Paul Gerard Buchanan (born 16 April 1956), is a Scottish singer-songwriter and musician, known for critically acclaimed compositions both as a co-founder of the Blue Nile and for his solo material.

A guitarist, he started the Blue Nile band with friends from university: keyboardist Paul Joseph "PJ" Moore and synthesiser player and bassist Robert Bell.

[2] The group's early music was built heavily on synthesizers and electronic instrumentation and percussion, although later works featured guitar more prominently.

Following early championing by established artists such as Rickie Lee Jones and Peter Gabriel[3] (the band later worked with both acts), the Blue Nile gained critical acclaim, particularly for its first two albums A Walk Across the Rooftops and Hats, and some commercial success in both the UK and the US, which led to the band working with a wide range of musicians from the late 1980s onwards.

The band members have also gained a reputation for their avoidance of publicity, their idiosyncratic dealings with the recording industry and their perfectionism and slow work rate, which has resulted in the release of just four albums since the group's formation in 1981.

[7][8] His songs have been covered by artists including Tom Jones, Rod Stewart, Annie Lennox, and Isaac Hayes.