Paul Cauthen

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Jimmy Fontaine

Paul Cauthen sitting on a stool with a guitar.

Paul Cauthen

media release: Known for his raucous, high energy live shows, country star Paul Cauthen is set to embark on an extensive headline tour beginning in January. The run of dates includes performances at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium, Boston’s Royale, Atlanta’s Variety Playhouse, D.C.’s 9:30 Club and more. Full details can be found at paulcauthenmusic.com. 

The tour adds to a landmark year for the breakout musician—he released his critically acclaimed new album, Black on Black, in October via Atlantic Records, shared the stage with Lana Del Rey for a duet of “Unchained Melody” during his Stagecoach set, and was featured on Shaboozey’s latest album on “Last of my Kind.”

A consummate road warrior, Cauthen wrote Black on Black over the last several years during his travels across America, traversing the open road on his motorcycle and in the tour bus. The LP was largely recorded at Rosewood Studios in his hometown of Tyler, TX with longtime collaborator Jason Burt (John Mayer, Leon Bridges). 

Praise for Black on Black… 

“Cauthen is also a crooner who is uniquely aware of how his voice evokes a tradition that dials back seven decades through artists like Ray Charles and Sam Cooke, blurring the line between sacred and secular music in the 1950s; performers like Jim Morrison, presenting curiosity surrounding literature, poetry, philosophy, psychology and religion as rock songwriting; and a myriad of country- inspired Southern rock acts in the ‘70s and ‘80s.”—The Tennessean

“[Cauthen's] remarkable voice — a rumbly baritone that sounds like Johnny Cash duetting with Barry White. They don’t call him “Big Velvet” for nothing.”—Dallas Morning News

“Black on Black, is nothing short of a revelation — it’s a revolution that distills his deep East Texas roots with the resonance of someone who's seen the world, tasted the dust of long highways, and reflected deeply on his place in it all. A sonic desperado, as raw as he is refined, Cauthen’s music doesn’t rush to make its point. It lets the listener sit with it, ruminate, and feel its heat.”—FLAUNT 

“Sonically, the record also seems to come full circle, a piling of experience upon experiment that sees Cauthen’s one-of-a-kind sound only amplified. His old-school country-meets-funk-soul style becomes layered with dark, death knolls, pillowy beats and sweeping atmospherics that all lend to these giant, no-holds-barred arrangements and deeply expressive compositions.”—Holler

“Opening his recent release, single notes picked from an acoustic guitar let Paul Cauthen introduce himself with a black-clad resume...A lonesome pedal steel cries out like a train-horn crossing the prairies...As the beats hit, Paul Cauthen spits a lyrical flow that adds to his cred... The track sets the pace for its musical peers on Black on Black, every song rising to the challenge...Welcome to Paul Cauthen’s Country music.”—The Alternate Root

“Prepare to be whisked away into Cauthen’s unparalleled sonic world in Black on Black. As is his trademark, this space is adventurous in its arrangements and production, rugged and ragged, and, above all, immensely enjoyable. It’s a musical journey that is well worth your attention.”—Lonesome Highway

Celebrated for his remarkable baritone voice, which has earned him the nickname Big Velvet, Cauthen grew up singing in the church choir and cut his chops as part of a tight knit creative community in East Texas. 

Cauthen has steadily risen through the ranks of country and Americana, first gaining notoriety with roots duo Sons of Fathers before embarking on a solo career with his debut album, My Gospel. He’s gone on to release two more much-lauded albums—2019’s Room 41 and 2022’s Country Coming Down—and toured the world over. Known for his dynamic live show, Cauthen has collaborated and shared stages with Margo Price, Orville Peck, Elle King, Midland, Cody Jinks and many more.