Meet PJ Bidwell | Songwriter, Musician, Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with PJ Bidwell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi PJ, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?

Many musicians and songwriters shy away from the business side of things. They take the approach that their art should speak for itself. As a result, many talented people go unseen and unheard. I realized early on that if I was going to get traction, I would have to marry my creative side with my entrepreneurial side.

There are no guide books detailing how to build a career in music. I became obsessed with self education. I have probably watched all of the YouTube videos on the subject. I was also not afraid to ask questions and when you’re new there are a lot of people who you can learn from. I am fortunate and early on in my music journey, I had some really good mentors.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

I write songs that I want to hear. I get teased some for writing songs that tend to be sad. In general, I’m not a sad guy but that is usually the type of song that comes out. One of my favorite bands, American Aquarium have song lyrics that has become saying “sad songs make me happy.” Something about that really resonates with me.

There are a lot of artists out there that play nothing but top 40 or hit Nashville country covers and they are really good at it. Venues love them because, as a concept, they get them and they’ll pack the dance floor. I’m buddies with a lot of these guys and I have tons of respect for their musicianship and the quality shows they put on but that’s just not me.

It is probably a harder path to walk. I decided early on I was going to play music I wanted to hear, and I hope you want to hear it too. Yes, I play covers but they’re probably not how you’d expect to hear them and a lot of the songwriters I like to cover, most people have not heard of them yet. I would rather play a song that makes you feel and think rather than one that gets you to dance. I don’t mind if you want to dance though.

There are plans in the works to get in the studio and record with some great people. We have been working with recording engineer Armando Quiroz, Q, for an upcoming EP from Pelican Museum that will come out in early 2023. Q and I have also put together a solo track that will be coming out on January 13th 2023. We worked with Q for the EP “Parts.” He is a good friend and we learned a lot together on that project.

It’s hard to pinpoint what I am most proud of. My shows with Pelican Museum are special. There is a great chemistry between Kiana, Colton, Jacob and I and when we share a stage we can read each other really well. Playing solo, I’ve been able to share the stage with some of my favorite Arizona artists. It’s stripped down and I feel like the songwriting gets highlighted more. Hosting Acoustic Songwriter Events has been great for meeting and highlighting other talented Arizona songwriters. It has blown me away, the incredibly talented people who have played the show. There are other songwriter shows but I prefer the song swap model. There is room for the songs to breath. The four of us are there for three hours, that can mean eight songs each or five songs each and a lot of stories.

The bass player for Pelican Museum, Colton, is also my 15 year old son. He is in high school and plays football and is in wrestling, which keeps his schedule full. He is able to balance it really well and keeps good grades. Creating music and performing together has built a unique bond and experiences that I imagine most people don’t have. I find that I have to switch back and forth between wearing my dad hat and my bandmate hat. It’s a dynamic we have figured out.

How’d I get here? On the musical side, I keep writing and playing. For the good gigs, I play my heart out. For the gigs when it seems nobody cares and I’m feeling like background music, I play my heart out. I’ll try to connect to somebody there. Even if it is one guy that is paying attention, if I can get him to dig what I am doing, then it’s a win. For the gigs that aren’t going right; the sound is off, my voice is off, the crowd isn’t into it; I play my heart out and hope it sounds is better on the other side of the microphone.

On the business side, you can’t be afraid of rejection. Oh I have been rejected, a lot of times in the form of no response. I have also been told by bookers and venues that I wasn’t what they were looking for. Sometimes that stings but I just don’t take it personal. More than likely they know their crowd and they are probably saving me from an uncomfortable 3 hours.

When I first started out I decided I was going to contact 100 places that might be willing to book me. I didn’t focus so much on getting booked. I figured, if I made a legitimate effort with that many places at least one would book me. The result was much better than I expected.

I try to make a positive impact, whether with the venues I work with or within the Arizona Music scene. For some people, it is easy to get into a competitive mindset. Comparison can be a really negative thing. Whenever I get questions from people who are starting out, I tell them I’m an open book. I have had a lot of good people help me, so I try to pay it forward. The way I look at it, getting “what to do” is the easy part. The hard part is following through and weathering the storms.

I would like people to associate real, authentic songwriting when they think about my music as PJ Bidwell, Pelican Museum or Acoustic Songwriters Events. I want to make music that people relate to and makes them think.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

Luckily we have a week because Tucson has a lot of great places to check out. We would have to check out the downtown and 4th Avenue scene. There are plenty of cool places to stop and have a drink; Che’s Lounge, Sky Bar, The Hut and Mr. Heads. If we are going to have drinks at all of those places, we probably want to start off at The Box Yard and get a bacon wrapped burrito. We would make sure to catch a concert at the Rialto and/or Club Congress. We would then make our way down Congress and stop into Batch for the best old fashion and then pop into the basement at Reilly’s for a drink at the Tough Luck Club. Before we called it a night we should stop in Empire Pizza for a drink and a slice.

Anybody who comes to Tucson will have to check out our many cool hiking spots, Sabina Canyon, Romero pools, Tanque Verde Falls, and Seven Falls. We would also have to take a drive up Mount Lemmon for some great views. Since we are already on that side of town, we would need to drop into the Gardens at Bear Canyon, the Cowpony and the Maverick to catch some live music.

Tucson has a ton of great local breweries. Since my visiting best friend loves craft beer, we would arrange a brewery crawl. I’m not sure how many stops we could make but we would be sure to stop into Barrio Brewing, Harbottle Brewing, Catalina Brewing, Crooked Tooth Brewing, MotoSonora Brewing, Dillinger Brewing, Corbett Brewing and Firetruck Brewing. Luckily these places not only have great craft beer but they support live music, so we would probably catch a show too. Once we finished up with our brewery crawl, we’d pop into the Jackrabbit Lounge and have an outstanding meal.

The next day I would take my best friends to Tohono Chul Bistro for brunch in one of the coolest spots in town. We’d head to mid town for lunch and eat at Dante’s Fire. My best friend loves all live entertainment so we would catch a show at the Gas Light Theater. Since we caught the early show, we would have plenty of time to stop into House of Bards for a concert.

After a few days in town my buddy needs to see outside the city, so I’d take him on a short road trip to Sonoita/Elgin and check out the cool wineries. There’s plenty to see but we have to at least stop into Hop and Vines, The Meeding Room, and Autumn Sage Vineyards. Before heading home, we would grab a meal at the Copper Brothel Brewery. Hopeful we get to see some pronghorn antelope on the way.

I would want to show off my side of town some. We would start our day with breakfast at Baja Cafe. We’d take a drive around Saguaro National park/ Gates Pass for some obligatory cactus pictures. I’d bring him over to the Station Pub & Grill for lunch and Growlers Taphouse for dinner and drinks.

One of the days we would have to check out the Airplane Boneyard after we fill up on Tania’s 33 for breakfast. Pat’s for Lunch. Somewhere in our week we would dine at Mosaic café.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are a lot of people who have helped me along the way. Some of those people probably don’t realize the impact they had. I see myself as fortunate to have had help from so many people.

I hope there is no expectation for this to be narrowed down. First and foremost my wife April, both for being supportive/understanding and for inspiring me with her entrepreneurial endeavors. My brother, Duaine for pushing me to push past fear of the unknown and chase greatness. I have three amazing kids Alexis, Beau and Colton.  They have come to countless shows and help carry a lot of gear.  I have an awesome family who all have been supportive and that really helps when riding through the ups and downs.

Musically, Drew Cooper has been a huge influence. He is really talented and a great example of working your tail off to get where you want to go. He has been a good resource for me both in navigating the business landscape and with songwriting. He has co-writing credits on some of my music. My band Pelican Museum released an EP, Parts, in January 2022. A song from that EP, Miss California, had a co-writing credit with Drew.

He has also shared his stage with me, which when I was beginning was a major boost. It helped establish credibility with venues and artists whom I have a lot of respect. Having somebody like Drew introduce me as a “fellow songwriter” to nationally touring artists was pretty big for my confidence.

I am also very thankful to have the support of some awesome local business, chief among them is Catalina Brewing Company. When I was starting out and when Pelican Museum was still honing our lives show, Catalina Brewing gave us a place to perform. When we started getting momentum they were at the front of the line to book us for full shows. When I had the idea to host the Sunday afternoon Acoustic Songwriter’s Events, owners Brian and Marie Vance were immediately supportive. We also have a copromotion deal worked out with Cancion Tequila (formerly Roger Clyne’s Mexican Moonshine.) To be associated with such a great brand has been great for Pelican Museum.

Shout out all the artist in the Arizona music scene. I have meet and shared the stage with some of the coolest people. They are overwhelmingly generous, supportive and cool. Of course there are some who aren’t but they are the outliers.

Website: Pelicanmuseum.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pelicanmuseum

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pj.bidwell

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@PelicanMuseum

Other: https://www.facebook.com/PelicanMuseum https://www.facebook.com/AcousticSongwritersEventsAZ https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Ob01YD3Nt5kRrGuQtL7AO?si=xrKRcuV8Q-6Ud99hepT2AA

Image Credits
April Kraus Phil Kelly