Paul Gioia is a musician, teacher, and recording studio owner. He’s the guitarist and singer for ATFN, a punk-influenced prog band that was formed back in 1998, and has been recording bands and artists at Asylum Studios since 2000. He also holds an Honours in Music from Tuks. Paul’s had an extensive career but a hand injury at the peak of ATFN’s fame nearly ended it too soon. Thankfully, Paul managed to work through it. After a 14-year hiatus, the band put out a new EP called ‘Reverence’ in 2019. 2021 has seen them get picked up by Mongrel Records with a number of singles on the way. The first of which is ‘Pathology or Pantomime’ which dropped today.
In this episode of the podcast, we get into the highs and lows of making, teaching, and recording music. Paul talks us through the whirlwind ride of starting a band and going on to find success, only to have the dream come crashing down around him. He shares how he went overseas to get over the pain of not being able to do what he loved, and how The Slashdogs were instrumental in bringing him back home. Paul also explains ATFN’s Durban roots as we explore the strong Durban and Pretoria connection in the 2000’s rock scene. We touch on mental health issues and the ways we deal with them. We also discuss the reimagining of the meaning behind the band’s name (All This For Nothing) now that the members have matured. Enjoy.
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Enjoy this interview? Check out these Almost Perfect interviews with more South African musicians.
