The timing of Book of Paul couldn’t have been more perfect for Paul Cauthen.
Big Velvet recently joined the Whiskey Riff Raff podcast and had plenty to share about his latest album. The country singer also discussed how he got the nickname “Big Velvet,” why he likes to listen to music in languages that he can’t understand, and told us that he’s a big fan of artists like Jake Worthington, Stephen Wilson Jr., Kacey Musgraves, and Marcus King, among other country artists.
Cauthen made sure to also shout out his fans for being there for him during his cancer journey. He happily shared that he’s still kicking cancer’s a**, and gave some further details about what his recovery process is looking like. And Big Velvet recently became a father and welcomed “Lil’ Velvet” into the world, so he touched on that, as well as his plan to give his son specific records throughout his life.
Needless to say, there’s a lot that’s happening in Paul Cauthen’s life right now, and one could say it all came together through the Book of Paul, which the Texas-born artist released back in April. He described it as the most cathartic project that he’s ever done, and said the collection of music is basically scripture based on himself:
“It’s kind of just my book. If I was writing a scripture about myself, you know? It’s not like I’m an apostle or anything, thinking in that form. There is no ‘Book of Paul’ in the Bible, so I was like, ‘What about me? I’ve got something to say.’ And it kind of shows how my songwriting and my style grew.”
@whiskeyriff @Paul Cauthen #whiskeyriff #whiskeyriffraff ♬ Book of Paul – Paul Cauthen
Cauthen says touring for almost 20 years, becoming a father, and battling cancer all around the same time put him in an understandably unique headspace, of which Book of Paul came out.
Pairing that with Big Velvet always liking to mix in gospel and that’s how the album was born. During this time in his life, Cauthen feels as close to God as ever, and he truly feels like his latest project was something sent to him from a higher power:
“It’s like a Godsend. I believe when you write a good song, if you are writing with one other person, there’s always a third. And it’s the Spirit. It’s the unexplainable. How melody or a flow of a cadence comes to your head. That’s just like a gift.
Having this record and being more spiritually sound… I’m kind of a legacy act now. I’ve been on the road since 2007. This record is a grown up album, but there’s stuff in it that can teach younger, aspiring artists.”
If you haven’t had a chance to check out Book of Paul, make sure to go do so. And you can hear more from Big Velvet by checking out the interview on YouTube or making sure to download the podcast on Apple Podcasts by searching “Whiskey Riff Raff” or by clicking here.
We’re also available on Spotify and wherever else you can listen to podcasts.
Cheers, y’all.
