Paul "Tacoma Slim" Hsu

Guitar, Vocals

Paul was born and raised in Seattle amidst the hippie huts and psychedelic cars on Brooklyn Avenue in the heart of the U-district during the late sixties. It was this environment that exposed him to folk, blues and other forms of traditional roots music.

He attended Rock and Roll High School (a.k.a. Roosevelt High) with members of seminal Seattle bands The Vains and Psychopop. This venerable institution of education is also well known for spawning members of Motley Crue, The Mentors, The Moberlys, U-Men, Guns n’ Roses, The Muffs and Pearl Jam.

In the early 80’s, Paul formed his first band Truth Decay, a raucous band playing in the Pacific Northwest tradition of punk. Its members included past and present members of the Horrible Truth, Sharing Patrol, Young Fresh Fellows and the Wellwater Conspiracy, and played frequently at the influential alternative music club Metropolis, performing with bands like DOA, TSOL, Butthole Surfers, The Accused, Spluii Numa and Martyr Corp.

It was during this time Paul became acquainted with the music of Hank Williams Sr. and the Burnette Rock and Roll Trio, and thus developed a lifelong appreciation for traditional country music and rockabilly.

In 2003, Paul joined Johnson County, lending his punk edge and blues sensibility to the band’s own rockin’ brand of alternative country sound.

Some of Paul’s chief musical influences are British Invasion innovators the Yardbirds and the Kinks, Northwest punk legends The Sonics, and last but not least, rockabilly legends Eddie Cochran and Cliff Gallup.

Paul is also currently the lead guitar player for Firecrotch, a Seattle-based Garage Punk rock n’ roll band.

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