Album Notes

"One-man band Konrad Wert grew up in a Mennonite family, raised by preacher father and a piano player mother, which accounts for both the baptized-in-fire-soul and musical versatility heard in his gritty Old World music. Wert's mix of blues and vintage folk howls with a sense of explosive freedom and latent rage-not unlike an Amish kid emerging from the wilderness to discover America -that instills his simple guitar/fiddle/stomp-box arrangements with unusual passion."
-The Onion

Presently, Konrad and family have moved to Colorado. Here's an excerpt from Dusted Magazine in regards to the move: "Here's another artist who will up-and-disappear to some small Colorado town just to protect his art and write honest songs, despite having signed recently to Shake Your Ass Records in Italy and toured Europe with explosive shows and an unbelievable Howlin' Wolf style presence."
Possessed by Paul James is actually a stage name for Konrad Wert. Born and raised down south in the glades of Florida, he was brought up within the Amish/Mennonite community where his father was a preacher in the church and his mother played the piano during service. Though he left the church in his early teens, Wert pulls from the struggles of such a life. Rooted in a blue collar battle over love, violence and the evil of men, "Wert is known for contorting his face in pleasure and apparent pain, and subsequently shakes, convulses, stomps and yells throughout his performances" (The Daily Texan/ Jacob Payne).
Since the beginning , 'Possessed by Paul James' has been incorporating fiddle, banjo, guit, mandolin, stomp box and the occasional diddly boe while growling out songs and kicking out originals with passion and grit. According to Whiskey and Apples Magazine of Austin, TX in a review from April 2006 "...visionary Konrad Wert's music, performed under the name Possessed by Paul James, is nothing short of a miracle." His intentions are clear, "the goal is this, man, we want to do music that reflects a sincere, possessive force that can cut through the bullshit."
Described as "...a redefined mix of blues, old timey folk, southern wickedness and FIRE!" by WHOOPSY magazine of Austin, Texas, Possessed by Paul James is on his way, inviting all to GROWL along.

"If this guy performs within 500 miles of you, start planning the road trip."
-Dusted Magazine