Pablo Sciepura a.k.a Paul LeRocq is a multifaceted artist (singer, composer, screenwriter, and actor). He was born on march 11th 1978 in Quilmes, city of “Quilmes Rock Festival“, Buenos Aires – Argentina. Check out our interview talking about his multi-talents and future plans.
● Tell me more about your musical background and how did you career all start?
It began when I was a teenager. I first started writing horror poetry, which is a genre I love in movies and then I took guitar lessons, which introduced me to my music career. A couple of years later, around my mid 20´s, I decided to take singing lessons, and piano lessons followed. The latter I learnt on my own, and in the last years of learning to sing and play guitar, I became my own teacher, too. And now, with all the info you have online on these topics, it´s easier to continue learning on your own.
● Your passion for music started at a very early age. But what influenced you to start your career, is it an artist from your local scene or an international one?
I always say that music chose me and I didn’t choose to become a musician. The big creative energy that was born inside of me at an early age never let go of me. Au contraire, it became stronger and expanded my activities into two different areas: music-composing and script-writing. No artist influenced me to begin with this, and I´m no fan of a special group of rock, I like different things from a lot of bands out there.
● To sing in English was easier – I believe, because it’s an international language. Was it challenging to sing in Italian and German?
Yes, every language has its own difficulty. But since I learnt English at an early age and studied it for over ten years – and I continuously study it now to incorporate new words – singing in English was a bit easier than in German or French. Italian was another one I learnt at school for five years. I can sing a bit in Afrikaans as well, and my future idea is to compose a song using all these languages in the same lyrics; a very unique challenge never done before in music.
● Okay. Since you’re already singing in 4 languages, how about trying to sing in Arabic, or collaborating with a Middle Eastern band/artist? Would you be open to try something like this?
Yes, that would be great. You don´t need to understand everything you say, just to pronounce the best way possible so people can understand you. I´m always open to new challenges, so as long those propositions approach me, I would definitely consider them.
● I noticed that your discography is comprised of singles, not albums. Are you considering releasing an album soon?
I released an album called “Rock to the top”, and then I began with singles. The thing here in Argentina is that the crisis is unstoppable. We´re also in a constant and severe inflation period, so prices get higher every month, which is the reason why recording constantly becomes difficult unless you get a big record label behind you. All my work you see online, I did and payed for independently. No managers or record deals really helped me in the past, they just wanted money from me, to pay for the recordings and then I´m on my own. But I thank them because they only made me stronger, wiser and fearless.
● Okay.Can you tell me more about your lyrical themes? Which topics do you like to talk about the most?
Well, different kinds, actually. From personal experiences to stories that happened to people I know and find them interesting to turn into lyrics of a particular song, to even fiction stories that come up, like what I do with script-writing. Themes can range from love, anger, desolation, sacrifice and above all, divine justice and hard working people. These two are my favorites heroes.
● It’s been 8 years since you released “Rock to the Top” music video. Why you didn’t release other videos since then?
Well, as I said before, Argentina is going down in terms of economics and it´s been like this since I was born, so paying everything on your own (tours, gigs, recordings, videos, promotion, transportation for the shows , etc.), has a limit, and I decided to expand the material I have rather than create new one for now, until I get noticed by a big capitalist record company that might help me.
● All these years you preferred to be a solo artist instead of being in a band, why?
Mainly because the people I’ve met were not as self-sacrificed as I am. I word hard no matter the time or the result, and this way led me not only to become my best employee, but my very own boss as well. For example, I have been doing a worldwide promotion daily all around the world for five years now, in labels, magazines, music blogs, radios, licensing and publishing companies and music journalists. Luckily the results were over 11000 positive replies. But when you tell this to people that are not as hard working and responsible – like many I’ve met along the way – they claim that I’ve been very lucky. That’s because they don´t understand constant hard work, and even when they do, they have a limit which is when they need to see an outcome, otherwise, they leave.
● Tell me more about your nomination for the Choice Music Awards in South Africa. How did they reach you?
They were aware of my song “ Rock to the top “ at their radio station, called RADICAL FM. They liked it and played it several times there. I was also at a Top 30 in another station from Johannesburg, named Treffers Radio, so they might have heard something there as well. One day, they contacted me on my WhatsApp number that they previously requested and sent me the image with my picture saying that I was nominated into two categories: best rock music & best newcomer.
● Do you think that music inspired you in your acting career or it didn’t help at all?
No, I always treat both activities separately although they´re both artistic and have certain similarities. Performing a song on stage is partially acting, but instead of a script it’s with lyrics and chords.
● When I checked your portfolio, I found out you’re a musician and an actor, which made me wonder why you didn’t consider film scoring, since you studied both disciplines and would be able to make amazing soundtracks.
For me it is better to be on stage and all around the world with the radio airplay I´m getting, thanks to my previous effort and God. I have considered film scoring in the past, and despite contacting certain companies for placing my material with them for future movies, nothing ever came up. So I guess it was not meant to be. For me, this road I´m traveling on is better.
● Finally, I’d like to thank you for this chat and tell me something exclusive to Rock Era, like an upcoming tour, or release? 🙂
– Thank you, Mena.
It was very kind of you to consider me and I’m looking forward to seeing the final result of this interview published. Regarding upcoming tours, I will be here in Argentina in September in a place called Entre Rios – a province, then in South Africa in November with The Choice Awards, where I will be performing live on TV for Africa and the show will be broadcast online to the rest of the world,according to what they told me, and next year 2020 I will be in Australia with HOUSE CONCERTS AUSTRALIA, dates to be announced. Regarding new releases, next week I will be back in the studio to work another song called “ Open Yourself “. A mix of pop, rock, folk, country & a bit of punk music. A truly mixed musical experiment.
A BIG THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING, MENA. ALL THE BEST TO YOU; ROCK ERA MAGAZINE & NAQADA MUSIC MANAGEMENT.
Edited by Zee Ismail.
