Paul Saunders enjoys some quality time at an Afternoon Café in his latest single and video — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
Reminiscent of the jazz-rock anthems of ’70s stars like Chicago, Blood, Sweat & Tears and Steely Dan, Afternoon Café blends Latin piano and percussion with sultry sax that leads into a guitar-driven, tempo-shifting chorus.
“This is a song I wrote a while ago in Venice Beach, California,” explains Saunders. ”When I revisited it, I felt the need to redo the vocals, then tweak and remix it. I wanted to capture the mood and whimsy of what it feels like to sit alone in a beautiful café in the sunshine, thinking of love’s past, and what the future could hold.”
Afternoon Café follows the release of Saunders’ debut album It’s About Time! Dominated by songs he wrote over the years while carving out a successful acting career in TV, film and theatre, the 12-track disc boasts a stellar lineup of stage and studio musicians — including the late Michael Fonfara, Danny Weis, Danny McBride, Glen Morrow, Stacey Heydon, Igor Romanyk, Demo Cates, Gary Taylor and Michael St Clair. The album was produced by Saunders and Gord Paton, and recorded at Toronto’s Sky Blue Studios, Eastern Sound and The Rhythm Ranch.
The release is a full-circle moment for the multi-talent: Of all the artistic hats that Saunders wears very well, he is most comfortable and happy writing songs. After all, that’s where he started out, playing in the Yorkville clubs in Toronto before making his way to L.A. “That’s really how I started in the business was as a songwriter with Epic Records in Los Angeles,” he recalls. “It was the kind of gig that paid me to sit in a room and write with a monthly quota of songs required.”
Along the way, he made enough outside connections to land acting roles, with leads in productions of both Jesus Christ Superstar and Hair. But the allure of recording and releasing an album as a solo artist never left Saunders and with It’s About Time!, he’s finally made good on that dream.
Watch Afternoon Café above, listen to It’s About Time! below, and get more Paul Saunders at his website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
