Today we’d like to introduce you to Bruce Paul Allen.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My father placed a camera in my hands at age 5. Completely intrigued, I proceeded to disassemble it, piece by piece, until I realized that reassembly was not an option. Fortunately, my disappointed father found it in his heart to give me another chance and furnished me with a second camera. From that point on, I have cherished my cameras as if they were my eyes. And later on in life, I came to cherish my basses as if they were an appendage.
From the onset of my life growing up in Los Angeles, I have been surrounded by photography and music in one way or another. Both my parents and grandparents had beautiful pianos in their houses. Yet, no one played them. Despite being tone-deaf, my father enjoyed his stereo systems and loved blasting albums and 45s. Some of my early memories are of my parents filling our home with singles by the Beatles, Beach Boys, 5th Dimension, Nancy Sinatra, Petula Clark, Neil Diamond, and others. Because of this early exposure to Rock and Pop, I feel like I skipped right over children’s music. Once I had a taste of Rock, most everything else took a back burner.
By age six, I had my own small record player and was playing Beatles, Doors, CCR, Ike and Tina Turner, and Blood, Sweat, and Tears. I was so into rock that I was coming up with drum beats in my head. I thought for sure I’d end up as a drummer. I recall in 3rd grade, telling some of my school friends that I was going to start a rock band and be the drummer. My parents bought me a toy drum kit. It lasted about three days before the paper drums got holes. That was the end of that.
Through my teenage years, I got into hi-fi equipment and spent hours listening to rock stations. In particular, I really enjoyed listening to the King Biscuit Flower Hour. Two of my favorites from that series were Santana and Heart. Listening to these live recordings gave me some kind of spark – to learn music and hopefully perform live someday. I spent time thinking about instruments, and although the many great drummers and guitarists inspired me, there was something about the bass that just sounded and felt like home to me.
At age 15, I had my first music theory and bass lessons. The music theory component was fascinating to me, but the bass part was very troubling. For the most part, I am left-handed, and those initial bass lessons were with the teacher’s right-handed bass. It felt completely unnatural, like trying to write with the other hand. Doable? Sort of. But it went across the grain of how my mind worked. It was incredibly frustrating…right to the point of throwing up my hands and walking away from it. Then, for my 16th birthday, my father gave me my first bass: a 1977 left-handed Fender Precision. Instantly, my musical mind, body, and spirit felt aligned with this instrument.
In short order, I was building bass dexterity, and at the same time, I was building a foundational understanding of music theory. In turn, I started taking poems and stanzas and trying to place them in a musical setting. Soon, I was writing very basic song ideas. But then, it all came to a halt. It was time for college, and my father insisted that I attend UC Davis. He even picked out a major for me, something I had no interest in whatsoever. I brought my music equipment with me to college and soon joined a cover band. I enjoyed playing gigs but wasn’t wild about playing covers. All I really cared about was working on original song ideas.
After a tumultuous year at Davis, I decided to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston. It wasn’t easy convincing my father; I had to call his bluff when he initially refused. Anyway, I made the bold move to Boston. It was difficult acclimating to a different culture, let alone a highly intimidating learning environment. I was surrounded by musicians who could run rings around me in most every way that proficiency is measured.
For me, it was a rather un-nurturing environment, but I stuck it out. Interestingly, my bass professor struggled with teaching me, all because I play left-handed. One day, I walk into his office for my weekly meeting and lesson. Next to my chair is a full-length mirror. The professor had to watch me through the mirror in order to teach me! I felt like saying, “Welcome to my world!” Yes, I built some chops, but soon, I gravitated toward something well beyond the technical craft.
Looking back, there were several courses that really helped shape me as a budding songwriter. Of all things, a lyric-writing class had more of a lasting impact on me than any other course. After graduating from Berklee College of Music, I decided to remain in Boston, where I joined several bands over the years. There, I enjoyed some local radio airplay, including a live set. I recorded on several albums, too, including the critically acclaimed self-titled Torian as well as Winterboy – Cold Blue Campfire.
In 2015, I moved back to Southern California, but couldn’t fathom L.A. Instead, I opted for Oceanside, where I am today. I love living in North County and appreciate the vibrant music scene throughout all of San Diego County. Immediately upon moving, I joined the well-established San Diego band Sometimes Julie, where I have since written and recorded on their last four albums, including the newly released Seven Wishes. Additionally, about six years ago, I joined the newly formed Pip & the Lefties. Following up to our debut album, we’ve been busy in the studio and are now releasing a number of new songs.
To date, I have written over 60 songs, the latest of which I’ve brought into the studio. I have tapped into San Diego’s wellspring of talent, bringing in several key San Diego musicians and engineers to help me make some magic in the studio. The songs are being released as this interview is taking place and are available on all major music platforms under the name Bruce Paul Allen – Band Substance.
This last December, after much research and personal introspection, I decided to register with the National Kidney Registry. I want to be a non-directed (altruistic) kidney donor, meaning that my living kidney would go anonymously to whomever needs it and is a match. In return, the National Kidney Registry offers a “voucher” program, in which I can select up to five people who I know are struggling with kidney problems and add them to a national list. If any one of them ever needs a kidney transplant, they would go to the front of the line nationally. Considering that my sister, sister-in-law, daughter’s close friend, ex-wife, and others are struggling with kidney issues, it seems like a phenomenal opportunity to do some good in more ways than one.
I entered the living donor program at UC San Diego’s Center for Transplantation. They really put me through my paces – viles and viles of blood, cardiac stress test, metal assessment (which somehow I passed!), chest x-ray, and CT Scan. On February 22, I got the call, informing me that I have been disqualified from the living kidney donor program. I was crushed. This had really given me so much of an added sense of meaning and mission. But then, they informed me why I was disqualified: The CT Scan identified an Intraductal Pappilary Mucinous Neoplasm – a pancreatic tumor! After a number of additional procedures, I have been diagnosed as having Stage I Pancreatic Cancer and will be undergoing the complex five-hour Whipple procedure surgery in May at UC San Diego’s Moore’s Cancer Center.
This story certainly speaks to facing, learning from, and managing through adversity. Yet, my experience also points out how adversity can strangely turn out to be a veiled gift. If I didn’t attempt to donate my kidney, this tumor wouldn’t have been discovered until it was too late, which is why Pancreatic Cancer has one of the lowest survival rates. I consider myself exceptionally fortunate.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
First of all, what is a smooth road?!? Every one of us faces adversity — both externally and internally. And while the adverse events themselves don’t define us, how we respond to, learn from, and gain newfound perspective because of them that very much shapes who we are. I have struggled with depression for most all my life. I’ve had to climb out of some extremely deep troughs. I have managed through some tumultuous relationships, starting with my father. What a paradox in life to have your own parent be your greatest nemesis…who just happened to give some of the greatest gifts I could ever ask for, including music!
One thing’s for certain. Our weathered souls wouldn’t be half as deep as they are if it weren’t for the many difficulties life mercilessly hurls at us. This shows up in my own music as well as much of the music I’ve collaborated on over the years.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I write, record, and perform songs with the intention of conveying a substantive thought or perspective. Of course, I write about love. I consider myself an ambassador of love. Yet, I write about other salient matters. One of my newest songs, Before You Go, is a recent conversation I had with my 19-year-old depressed self.
As a bassist, I’ve been told that I bring a different approach to the parts I write. Generally, my tendency is to coalesce and support rhythm, melody, and lyrics concurrently. As a result, I can come off as melodic or sometimes downright idiosyncratic (in a good way, they say!).
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
First and foremost, this whole dream thing we call life appears to be an impermanent illusion of separateness. We are all connected in ways we can’t fully realize, leading me to sense that connectivity amongst each of us and with nature is our greatest mission. This comes predominantly through love, care, and giving.
Secondly, the Universe gives if you give it a chance. But try as we might, we simply can’t “push the river.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.reverbnation.com/brucepaulallen
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bruce.allen.58726/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrOLTEznwWSxZjDQSt8kS5g
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3cSw8K2hr0PG7coq55abNC
