Paper Forest is an indie rock band from San Diego fronted by singer/songwriter Sean Burdeaux.

Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.

Sean Burdeaux - guitar, bass, vocals, synthesizer, drum machine, harmonium, banjo, shaker

Joel Kynan - harmonium, trumpet, mastering

Trevor Mast - lap steel, synthesizer, whistling

Brian Scafidi - drums, bass, engineering

For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Paper Forest? How long has the band been around?

Brian played in D/wolves and currently plays in Scuffs, 10-19 & The Number Men, and releases music under his own name.

Joel played in D/wolves, Spirit Club, and Sweet Valley. His current projects are KYNAN, Magic Point, Charles Truman, Scuffs, and 10-19 & The Number Men.

Trevor played in Joy and is the bassist of BIRTH.

Paper Forest has been my (Sean) songwriting project since 2005. I have played in Smellvelsmak and Infinite Shrug and release music as A Swoop & A Cross, Get Off The Map, Where The Fawn Grows, and under my birth name. I also play in 10-19 & The Number Men.

What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?

The name comes from being surrounded by crumpled up drafts of poetry and lyrics, a forest of paper. The band's name has never been changed.

Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?

I wrote the songs on this record. The songs are about memory, anxiety, paranoia, and the sadness and peace that comes with both the metaphorical death that is necessary for growth, the ending of routines and ways of thinking and being, and also the real death that walks with us every day. I think those topics are always going to be inspiring.

What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?

boygenius, Phoebe Bridgers, Slothrust, Palehound, Big Thief, Primer, Samia, The Wolf In Our Own Backyard, Modest Mouse, Neutral Milk Hotel, Bright Eyes, Brand New, Broken Social Scene, WHY?, the Microphones, Kevin Morby, and plenty more.

Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?

Blink-182. And then I loved this local band in San Diego called Allotic. They let me sing on stage with them when I was young and I have been chasing that rush of adrenaline ever since.

What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, ect …

drink water. sometimes I'll take a lap around the venue.

What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?

finishing this record. any opportunity to write and play music with my friends is always great and makes me feel like I'm doing something worthwhile.

If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?

Dude Ranch era Blink-182. It seems like it was fun/chaos. Or Beabadoobee--she's all over the world every few months it seems, so that would be a whirlwind. Or maybe Lynyrd Skynyrd up until 1977.

INSTAGRAM / SPOTIFY / BANDCAMP / Paper Forest Website / It’s Okay I’m Crying Website