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Paul Maged says “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright”

By Kath Galasso on July 22, 2022

Veteran NYC-Based Singer Songwriter Paul Maged always has something profound to express, whether it’s hard-hitting and politically charged or emotionally charged and positive. His hyper-catchy new single “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” leans towards the latter tendency, themed on gratitude and seizing the moment, a message we all could use right now. Paul’s songwriting is about as versatile as they come, and this new single finds him stretching lyrically, musically, and generally in life as he finds the positive message within a space of doubt and fear. Paul’s songwriting pedigree comes from artists like Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen and Billie Joe Armstrong, all writers who evolve and adapt to modern times without shying away from speaking their truth. Effortlessly fresh, care-free, motivational and inspired, “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” is the perfect anthem for these pessimistic times.

“After completing and releasing my last album, ‘Culture War’, I was emotionally spent. I wasn’t sure I wanted to write or release any more music. At the same time I really started to reconnect to the energy of New York City. So many people wrote about the demise of NYC during the pandemic, saying it would never come back the same. But to me, it never left. I went to a bunch of my old stomping grounds and each one inspired something different in me. I started writing again and this song poured out of me in less than a couple of hours. Lyrically I wanted something that combined the romanticism and grittiness of NYC with feelings of positivity, love and gratefulness.”

“This new song has a real funky vibe. I wanted something different, not as hard-edged guitar wise. I wanted more of a groove, I wanted something that would emote toe taps and finger snaps.”

“I needed a fresh feel and vibe for this song so I wanted to work with someone new on the engineering side. I met Dan Konopka from the Grammy winning band ‘OK Go’ and we hit it off. Dan mixed and mastered the song and I feel like he captured the exact energy that I wanted”

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Artist Biography:
Paul Maged was born in Boston, MA and grew up in Framingham, Mass. By the age of ten Paul was writing music and lyrics after his father bought him a tiny Casio Keyboard to learn on. Paul’s father enrolled him in private study at The Boston Conservatory of Music where he took music theory and studied opera under the tutelage of Donald J. Bravo. Maged moved to NYC fresh from high school and attended The American Musical & Dramatic Academy. From there he began a decade straight of writing and performing stand up and sketch comedy including background appearances on SNL and appearing in several independent films including film festival winner “Bobby G. Can’t Swim”.

After Maged’s father suddenly passed away he turned back to his first love, songwriting, as a form of therapy. Maged threw himself into the writing process and built a relationship with a multi-platinum recording studio in Manhattan who helped produce what would essentially become a double album, 17 song rock opus called, “Diamonds & Demons”. The album was named #1 album of year by Monoblogue Music. Popular music blog Popdose wrote, “Paul Maged proves Rock N Roll isn’t dead, it just needed a reason to get out of bed in the morning”.

After that album Maged started writing and recording new music. He had recorded enough material for another full album but instead decided to release the new music as a trilogy of EP’s. The first EP was titled, “Light Years Away” and was released in October, 2017. It was quickly written up in such blogs as The Huffington Post who wrote, “Light Years Away has much to offer: attractive melodies, pulsing rhythms and compelling lyrics.”

Maged followed “Light Years Away” with “The Glass River” in March, 2018, which included more socially conscious songs such as “Gunz 4 Hire” about gun control and “For the Sea” about climate change. “The Glass River” garnered critical acclaim with Alternative Nation saying, “Once again, Paul Maged has proven why he is one of the most exciting and unique artists working in the alternative forum”.

Paul’s final EP in the trilogy titled, “Fight to the Death”, was released on June 17th, 2019. The title track earned placement on a UFC Fight Pass promotional video. Of the EP Alternative Nation claimed “Paul Maged’s ‘Fight to The Death’ Is the EP Of the Summer” and Respect My Region wrote “NYC’s Paul Maged continues to rise”.

Maged began to write and record new music with the desire to release a full-length LP. With half the album recorded the Covid pandemic hit and Maged was locked out of his longtime studio, losing the master files to several songs he recorded, of which his longtime producer never returned. Maged re-recorded, self-produced and released the album on his own. Maged called the album, “Culture War”, his “most personal writing to date politically and emotionally”. He released “Culture War” on Election Day 2020.

Of “Culture War”, Tattoo.com said “Surging with visceral alt-rock and punk savors, Culture War delivers music rife with muscle, pounding rhythms, and the deluxe lyricism of Paul Maged”.

After the emotional drain of the prior experience, Paul slowly began to write new music early in 2021.

After it was completed Maged thought it was a song that deserved to stand on its own, excited about the departure the song took him on musically. Maged decided to release “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” as a standalone single until his next EP is complete.

Maged produced the song himself but brought in an extremely talented musician to mix and master the song, giving the song a fresh vibe. Dan Konopka of the Grammy winning band ‘OK Go’ engineered and mastered the song. Paul Maged releases “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” on July 19, 2022.

Paul Maged’s writing credits include:
•   Fight to the Death earned placement on UFC Fight Pass & Titan Fighting promotional videos
•   Pre-Grammy nomination in the Best R&B Song category for his song, “No More Love Tonight”.
•   Placement on MTV’s “Think Again Sex Myth’s Revealed” for his song “Falling Down”.
•   Alt Rock song “Images” was a finalist in the Great American Songwriting Contest
•   Hard Rock song “The Wild” earned honorable mention in Billboard’s World Songwriting Contest.
•   Placement for songs “Look at Me” and “Last Days” in UK Indie film “Golden Child”