Paul Armfield

Mellow, warm, wistful, and smoky in tone, Paul Armfield performs as a double bass player, singer, and songwriter, delivering an easygoing blend of folk noir and chamber pop alongside his band the Four Good Reasons. Although born in Birmingham, U.K., he grew up on the Isle of Wight, where the instrument first appealed to him amid punk’s peak era. The poised postures of the Clash’s Paul Simonon and the Stranglers’ Jean Jacques Burnel initially drew him to the bass, yet his focus soon shifted toward far gentler styles. He subsequently played in ensembles exploring jazz, blues, gypsy music, bluegrass, folk, and Cajun sounds. While managing a bookstore during daylight hours, Armfield encountered guitarist Adam Kirk; their nighttime jam sessions prompted him to approach songwriting with greater seriousness. Following scattered live appearances and demo recordings, an invitation from the A Town Full of Fonzies label encouraged him to view music as a viable profession. When Kirk departed to accompany Joan Baez on tour, Armfield recruited guitarist J.C. Grimshaw to finish the project that became the 2004 album Songs Without Words. That record invited comparisons to Lambchop, Tindersticks, Nick Cave, and Jacques Brel and swiftly earned a devoted word-of-mouth following. After supporting Lambchop on a German tour and headlining dates throughout the U.K., Armfield moved to the Superrappin label for his 2005 album Evermine.