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_”It was Fall in Atlanta when I left, it was Spring in Johannesburg two days later when I arrived. In the middle of a 19 hour flight, a gentleman with a South African accent leaned over and said a few words to me that I will never forget. He said that once you go to Africa it gets under your skin and becomes a part of you. I would agree. The way I look at the world is different now after being static for so long. Seeing some of the best and worst of humanity will do that to a person. I also thought the new record I was working on was finished before I left… I was so wrong.” - Paul Nicolas

_In 2004, the 23-year-old songwriter Paul Nicolas began creating a record that would forever be unique. The resulting record, Rush the Clock, was released in the summer of 2004. Loosely classified as alternative / rock, the 11 tracks bring together a wide array of styles, influences, sounds, and emotions into an exceptionally cohesive album that is both innovative in its approach to songwriting as well as its appeal to a mainstream audience. Paul Nicolas’ distinctively clean voice, wide vocal range, and provocative lyrics cut through the intricate instrumentation to produce thoughtful, yet powerful emotions. “This record is a snapshot of the thoughts and feelings at this point in my life. It represents the struggle of an up and coming musician trying to blaze his own path and establish an identity in an industry wrought with conformism and superficiality.” This is best exemplified by the edgy and driving single, “Your Holiday”.

_As soon as mixing on the final tracks began, Paul Nicolas began meeting up with friends from past musical ensembles. Chris Bartholomay (Percussion), Brandon Smith (Guitars / Vocals), and Christopher Piland (Bass) all joined Foxtrot November in the Fall of 2004. Chris, Paul, and Brandon participated in various drumlines throughout the state of GA and kept running into each other over the last few years. A few calls were made, and they both joined the group followed by Christopher Piland.

_Foxtrot November began touring in 2004 and began earning critical acclaim from many notable industry insiders for Rush the Clock. Two tracks, “Release Me” and “Islands in the Sun”, earned honorary recognition at the Billboard World Song Contest in 2005. The band was also invited by the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in July 2005 to participate in an industry showcase for up and coming songwriters in New York City. In 2006, Paul Nicolas was invited again by the Hall of Fame to receive an award for contributing to the “Best of the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame Compilation”.

_After months and months spent on the road touring the country, the band went back into the studio in early 2006 to start working on their sophomore album, The Beautiful Out of Control, scheduled for release in early Spring 2008. Asked how this record differs from the debut release, Paul Nicolas replied, “This record again takes us off the footpath of the familiar. I’ve gone through some of the best and worst things that life has to offer while dodging bullets. I’ve also drawn a lot of energy and emotion from the human condition that I experienced in Africa. It’s simultaneously like nothing and everything that I’ve seen in the western world. A lot of my mixed emotions about the experience have worked their way into the new songs”.

_”This record is fast, edgy, accessible, and is going to turn even more heads. The songs are leaner and drive the point home to the listener. That’s what life is about to me. We should be constantly trying to cut through the static and white noise that’s going on in the world and in ourselves to get right to the essence of living, which is experience; to get to the beautiful out of control that’s always in us. It’s about letting go. At the same time, we’re writing about a wide variety of topics and mixing them in with a vast palette of colors and textures. Sonically and emotionally, the songs have a ton of layers and are very three dimensional. I think listeners are really going to be drawn into this world and lose themselves in there with us. This record is it. This is me.”

:::About the Production of The Beautiful Out of Control

_..The sophomore album from Foxtrot November was recorded at a number of production studios in and around Atlanta including: TG and L5P Studio, Studio D, Creekside Productions, Glen Schick Mastering, and Nickel and Dime Studios. Lending a hand to the final phase of production are:

_Two-time Grammy winning Producer Don McCollister (Credits: The B52’s, Indigo Girls, Sister Hazel, Pat Monahan of Train, Shawn Mullins, Johnny Colt of the Black Crowes, and others)

_Matt Mangano (Bass, Credits: Shawn Mullins, John Mayer, Clay Cook, Wisechild)

_Gerry Hansen (Percussionist/Engineer, Credits: Shawn Mullins, John Mayer, Clay Cook)

_Glenn Schick, Mastering engineer with 12 platinum credits ..