Paul Laird

Paul Laird is an English journalist, blogger, and author of The Birth and Impact of Britpop: Mis-Shapes, Scenesters & Insatiable Ones, 2022. Not to be confused with Paul Robert Laird, an American musicologist from Louisville.

Paul Laird is a podcaster who has been celebrating and critiquing Britpop since 2015. His Britpop memories offer a unique insight into the era. As well as writing about Britpop he is a regular contributor to BBC Radio Scotland’s “Classic Scottish Albums” podcast.

Paul Laird is a former Edinburgh Write Here Academy student. He has written about Britpop and music in general for many years, as both a blogger and podcast host.

"I’d been writing about Britpop, and music in general, on my site (The Mild Mannered Army… which is now deceased) for about three years. I’d written hundreds of articles, and thousands of words and had built up a reasonable audience. I also had a podcast where I interviewed musicians and writers. That led to my being contacted by Marc Burrows. He’d written a book about Terry Pratchett, and he was looking for someone who could write something on Britpop. I put an outline together for a book, as well as a sample chapter, then submitted that to the publisher… and now I’m a published writer," said Paul Laird in an interview.

His debut non-fiction book The Birth and Impact of Britpop published by Pen & Sword Books. The book tells the story of the explosion of indie music into the mainstream in 1991 — and the cultural revolution that followed. It also delves into the earlier ‘Madchester’ scene, from which many beloved Britpop bands jumped up.

Now Paul Laird is working on a novel based on his experiences of being raised as a Mormon.

Photo credit: Twitter @MildManneredMax