Paul, a suburban Chicago native, has been playing music for longer than he can remember, be it banging on his mother's piano as a toddler or learning the clarinet in grade school. He soon discovered the joy of performing, and took it upon himself to learn any instrument he could, from saxophone to guitar to trombone. He not only was able to learn these diverse instruments, but excel at them as well. In high school, he played in the Illinois All-State Honor Band 2 years in a row, as well as winning a music scholarship to North Central College. After changing colleges and earning a bachelor's degree, Paul kept up with his music, taking pipe organ lessons while gaining experience as a fill-in bassist in the Chicago area. He also played with his own lo-fi band, the 3 Man Quartet. Shortly after that band dissolved, Paul moved to Milwaukee where he soon found himself in demand as the house bass player at the now defunct Tasting Room. It was here that he met Tommy and Bob, and one day the fateful "So you think we should start a band?" question was asked. The rest is history. Among his influences are Geddy Lee, Victor Wooten, Bootsy Collins, John Entwistle, and John Myung.