Paris finds himself, rediscovers music

Sunday, May 14, 2006 | 7:16 a.m.

Musician Jak Paris dropped out of music and began a five-year search for himself.

He found him in Las Vegas.

"I needed a break," said Paris, a valley resident for about three years. "I hadn't found my inner strength that was going to take me to the next period of my life."

During his hiatus from music, Paris says he survived by working in an auto repair shop, on construction sites and at a various other jobs.

"Finally, I realized I had nobody to blame but myself for my own failures," Paris said.

Eventually the music came back.

Almost two years ago he began writing songs for his recently released album, "Electric Revolution." The songs were inspired by his self-analysis.

"They are stories about my life," he said.

The single on the album getting the biggest buzz is "Not Back Down," which has received some airplay locally. It is available at jakparis.com and at download sites.

A music video of "Not Back Down" has been picked up for play on MTV2. The video features Paris, with an appearance by his niece, actress Scarlett Pomers, co-star of the WB comedy "Reba."

"I've spent 20 years in the music business," Paris said. "The dream of every musician is to get on MTV."

Paris, who founded the independent label NEV Records, funded the video and wrote the script.

"Videos today are just a bunch of kids jumping around in a circle trying to look cool," he said. "Videos have lost what they used to be - they used to be fun to watch or told a story about the song."

Paris' video depicts him in a straitjacket in a mental ward being escorted by an orderly.

"I'm taken into these empty rooms, but then in every room I see some of my history," Paris said. "It explores the obsessive side of love and how it takes its toll on your mind."

Paris says he has invested everything he has in his record label, the CD and the video that is headed for MTV.

"When you're backed into a corner, there is no room for failure - you will succeed," he said.