Paul Steen is a Swedish artist living in Germany. Ever since the 90s he has often incorporated sound in his exhibitions. FLOOD, released 2020, is however  the first ambient album released in his name.  
Under the moniker Hayesville he draws inspiration from swedish roots and american heritage and the folk tradition that comes with it, with discrete added electronics. 
The polished and concentrated lyrics are personal and at times political, but not without a certain wry dark sense of humor. 
Hayesville is the latest incarnation of mercurial singer-songwriter Paul Steen that since his teens has explored genres from glam rock to industrial synth pop, eventually with his own label Minutka Square Records.

I started playing classical and rock guitar at the age of 13.  Starting off my Musical studies with Eminent Colombian /Pereira Classical Guitarist, Musician, Professor Edgar Estrada. Had the luck of having him as a neighbor and started taking private Classical Guitar and music lessons from him. As a kid my dream was of playing the electric guitar, once I started taking lessons with my professor, I knew it was my destiny to play the guitar and become a musician. I was raised listening to Salsa, Tango, and American Pop Music of the 80s,as well as Hip Hop, Rap and House. At the age of 13 I started listening to Rock and Metal, Grunge was exploding at this time, I continued playing the guitar and at the age of 16 made my first Grunge, Metal songs on the guitar, I was also very lyrically inclined and started songwriting at this time. I immersed myself in the music of his generation and grew up with the sounds of Pop, Salsa, Metal Grunge and Hip Hop, Rap, House, Techno, ELectronica, Drum and Bass, Classical.  At 21  started writing lyrics for Rap, and dreamed of combining all of my influences into my own style. " When i first started playing music/guitar, I was concentrating soley on the Guitar in all its aspects, but I felt that I needed to explore my musical talents even further, and wanted to branch out into different genres. I started rapping, just writing as many lyrics as i could, I was heavily influenced by the sounds of Dr Dre, Wu Tang,  west coast not just east coast rap as well. So I felt that if i was going to be making music it would be with the guitar, but not just straight up Metal/Rock/Grunge but also Hip Hop Rap, now I just needed the beatz.. It was only years later, that I learned how to make Rap beatz from one of my friends who had already produced some beatz  for Rapper Ron Valdez, I was hooked, my style is a mix of all my influences.  At the age of 30 enrolled in the prestigous Music Technology Program at Qcc to earn his Associtates degree in Music Technology, and then transferring to NYU or City College for another 2 years to get my Bachelors in Music Technology and Performance. At Qcc  had the honor of being mentored by Ernie Jackson, the acclaimed Classical/Blues Guitarist, Producer and Recording Engineer. Having taking Producing, Pro Tools and Guitar Classes with Professor Jackson further challenged him to make more music. At the same time he also started taking Classical Piano and Music Theory classes with Pianist Betina Shepard, and for his 3 semester once again taking Pro Tools, and Production classes with Professor Jackson, and Recording/Engineering Classes with Professor Allan Kashkin who has been involved with the Music Technology Program at Qcc since its inception. "Learning under Professor Kashkin is an honor, he is a Genius when it comes to the recording Arts, and Music, he is like a Musical Father Figure, always patient but at the same time demanding the utmost dedication from his students. I was also very lucky to continue my Piano and Music Theory lessons with Acclaimed Classical Pianist Professor Barry Goldsmith (R.I.P) and Professor Bae, as well as taking Music Theory Classes with Professor Anderson who has a degree in Music Technology from NYU. Towards the End of my 3 semester, on Nov 18, 2010 he my Great Grandmother who raised me suddenly passed away at the age of 92, one week away from her 93 birthday. "My Great Grandmother was more than my Great Grandmother she was my Mother, Grandmother and Father all rolled into one, she raised me while my Mother worked Full Time and went to College Part time, I still remember talking to her weeks before she died and telling her that I would visit her in Florida as soon as I finished my Semester.  As soon as she died I was on a flight the next morning, I knew I was not going to be able to finish my semester and withdrew. I promised her I would go back and finish and now I am enrolled again in the spring semester at QCC in 2016

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