Paul D’Amour is a multi-platinum recording artist and award-winning songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and composer. Formerly a member of TOOL, D’Amour’s distinctive songwriting and bass-playing style placed him at the forefront of the creation of a new genre in rock music in the Grammy-winning prog heavyweight band.
Paul's expansive musical range, production skills and his acute sensitivity translating emotion through music led him to the natural next step—composing for film. D’Amour has scored numerous feature films, TV movies, documentaries, branded content, and video games, and garnered frequent song placements. Paul's composing work notably includes working with two-time Sundance award winner Ondi Timoner and has earned him several American Advertising Federation "Awards of Excellence."
Paul grew up in Spokane, Washington (boyhood home of director David Lynch), fertile ground for developing an artist’s perspective and strong sense of atmosphere. He describes the town of his youth as a perfect backdrop for films like Gummo and River’s Edge. In Spokane, he became part of the underground punk scene (as Paul describes in his interview for the rockumentary SpokAnarchy!). In his late teens, Paul felt the pull to Seattle and immersed himself in its distinctive sound, which later exploded into grunge. Paul brought his own blend of post-punk and grunge influences to TOOL, his powerful melodic riffs lifted their newly-forming prog rock dark arts feel to forge a groundbreaking new sound. His contributions to their records Opiate, Undertow and Aenima continue to echo in their sound today, inspiring a generation of imitators.
Always looking for new sources of inspiration, Paul involves himself in many projects. Post TOOL and the critically-acclaimed, Grammy-nominated psychedelic visionary art pop band LUSK (with Greg Edwards of FAILURE/AUTOLUX, Chris Pitman of GUNS N ROSES, and Brad Laner of MEDICINE), Paul continues to produce, write, record and tour with numerous artists including Sumerian Records’ LESSER KEY (performing at Reading and Leeds Festivals and touring alongside the DEFTONES), as well as recording with his own band FEERSUM ENNJIN. D'Amour’s songs are featured in several films, including Sony's The Roommate, Escape from L.A., and the documentary Cool It, along with EA Games' popular "Dead Space 3", with his FEERSUM ENNJIN song “Fishing Grounds.”