Hailing from Fairbanks, Alaska, we are a three-piece of eclectic taste and open minds. Our songs range from synthesizer led dance rock to blues, jazz, and fusion.

myspace.com/paperscissorsalaska

About the songs:

The Subdominant - Recorded for our self-produced, self-titled debut at 10th Planet Studios in Fairbanks. A 17 track album that floats from genre to genre, washing its listener in a rainbow of genres. This track is one of the first songs we ever wrote as a group, and remains a favorite to this day. This version is also a good indication of the energy and jubilee of our live performances that we try to extend into our recording process. One of the strongest tracks off of the first album, and one we remain proud to share with audiences and music fans.

Art Machine - A demo from our as yet unfinished sophomore effort, a DIY affair recorded in a cabin in the woods near Fairbanks. Using a four track FireWire interface, A MacBook Pro, Logic, and some entry-level microphones, we began to hone our engineering and producing skills to craft our masterpiece on our own terms. The lyrics speak to the perpetual pressure to produce as an artist.

Undiagnosed - Another demo from our as yet unnamed second album. A slightly more standard blues number with a little bit of the Paper Scissors twist. A love affair with vocal harmony and using the recording process as a venue for experimentation, with our style and sound, drive this track. Lyrics contemplate fizzled friendships and the causes therein.

Paper Scissors is currently on a NorthWest tour of the United States, playing shows in Bellingham, Port Townsend, Bremerton, Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Portland, Bend, Eugene, Salem, Ashland, and more. Our first tour out of Alaska has put a temporary hold on the completion of our second album, but the fruitful relationships we've managed to foster with venues, musicians, and the people we've met on our travels has far outweighed the stay of completion. Look for a finalized product within the next few months!

Our first album is available for download/purchase through CDBaby and iTunes, or if you catch up with us for a live show in WA or OR you can grab one from us for the same price.

So... onto the personalities. Paper Scissors are:

Craig Brookes (guitar/vox) - Lead singer and pulling double duty with both rhythm and lead guitar in a live environment, Craig is a graduate of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he majored in Theatre and Music. Paper Scissors is his first band, and he has been a member since its inception. A primary lyricist and songwriter, Craig also filled engineering and producing duties on the sophomore album.

Isaac Paris (synth/piano/accordion/bass/theremin/saw/glock) - A multi-instrumentalist carnivalesque troubadour, Isaac is also a graduate of UAF. Isaac is a long-time contributor to the Fairbanks music scene, prolific cartoonist and renaissance man. Isaac serves as a songwriter and lyricist for Paper Scissors, as well as the mastermind behind his long-running co-op project: Isaac and The Awkward Situations. Isaac is also a founding member.

Ryan Schmidt (drums/percussion) - Originally a hand-drummer, Ryan took to the full kit like a fish to water, and quickly became a signature piece of the Paper Scissors brand of rock. A native of New Hampshire, Ryan combined forces with the rest of the crew while attending UAF, from which he also graduated. An outdoorsman, rock-climber, biker, skier, and all around adrenaline junkie, Ryan brings a controlled chaos to the dance and rock rhythms peppered throughout live performances.

Paper Scissors has had the pleasure of playing with two different full time bassists on a handful of occasions. Andreas Schliach, hailing from Germany, is featured on both Undiagnosed and Art Machine. Andreas toured and played with Paper Scissors up until their exodus from Alaska. Quinton Harris, a Fairbanks native and current resident of Seattle, has also been playing intermittently with Paper Scissors over the years, and will join them for a few shows on their current tour.