Living Your mainelove

Living your mainelove: Artist Paris Heart on Following his Passion

• jeannie assimos • Season 1 • Episode 2

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Indie artist Paris Heart, a rising star and author from New York, has found his happy place, living in Maine. We sat down with him to learn how he followed his heart and became a talented artist, attracting hundreds of thousands of followers on social media. From the wins to the challenges, Paris gets real about it all with mainelove's Jeannie Assimos. 

In 2021, Paris released “No Name,” a debut single that confronts social issues with candid lyrical storytelling. His most recent EP, Search for Me, weaves together moody synth-pop, alt-rock grit, and heartfelt introspection—highlighting tracks like the stream-worthy “Coupe De Ville” and the atmospheric finale “Search for Me.” Through soulful melodies, genre-blurring soundscapes, and deeply personal themes like isolation and identity. 

Paris has also added published author to his impressive roster of work. His first psychological thriller novel, The Company We Keep,  is available September 24. 

SPEAKER_00:

Welcome to Living Your Maine Love, the podcast that celebrates the people who are living with passion, purpose, and a whole lot of heart. Each month we'll sit down with people who are following what lights them up in Maine and beyond. Today I'm talking to Paris Hart. Born with music and storytelling in his soul, Paris is a rising force in the indie pop scene. We talk about his journey from small town roots to growing recognition, how music first found its way into his life, and what it really means to be living authentically as an artist, which is exactly what you're doing. If you've ever wondered what it looks like to follow your passion fully, fearlessly, and with intention, this one's for you, and it's all about you, Paris. Thank you. You are man living your life like I'm so curious to just dive in and learn I'm gonna start with just like a rapid fire just to like have fun and then we can get into like the deeper stuff so rapid fire with Paris okay first concert

SPEAKER_01:

oh so my first concert was is called stamps stamps in Tonawanda it's like North Buffalo and there was like two people in the crowd my friend and the guy that hosted the event and we still joke about it till this day it was so awkward and it was the worst but we had fun like we needed that

SPEAKER_00:

did you feel bad for the singer you're like oh man yeah it was

SPEAKER_01:

it was pretty bad but it was fun it was good vibes

SPEAKER_00:

awesome um okay first record you ever bought

SPEAKER_01:

oh vinyl or cd it

SPEAKER_00:

could be either like

SPEAKER_01:

cd the first album i ever got was the um the t-pain

SPEAKER_00:

oh nice

SPEAKER_01:

like i'm in love with the bartender and I'm sprung. And I played that until it was all scratched up.

SPEAKER_00:

I love it.

SPEAKER_01:

And for vinyl, vinyl, it was, oh my gosh, the Fleetwood Mac album with Dreams and all those good songs.

SPEAKER_00:

Amazing. See, you're such a rain in your musical taste, even in your first, you know, purchases. Okay, what'd you have for breakfast this morning?

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, I had, oh my gosh, the Overnight Oats.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, nice. Healthy choice. I love that. Okay, if your music was a color, what color would it be?

SPEAKER_01:

It has to go with baby blue.

SPEAKER_00:

Like your outfit. I love it. Who do you think is the greatest singer of all time?

SPEAKER_01:

I think Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson was just crazy. He had a range, and he could do it all while dancing.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, he was amazing. I know. Gone way too young, too.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh,

SPEAKER_00:

yeah. Oh, if you could be part of any band. Historical historically or present, what would it be? Who would have been?

SPEAKER_01:

Probably Led Zeppelin.

SPEAKER_00:

Damn. See, like such an interesting range. I love it. Okay. Let's see. Do I have one more? Let's see. Late night studio snack of choice.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, so I love, I love honey and Doritos. So I'll get like a jar of honey. I'll just smack on it with some Doritos.

SPEAKER_00:

Really?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. The Doritos, like they, I don't know if it's the salt or like the, whatever they put on it. But it feels like it just opens up my throat for me to sing.

SPEAKER_00:

The nacho Doritos or like the Cool Ranch? The nachos. The nacho cheese, right?

UNKNOWN:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, cool. Okay, rapid fire done. Now we're going to like dive into you and your, you know, journey towards living your main love, which to me means just living your passion and really being authentic to who you are. When did music enter into your consciousness, into your atmosphere as like a young child? Like tell me your earliest memories of connecting to music?

SPEAKER_01:

So as a kid, my parents would always play music. So I grew up on an Indian reservation in upstate New York. So like we had all of their cultural songs growing up. My dad's from New York. So I had like all the rap songs. He went to the area that we grew up. We had, oh my gosh, the Goo Goo Dolls were from around that area. And it's a big rock scene. And then my mom's from Puerto Rico. So we had like reggaeton playing. So every time I came home, it was like a different genre of music playing. And then Over time, I just really enjoyed it, and I just started writing poetry. Did you? Yeah, I wrote a lot. I had a big composition notebook of just poetry, and then my parents found it, and were like, you should try writing it. What's the worst?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

So they encourage you to write songs or take the poetry and turn them into songs?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, my dad is really big into poetry and expressing yourself creatively, so he wanted to see where I could take it. I don't think he wanted me to do it full time, but

SPEAKER_00:

Most parents don't. They're like, oh, get a safe job, right? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, that was, I think, when I first got into it. And then at college, I was freestyling one night and was like, I just got to do it.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay.

SPEAKER_01:

So

SPEAKER_00:

was it like a common theme, like something you always did from childhood? Or did you like kind of veer off? Did you always think, I want to do music? Or along the way, were there other like chapters where you're like, I'm going to be a, you know, a doctor or whatever? Was it always sort of like in your head that you would do this?

SPEAKER_01:

So I always did it in like my bedroom. I was always kind of nervous with people hearing my thoughts or my emotions. So like my friends and my close family would, they knew that I wrote poetry and that I sung and that I really liked it. But I mean, growing up, it was like the, oh, I'm too tough. I'm not going to express myself because I'm this and I'm that. And over time I was like, you know what? Like this is genuinely who I am. I think there's gotta be other people out there who feel the same way that I do. And I just went full fledged.

SPEAKER_00:

Was it hard? Was it hard to, to be vulnerable and to share your thoughts. And you share your innermost thoughts with the world now. Was that hard in the beginning? Did you feel like, oh my God, this is hard, or I'm scared to do this? And what drove you to just move forward anyways?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, it was really tough. And what sucks is when you first do something, I think that's when you see the most negative comments. Because it's like friends and family are like, oh, I didn't know you had this side of you, or I didn't know you did this. So at the beginning, it was tough. And a lot of my earlier stuff is like really personal. So I have family members and friends being like, hey, you made that song and we had a similar situation. Was this about

SPEAKER_02:

me? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

So that was awkward. But like over time, it just feels good to express myself. So

SPEAKER_00:

yeah,

SPEAKER_01:

it was it was tough at first, but I'm thankful that.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. What do you think like drove you to keep going? Because I think a lot of people would take the criticism or, you know, just not be able to handle it. So like what, you know, made you be able to keep moving forward? moving forward, do you think?

SPEAKER_01:

I think there was always like the silver lining of the comments that were like, I felt the same way or I know where you're coming from or I felt this before. And that made me feel like there was a community out there and it wasn't really for me. Like I was a vessel of somebody else's message. So that kept me going.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, very cool. And was that mostly through social, like social media?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

So what do you, what if you had been an artist like 20 years ago and you didn't have social media? Do you ever think about that? Like, you know, I mean, it's so interesting, right? Because you have like a built-in audience almost from day one and like and feedback right away good and bad right so but it had been years ago like it'd just be interesting do you ever think about like god if i wasn't coming up now how would this be you know

SPEAKER_01:

yeah i don't know it would be tough i think i would still be outside passing out cds

SPEAKER_00:

there you go you're like i'd be doing it some way i'd get that out there

SPEAKER_01:

try

SPEAKER_00:

yeah that's awesome okay writing stories singing in your room what's the journey like you know do you remember writing your first song oh

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Tell me. Tell me about your first song.

SPEAKER_01:

So my first song, it was called Pick Up the Phone.

SPEAKER_00:

Love Pick Up the Phone. Which you hate picking up the phone.

SPEAKER_01:

So the whole song was about like people just texting me. They want me to pick up the phone, but I just want to be alone. I'm an introvert at heart. So that was, yeah, it was, the whole song was kind of like kids lullaby, like pick up the phone, pick up the phone. They won't leave me alone. Like it was, it wasn't really like a song, but it felt fun. And I think that was, that was the, what made me happy was just, it felt fun to create in storytelling.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, totally. Okay. So then from that to, you know, playing in like small venues, like how How did you get to, I just am curious about how does that happen? You had enough music that you had created that you wanted to go share it live or like tell me about how that all happened.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. So at first I was like, I'm not performing. I don't want to do it. Yeah. Like it was really hard to get myself out there and be like, I want to go and do this. Yeah. So at first I was kind of like, uh, I don't know. And then I had some other friends that were artists and they had shows and asked me to open up and I opened up a few times and I really enjoyed the process. Yeah. seeing people receptive in person kind of flip the switch like oh like I'm not gonna get embarrassed out here and it's like freeing and fulfilling yeah

SPEAKER_00:

oh that's awesome okay along the way like tell me things that you are surprised like in good and negative ways right so I'm sure I know you had some ups and downs with like dealing with record companies and whatnot

SPEAKER_02:

yeah

SPEAKER_00:

like if you can look back you know tell me about what was interesting what was surprising did anything surprise you about yourself during that whole process of dealing with all that?

SPEAKER_01:

I think a pro and a con. A pro would have been just that anyone could do it. Like, with social media, with the internet, like, you could get on Google and just look up and research how to do anything. So I think just... being optimistic and being like, you know,

SPEAKER_02:

all

SPEAKER_01:

the information is there. We just got to do the work was cool. And I think a con is that the industry isn't as friendly as a lot of people think. It's a lot of like dog eat dog or competitiveness. And I'm more of a homebody, low frequency. So dealing with that energy was kind of interesting. And I'm still trying to learn how to navigate it.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. Is it like a day by day thing where you kind of tune in to yourself and like, this is where I'm vibing today or, you know, I'm feeling like I want to be out there in the world. Like how do you navigate being an introvert, but being a performer?

SPEAKER_01:

So I'll try to navigate the weeks, like a week in advance. So the previous week, it's like for next week, I'll have my days of what I'm going to do. And then I'll have my day off already set. So it's like phone off. I'm going to get my dogs and go hiking. We're going to chill and relax. And then the other six days are trying to win the week.

SPEAKER_00:

That's awesome. Okay. What kind of dogs do you have? Cause I'm a dog person. I love dogs more than anything. I

SPEAKER_01:

have a Belgian Malinois. Oh my God. And a Moscow watchdog.

SPEAKER_00:

Wow.

SPEAKER_01:

He's half St. Bernard and half Caucasian shepherd.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh my God. Those are two like intense dogs. And the Belgian, aren't they like super, like super athletic? Like I've seen them do videos, like climbing, jumping over like fences and whatnot.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. So we'll play fetch. And if like something's behind the couch, I'll just tell her, I'll go say, go get it, Cammie. And she'll just jump through the couch, jump, crawl back in. She's like a little ninja.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh my God. I love it. Shifting gear. I want to talk about social media a little bit. I'm so interested because you do a lot on social. And I was telling Josh, it's this really cool cryptic post. And I love it. I'm always like, what does he mean? Do I just not get it because I'm a little older? But I'm really interested in your social media presence. Well, first, I think it's so interesting that despite how connected we all are, the loneliness epidemic is worse than it's ever been. So what are your perspective on that? I'm curious.

SPEAKER_01:

I think it is tough. It serves as like a double-edged sword in a sense of like, we kind of feel like we're more connected,

SPEAKER_00:

but

SPEAKER_01:

it's more connected on a surface level. So the depth of connections and meeting people is kind of not there on social media. And I think it could be. And I try to navigate my social media page as that, as a, you know, you could be deep, we could talk, and it doesn't have to be about tracing trends or doing what dance is big on TikTok. Oh my

SPEAKER_00:

God. Thank God. If I saw you doing that, I'd be like, Parasite. Like, this is Jeannie. I have to say, no, I'm just kidding. No, yours is super interesting, and it is really thoughtful and thought-provoking, and you don't even have to say a lot. You kind of just say things to make people think. Is that very intentional?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I don't know. Deep down, I don't really say a lot.

SPEAKER_00:

But you say enough, but the things you say are thought-provoking.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I try to be. I try to have depth and substance in my material.

SPEAKER_00:

You do. You totally do. No, and I'm always intrigued. So I was like, I can't. And before I was going to talk to you, I was like, I don't know who's going to show up here. But you're so warm and posy. You have such a cool vibe. But I was like, I can't ask him about his cryptic posting. Now, is there any intentionality in being kind of mysterious? Or you're just like, no, whatever comes to your mind, you just say.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I'm one of those that's like, if I feel it, I'm just going with it, gung ho. And it's like, I believe that when I get in those modes, you've got to go all in. Yeah. when I relax it has to be all into that too so I'm very extremist and if I'm working I'm turning off my phone I'm going to work and then if I'm relaxing like going to work

SPEAKER_00:

yeah so like when you were young you were driven to create music and what drives you now is it just the same thing is it to I know that you want to like be a support for people like what is your main like driving factor in what you're doing now

SPEAKER_01:

I would say it's the community like I've been fortunate enough to be blessed with social media to garner a community that supported and we support each other, whether it's other musicians, other brands, whoever is around. And I like to think that I could show them that, hey, if I could do it, you could do it. If I could do it starting off with a phone and a laptop in my garage, you could do whatever you want in life. So just being a beacon or a support system, I feel like that's what keeps me going because there was times where I didn't have one and I wish I did.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. So what has been the most fulfilling part of this journey in your life?

SPEAKER_01:

And what has been the most challenging? The most fulfilling? So I performed at a festival, my first festival last year, and my grandma got to come. So that was the most fulfilling for me, to see her backstage with the wristbands and

SPEAKER_00:

hanging out with everybody. Oh, that's so cute. I love that.

SPEAKER_01:

So that was the most fulfilling, seeing, like, it's just all community, seeing family, friends, support. And I think the hardest part is just when the posts or, like, the song doesn't get as much love as, like, I would have wanted. it or hoped but it still feels good to get some sort so it's really just trying to find the balance

SPEAKER_00:

and how do you deal with everybody gets negative comments everyone like you know I don't know why people want to spend their energy doing that but it is just what it is how do you deal with that now and are you sort of have you sort of acclimated to that where it doesn't really affect you I

SPEAKER_01:

start to try to lean into it now I think it's kind of funny because it's like okay this person went out of their way to comment like it's going to help me get in the algorithm and it is kind of like negative but how can I turn this to a positive and how can we spin this around so I'll try to joke with it or I'll have fun with it or sometimes my followers will go and react for me so that's pretty cool too but just trying to make it like I hate fighting fire with fire and I really think that we can be positive about it

SPEAKER_00:

just having that elevated like yeah like going high right like instead of like yeah getting down there and like you have to feel sorry for people to take the time to for me it's like wow like I can never imagine doing that myself So it's like, where are they at in their life? I guess trying to have compassion is always the best way to be, but we can't. That's not reality, but we can try, right? What advice would you have for someone that wants to live an authentic life like the one that you've created? Because it's hard to go that path. You were even saying your parents were like, oh, we don't know. So what's your best advice for someone to follow their main love?

SPEAKER_01:

I'd say go with your heart and just try. As long as you have effort and as long as you're trying, no one can take that away from you. As long as you're working on yourself, trying to do the things, and being honest. Because there were times where I told my parents, hey, I know you told me not to do this, but I'm going to do it anyway. Thank you for the advice, but my heart tells me I have to do this. And I think just being honest and just trying, people have to accept that. They can't say no to someone that's trying.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, no, I agree. And what's your perspective? on failure at this point in your life

SPEAKER_01:

I think it's a necessity I think it adds balance and the universe you kind of have to have a balance if you're always winning like it's not going to be fun and it's not going to be you're not going to grow I think in the losses and in the failure you have to grow so I think everyone should fail I

SPEAKER_00:

agree do you think you learn more from failure or yeah

SPEAKER_01:

yeah most certainly

SPEAKER_00:

yeah I agree

SPEAKER_01:

because you have to learn like an alternative route you think that you're just going to go straight and it's like an easy high paved and as soon as you get that pothole or a flat tire, you learn how to MacGyver it or how to get around the situation.

SPEAKER_00:

Totally. I totally agree. Yeah. Like you think back to even like, you know, your career and you just, because we all want to do a great job. So when we don't, it's like it really hits, but you can like, you know, analyze it and then just like detach and go, okay, I've learned, you know, because we're human. We're going to make mistakes, right? Yeah. Tell me, what do you love about Maine? What's your history and your love affair with Maine? Tell me about that.

SPEAKER_01:

I love the the peacefulness of it when I first came up here I was shocked that there was no billboards

SPEAKER_00:

yeah

SPEAKER_01:

that's true so that was pretty shocking but you know just the people the food the culture the drinks yes everything about Maine is just like it's so low frequency and just chill and it's a vibe

SPEAKER_00:

it's authentic vibe don't you think

SPEAKER_01:

yeah and it's so local and it's so communal

SPEAKER_00:

I know

SPEAKER_01:

can't beat it

SPEAKER_00:

I love like driving around and like you're on a road and it's like farm There's a sign. And you pull in and then you can buy honey and eggs. And I'm like, this is amazing. I'm from L.A. It's like, wow, right? I love that because New York is so different. But growing up on the reservation, what was that like?

SPEAKER_01:

It's different.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. Is it like communal living or like what was the, give me the environment. I'm just curious.

SPEAKER_01:

So it's kind of, it's rural. Okay. So there's farms there. Neighboring schools have like drive your own tractor to school day. What? It's pretty country out there. But. But it's so communal and everyone knows everybody. If someone's doing something, everyone knows. So the community kind of all pitches in to support somebody if they're on the wrong path.

SPEAKER_00:

That's nice.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, it's pretty cool. And I love it.

SPEAKER_00:

Where are your parents now?

SPEAKER_01:

So my parents are back home. They still live there.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, cool. So you go back and forth and go see them and they keep you grounded. They're like, we know you're some like pop star now. We're like, you're just, you know, you're our son, right? Yeah. not you're not you walk in the door you lose it not like you have an ego you don't seem to at all egos edging got out anyways right we know that so we're like no what's next for you like when you see yours I mean do you live in the now are you more like three five year plan like what is your tell me about that

SPEAKER_01:

so I usually go six months I go six months ahead and that's it because if I go too far then it's something's gonna have to change variables happen and I do six months so what we got planned now is some songs and some music videos coming out

SPEAKER_00:

awesome

SPEAKER_01:

and I I self-published my first book. What? It comes out September 24th. I'm extremely excited about that.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, my God. We have to promote that. What's it called?

SPEAKER_01:

It's called The Company We Keep. It's a psychological horror.

SPEAKER_00:

What? Wait. It's a fiction? Yeah. Story? Can you give me a little synopsis?

SPEAKER_01:

So it's basically there's this guy, Jake Warren.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay. Do we like Jake Warren or not? Yeah,

SPEAKER_01:

he's a great guy. Okay. New father. Okay. And trying to get a job to provide for his wife and his kid. Okay. So he's really working hard, applying everywhere. He gets a job offer from Orta Solutions. He didn't apply there, though, so he wonders how they got their information. So then as soon as he gets to the job, some things feel a little bit off, and it becomes a give and take to where he wants to invest his time, if he wants to invest it to his family or to the job. And it kind of gets into the psychological horror of that. So if you like Black Mirror or anything like that, it kind of gets into that vibe. How long did

SPEAKER_00:

it take to write?

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, my goodness. It's a journey, too. Yeah, it was about a year and a half. I was in between music and in between shows. I'd go and type a little bit and put some notes in my phone. I'm

SPEAKER_00:

so impressed. I have to read this book. I've been writing scary stories since I was a little kid. Just always loved writing, too. And always horror. I don't know why. I feel like my mom was mortified. The movies, I don't watch Halloween. She'd be like, no. But anyways, I can't wait to read your book. Congratulations. You have to let me know when it comes out. I'll send you a copy. oh my god I would love it favorite scary movie

SPEAKER_01:

oh oh my goodness

SPEAKER_00:

do you like horror

SPEAKER_01:

yes I love it

SPEAKER_00:

yeah

SPEAKER_01:

I love spooky season that's my my favorite time of the year

SPEAKER_00:

me too Halloween's my favorite holiday

SPEAKER_01:

yes yes I can't wait I'm trying to make it to Salem this this October

SPEAKER_00:

oh my god I've never been that would be cool okay favorite horror film

SPEAKER_01:

oh I like Silence of the Lambs

SPEAKER_00:

Silence of the Lambs is amazing

SPEAKER_01:

it's really like but it's a good

SPEAKER_00:

yeah

SPEAKER_01:

yeah

SPEAKER_00:

so you're Doing a book next. You have more music coming. Anything else you want to tell to all your fans and supporters out there?

SPEAKER_01:

I'd like to say thank you for supporting everything along the way. Go check out Main Love because I wasn't a fan of sparkling water, but I drank it all. Did you? Yes, I loved it.

SPEAKER_00:

Really? Oh, we're going to get you more. My brother would

SPEAKER_01:

try to get me to get some whenever we go out drinking or whenever we go hang out. And I was like, no, what do I look like drinking sparkling water? It's gross. But with these, I like smashed them. So everyone... Out there, if you want to support a quality drink, go get some Main

SPEAKER_00:

Love. That is so nice of you. Yeah, it's been an awesome, like, the Main Love journey. And it's just like working with a company of people who are so authentic and love Maine and want to, like, highlight the state and keep, you know, the revenue in Maine and its water from Maine and it's working with the local brewers and it just feels very, like, community.

SPEAKER_02:

It's

SPEAKER_00:

so cool to be a part of something that just feels, like, so positive, you know? So I'm thrilled to be here, too. Well, thank you, Paris, for being here. This has been amazing. Thank you. And I can't wait to follow your journey and read your book. Oh, my God. You already have a reader of your first scary novel. And all everything else you're doing, too. So thank you.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you. And thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_00:

Of course. What a time. Oh, my God. So fun. Loved it.