridges of an Iowa county that once made it on movie marquees. I had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with Paul this past week for a quick conversation before they put on an absolute clinic of a show for a sold-out crowd at the best venue in the Midwest. This show will go down as a top-3 performance for the 2025 season at Codfish, and if you missed it, I truly feel bad for you. If these guys come anywhere near you, you’d be wise not to miss the show, it’s an experience you won’t soon forget.

P: How you doing?

M: I'm pretty good, trying to survive this heat.

P: Do you live in the area?

M: Pretty close.. I'm from the Quad Cities originally, but I probably live about 20 miles from here now.

P: What's in the Quad Cities?

M: Davenport and Bettendorf, and it's like 15 different actual cities. So first, just an introduction. Who are you? How long have you been playing, and where do you call home?

P: My name is Paul Janeway. I'm the singer in the band (St Paul and The Broken Bones) This band has existed for 13 years at this point, and my home, I live in Birmingham, Alabama.

M: What originally got you into music? I know sometimes there's nota good answer other than like, there's not really another option.

P: I grew up in rural Alabama. I grew up singing in church. My first solo was when I was four years old. It was kind of a fun church, I guess, is the best way, right?

M: Sounds like it

P: Like more charismatic, speaking in tongues, a little bit. Went through phases, but, um, yeah. So that kind of thing, and I grew up singing. And my mom plays piano. And, yeah.

M: So like, a lifelong kind of family thing. Does that religious background play into the current music at all?

P: Yeah, I think, to a degree, I guess. I mean, we're definitely not a religious band by any stretch, but I think it definitely plays a role in the performance. You know how to read an audience. Kind of performing with, like, all the, all that you have within you is definitely kind of a more church thing to do

M: Yeah, and I saw you guys, it's been 10 years now at the first Hinterland Festival, and the performance blew me away.

P: Was that the one where they had to change the location?

M: Yeah. They just do it at that location ever since. Okay, what inspires you on a daily basis, and has that inspiration changed as you've grown?

P: Good question. What inspires me every day? I think part of it, you know, I'm a perpetual motion person, so just finding little things, little goals. I think for me there's, there is kind of a spiritual nature to things like being a decent person. Yeah, you know, you know what I mean? Doing good acts, not being motivated by ego. And then obviously I have, I have a young daughter, and my wife, so definitely inspiring and trying to be a better person. And then money,

M: Of course. Well that's a given. When it comes to songwriting, either by yourself or with the band, do you guys do a lot of sitting down and hashing things out, or is it kind of an organic process?

P: We've kind of done it many ways. We're pretty agnostic in the way we write. With some stuff, I mean we've been working on a new record. We wrote a lot of that in a studio with us playing. And then the first record was definitely written, but just me and Jesse (t And we’ve done the bedroom demo thing, and we've kind of done it all sorts of different ways.

M: This is your guys' first time here, right? Oh, yes, What's your initial impression of it? Like, obviously, it's cow pasture, but, what makes it stand out other than that?

P: Yeah, I mean we smell that. So when we, you know, you start talking about routing for tours and stuff. One was like, Oh, well, do we want to play Iowa City and our agent was like, Hey, there is this place. You know, if you don't want to do it, that's fine, but there is a place. It's kind of a barn in the middle of nowhere. And the moment I saw the first photo, I was like, Absolutely,

M: Yeah. It's usually, it seems like it's a harder sell for people until they see it, or they get here then everyone’s totally in.

P: Oh yeah, for me, like, you know, we've been doing this for a little bit, so I like doing something unique. Now, granted, I was like, is anybody gonna buy any tickets? Like, how does this even work? I mean, it ended up selling out really quick.
M: Yeah, there's good support out here for sure

P: Yeah. It was a good, positive thing. But I honestly, we kind of had something like the backstage and everything, something fairly similar in Birmingham called Bottle Tree Cafe, and it was a 200-cap room, and, like this, kind of the way this backstage is, it wasn't a barn, which is way cooler. It was just like a normal music venue, but the way, hospitality, everything, it seems like everybody's kind of full-in. And I've actually really loved it. We've actually been looking forward to this show.

M: That's great

P: Yeah, because it is unique. It's like you never know it, but it is completely unique.

M: Definitely and I think your guys' sound is very fitting for it

P: Yeah, yeah, it could be a really fun time

M: Let's see. What's the best piece of advice you've received from another musician, or any that you would give to an aspiring musician?

P: Um, golly. Best piece of advice. Gonna name drop here. Elton John told me not to sell my publishing.

M: I mean, not bad advice.

P: For me, it's like, don't lose yourself and, be yourself. I know that's cliche, all of that stuff, but it's like, you know, don't try to chase the dragon of trying to be something you're not. Or, like, I think especially in the age of the internet, you've got to hustle. You've got to work. It is hard work, but in the age of the internet, like, if you have personality and you have a thing, and you are you, you'll find an audience. It's a different time. You know, there used to be a lot of gatekeepers, and there's not that many gatekeepers. It's a harder thing to do now.

M: Okay, you did mention how long you guys have been playing. You've played kind of every spot. Are there any venues you haven't played that you guys are still really hoping for?

P: Never done Red Rocks.

M: That surprises me.

P: Yeah, we never did. We have a weird thing where we've been offered to open up, or be strong support. I've had an experience in my life where we've opened up to places I've always wanted to play, and it's a good experience. It's just not your experience. So I've never seen Red Rocks or any show there. I want my first eyeballs to be when we had a headline show there.

M: I've been there once, and it was for a podcast. So it wasn't even music

P: Yeah, not as fun, I would think.

M: It was different. I guess, in closing, you said you guys have been working on a new album. Is there anything else big in the plans for 2025

P: I mean, we're touring, you know, hopefully new music. We're actually going to play a lot of new songs tonight. So we'll see how it goes, we've been kind of using this as road testing and see what's working, what's not working.

M: Have you been getting good responses from them?

P: So far it's been really great. You know, we've done two different records, very different from what people kind of know us for. And so it's been interesting to see how these go, because I think people have been responding really well.

M: That's great Well, that's all I had.

P: Oh, okay, great. Easy enough.

M: For sure. Thanks for doing it, though.

P: No problem at all.

M: It’s a new running thing we're doing this summer.

P: I love it. Yeah, I was like, I mean, not really doing anything, I'm listening to an audio book. That's about it.

M: What are you listening to?

P: James. Have you heard about this book? Like it's from the slave in Huckleberry Finn's point of view, and they tell his story

M: Interesting. No, I've not heard about thae

P: Yeah it won a Pulitzer Prize. I mean, it's not a like a happy book.

M: Well, yeah, I would expect not

P: But it is really good. So I'm about, I've got like, an hour of listening, and then I'm done with it.

M: I've been looking for new books. So I might have to check that out.

P: I just finished Demon Copperhead. Have you ever read that one?

M: I have not

P: Oh Man!

M: I'm really out of the loop.

P: That's a great one.

M: Awesome. Well, thank you again.

P: It was a pleasure.