Paul Joseph Pauly
Bass · Vocals
For Paul Joseph, better known as Pauly, music has never really been a job or a phase — it has been a way of life.
His journey began back in school, when he started experimenting with instruments and discovered the excitement of playing music in his school band and the Don Bosco Youth Centre band. In 1977, he joined Highway Riders as a singer and rhythm guitarist. The following year, in 1978, came a turning point when he joined 13AD as a bassist and vocalist.
That association became a major part of Pauly's musical journey. With 13AD, he recorded two albums, Ground Zero and Tough on the Streets, and spent years performing and growing as a musician. In 2004, he became a founding member of the band Ground Zero, again taking on the roles of bassist and vocalist.
In 2014, another chapter began when Pauly joined Masala Coffee on bass. More than a decade later, he remains an integral part of the band's journey, having played bass on all of Masala Coffee's songs and projects.
Alongside his work with bands, Pauly has built an extensive career as a session and recording musician, contributing bass to numerous recordings by independent artists and to film music. Over the years, he has had the opportunity to work with renowned music directors including Raveendran Master and Deepak Dev, and has performed alongside some of India's most celebrated voices, including Usha Uthup, Hariharan and Shankar Mahadevan, as well as many of the country's leading playback singers.
A completely self-taught musician, Pauly has been shaped less by formal training than by decades of listening, performing, recording, experimenting and learning on the road. His influences range from Mark King to Emile Isaacs, but his biggest teacher has always been the music itself.
As a bassist, Pauly brings a strong sense of groove, melody and feel. He believes the bass should not merely sit underneath a song — it should communicate with the drums, support the melody, create movement and, when the moment calls for it, step forward. His years as a vocalist have also given him a natural understanding of phrasing and of the importance of serving the song.
Beyond performing, Pauly is the Chairman of BACK — the Bass Artists Collective of Kerala — an initiative close to his heart that brings together bass players and works towards supporting, connecting and giving back to the bass community in Kerala. Over the years, music has taken Pauly to stages and audiences across India and around the world, creating countless memories along the way. But when he looks back, it is not a particular stage, venue or achievement that stands out above everything else. It is the people he has met, the musicians he has played with, the friendships formed and the countless moments when a band, a song and an audience came together.
From a young musician with a guitar in the 1970s to a bassist still performing with Masala Coffee today, Pauly's story is ultimately one of longevity, friendship, groove and an enduring love for playing music.
And after all these years, the reason remains beautifully simple: he still loves to play.