Born in Birmingham in 1957, Paul Edwards grew up in the suburb of Yardley Wood - and recalls that his first encounter with a guitar was when he was 14; Tom Bradbury, a retired neighbour, showed him some chords and gave him a copy of the Paul Simon songbook - and life was never quite the same again.

More drawn to music and travel than academic success, Paul never completed his education at King Edwards Five Ways school; and an intended two-week Easter trip to the Isles of Scilly - 30 miles to the west of Cornwall - lasted over three years. It was here that Paul’s musical travels truly began, and whilst he worked in hotels during the summer and spent the mild winters working on daffodil farms, he readily took to the stage at the weekly folk club. In this environment, Paul took his first steps as a performer, singer and songwriter, facing failure and success in equal measure - and learning the skills of stagecraft and presentation that have stood him in good stead ever since.

With a steady output of self-penned songs over the last 35 years, Paul regards his musical career as a continuing apprenticeship in which photographs, diary entries, experiences and encounters merge and coalesce into musical narratives that then become refined into songs. These tell stories that are intended to have a universal appeal for people of all ages, extending far beyond their musical boundaries of verse-form, notation and arrangement.

In 1998, Paul finally executed a long-held plan to play host to singers and songwriters he admired by founding Shining Friends - an intimate and small-scale in-concert stage show, held regularly at Lickey Parish Hall near his home in Barnt Green, south of Birmingham. In this spacious, yet intimate venue, artists don’t have to battle with the many distractions that often occur in small back-room folk clubs where bad PA and poor lighting can spoil a brilliant musical performance for both the artist and the audience. Since 1998, Shining Friends has grown to attract national acclaim and international recognition as one of the UK’s leading acoustic venues.

Paul’s 2004 Quiet Gifts album led to widespread musical recognition, with national radio play and covers of his songs by acclaimed musicians such as Anthony John Clarke, The Fureys and St Agnes Fountain. CD sales rose accordingly, though Paul is keen to point out that he measures his success not by CD sales but by the musicians that he has worked with. And, summarising his musical career to date, he says: “I have chosen lonely paths and back roads, and have stopped many times to admire the view. All these journeys continue to inform my songs - and if others can share my musical travels with as much enjoyment as I’ve experienced, then I’m truly fulfilled and happy.”