In addition, he’s had three top 10 hit singles with House Of Mirrors, It’s Good To Be Me and I Think I Like It, and his song Why Do I? Came in at number 18 in the Saturday Night Country Hottest 100.Now Paul’s released his second album, Restoration, again produced by the legendary ROD McCORMACK.

However, this is a very different album from his first. Instead of featuring original songs, written by Paul, it’s a collection of songs by other artists — all of themsongwriting legends.“I wanted an album packed with really good songs,” Paul said.“The first album was an introduction to what I do musically, but this time I wanted to focus on my ability to interpret a song —to convey the emotion and meaning in afresh, powerful way.

“I took the idea to Rod, and we came up with a bunch of songs that mostly weren’t too familiar, but were all amazing compositions. Then we arranged them so that they’d take on a whole new soundand style.“I suppose the title Restoration really says it all — what I’ve tried to do on this album is breathe new life into songs by legendary performers.

”A highlight of the album is The Way You Make Me Feel, a duet with rising star and Telstra Road to Tamworth winner ALEYCE SIMMONDS, which has been released as the first radio single“We wanted a great female voice for the song, and Aleyce was perfect. Our voices really blend together well. We figured BRYAN ADAMS had sung a lot of country songs, so we’d turn the tables with this one,” Paul said.

Paul’s skills as a song interpreter are certainly the strength of the album. He brings his own personality to every track, and each song is a joy to listen to. Amongst the best tracks are Love Is Not A Game, the MICKEY NEWBERRY track Lovers, Is This TheBeginning Of The End and especially DAVE LOGGINS’ We’ve Got A Good Fire Goin’.“That song in particular has a great feel – you can hear the fire crackling. I wanted these songs to transport the listener to another place, another time, to feel that they’re in the song. If I’ve been able to do that, then I’ve achieved my goal with this album,” Paul said.“For me, singing is about feeling the story and the emotions — and then conveying them to the listener.”

Paul particularly likes the fairly obscure MERLE HAGGARD track I’m Bringin’ Home Some Good News as well as his country interpretation of the Prine/Mellencamp rocker Take A Look At My Heart. A few more familiar tracks have beenincluded as well, amongst them Rhythm Of The Rain, A Lover’s Question and a wonderful version of Come A Little Bit Closer.

“We did Come A Little Bit Closer at the album launch at the Gympie Muster, and had the whole crowd up singing,” Paul said. The Restoration album launch attracted a capacity crowd to the Muster Theatre, and featured Aleyce Simmonds, who’d flown in especially for the launch. And as a bonus track, Paul’s included aversion of the classic Australian folk song Moreton Bay, which he sings superbly.

“We really wanted to include the song, even though it was so different from all the other tracks on the album. When Rod first brought the song to me, the lyrics and story really touched me. So in the end we put it on as a bonus track. It’s been getting a huge response from fans,” Paul said.

And for fans who need further incentive to buy the album, Paul’s offering a chance to win a five-night Gold Coast holiday for two, worth $2000, which he’s put togetherwith the help of distributor Shock Records and Harvey World Travel.While he wants this album to reveal his skills as a singer and interpreter, Paul assures fans that his next recording will also showcase his songwriting talents.“I still definitely see myself as a writer, and I’m already working on material for the next project,” said Paul.

“Meanwhile, I’m really excited by Restoration — every time I play the album, I’m delighted by what we’ve been able to achieve. I can’t wait to take the songs on the road and play them before live audiences all over the country,” he said.