Paranoid Image featuring PHIE / A.J. Fullerton Band

Christopher Malone and Sara Geller met in May 2015 when they both arrived for their first rehearsal with the band Scifidelic. This is a very cool industrial band where Christopher is the bassist and Sara was the backup female vocalist. Once they met, they quickly realized that they had the same love for music and constant drive to create. They began working on some jazz, blues and (yes) tango songs they could perform outside of Scifidelic.

Not long after they met, they became a couple and began studying dance and exploring all types of Latin American music and dance styles. They also began looking into ways that Sara's truly unique and otherworldly voice could be showcased and recognized. That is when, in 2016, Sara decided to leave Scifidelic and the two of them decided to create their own band. As it it is with most musicians that have such a strong drive, they wanted to create something unique, different, palatable, and encompassing of their combined idea for a new sound.

With Christopher's roots in alternative music, industrial music and love of driving, dance-inspiring rhythms as well as emotional and touching melodies and Sara's flare for South American dance, blues and jazz styles, and unique voice, they wanted to create music that would be enjoyed by those who love to dance - salsa, bachata, zouk, tango, samba - and would be excited by music that was not the normal "standard" sounds that they are typically exposed to. And the catch? Get away from the electronica of industrial - but keep the drive - and away from the instrumentation typical of rock or South American music. How about folk music style instruments? No electric guitars or electric bass or drum sets. Mandolin, acoustic guitar, banjo, piano, and hand percussion, etc.? Yep. That should work.

And it did work. Quite well. Christopher and Sara pondered about what to call the band. Sara, an art history major and artist said that the concept reminded her of the "Paranoiac-Critical Method". "The paranoiac-critical method is a surrealist technique developed by Salvador Dalí in the early 1930s. He employed it in the production of paintings and other artworks, especially those that involved optical illusions and other multiple images." We thought that it described the kind of fusion of music we wanted to create. Paranoic-Critical Method was kind of nuts for a band name, so we shortened it to Paranoid Images, then again to Paranoid Image.

The Paranoid Image logo was created from a monoprint, artwork that was created by Sara. Using that as the foundation, Christopher created the oddly shaped logo (it's a random shape... not a country!).

It took a while to find the right musicians who "get it" - our concept - and have the true talent to make it happen. Christopher was attending a "picking circle" on Thursday nights at Denver's Tennyson's Tap when he was fortunate enough to meet Lauren Savelle, PI's first permanent member. He was impressed by Lauren's spirit and talent on the mandolin. It was great meeting someone who "got it"! There were several other musicians who came and went, but it was when he found Elizabeth Nelles, an extremely talented multi-intstrumentalist, through a band app that he was convinced this would actually happen!

Christopher was encouraged by his brother, Kyp, who is a member of the band TV on the Radio, who told him that the idea was very exciting and to keep at it. Paranoid Image released its first single, a cover of TVOTR's "Keep Your Heart" in January 2018.

Over time, as songs were being created and the sound was being perfected (which it still is!), the permanent members of PI joined the group: Al Buffone III, the diverse and talented percussionist who encompasses what PI is all about; Jim Vaughan, the extraordinary perfectionist guitarist whose rhythms and solos take PI to another level; and Louie Sosa, our newest member whose skill, talent and ear was for the longest time the perfect missing link to what was needed to complete the unique percussion that helps define PI.

After six months of very hard work, in June 2018, Paranoid Image was extremely proud to release our first full album of 10 songs, titled Burning Paint, an album that shows the diversity and eclectic nature of what we have created. We work very hard every week perfect our current songs for performances and work on new ones, as we continue to define our sound and allow our creativity to flow. New songs are being written and worked on, all while staying true to that PI sound - acoustic instruments and hand percussion (for the most part). While we still cannot define exactly what our quirky, eclectic "genre" is (acoustic Latin, grunge, disco, ballad, funk, etc...), we hope you enjoy at least a little bit of our art both now and what we are continuing to create!

I’m currently 22 years old and native to Colorado. I attended an arts intensive high school where I majored in creative writing. I had my small group of friends but felt pretty detached and unpopular (probably like most kids). The only thing I really felt connected to were my teachers and my writing- specifically, songwriting. At the time, I never thought of pursuing music as a career. I’d always been a rule-follower and thought the only option was to finish high school, graduate from some prestigious college, and slave away at a job I didn’t like. However, my first year of college failed miserably, sinking into the clutches of an eating disorder. When it got to the point that I couldn’t finish school because of my health, I decided I might as well give music a shot, despite how unpredictable and intimidating the path had seemed. I wanted something to live for. I wanted to be happy. So I turned to singing/songwriting once again. It’s like I’ve reverted back to a childlike state – relearning my body, my mind, my limits… with a desire to create, play, observe, explore, love. I want to live presently, fearlessly- recklessly. These new experiences, challenging everything I’ve been taught to believe as “dangerous” and “evil”, are the inspirations for my EP. Special thanks to Alan, Ted & Tess, Side3, Justin &Kelly, Jack & Sigel, Moss Kaplan, Alf from 93.3, DSA, and to all of you.

 Raised as an only child in the mountains of rural Western Colorado, A.J. was brought up surrounded by numerous styles of music ranging from; Rock, Folk, Bluegrass, Roots, & Blues. His biggest musical influences ended up being found in his parents' collection of Classic Rock & Blues records. Playing solo, and in local bands throughout his mid-teens, by age 19 he was playing full-time supporting his rapidly developing solo career. His style of playing falls somewhere between the finger picking & slide of Country Roots music, and the groove based uptempo sensibilities of Blues and Rock & Roll.  

 In the few short years of his professional career, A.J. has won a number of awards & accolades. In 2016 he was the winner of the Colorado Blues Society's "I.B.C Competition" ,  as well as winning the following Colorado Blues Society "Members Choice Awards"  for;  Best Slide Guitar (2016), Best Acoustic Act (2016),  Best Young Performer (2016), & Best Duo Act [A.J. Fullerton ft. Nic Clark] (2016)

At the 2017 Colorado Blues Society  "Members' Choice Awards" A.J. won an unprecedented 8 awards for:

  - Best Guitarist

  - Best Solo/Duo

  - Best Band

  - Best Male Vocals

  - Best Slide Guitar

  - Best Songwriter

  - Best Acoustic Act 

  - Best Local Recording (“Kalamath”) has played such events as; The International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN., The Telluride Blues & Brews Festival,  The Clarksdale Juke Joint Festival,  Bohemian Nights New West Fest, and The Durango Blues Train.  Playing on average 200-250 shows each year,  A.J. is often hailed as, “The Real Deal", and is frequently called one of the hardest working young musicians on the scene.