Paul Edward Draper (born 26 September 1970 in Liverpool)[1] is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer, formerly the frontman of the rock band Mansun.

[3] Draper attended St Richard Gwyn Catholic High School, Flint and Thames Polytechnic (now University of Greenwich) where he formed Grind with Steve Heaton and drummer Carlton Hibbert[4] who regularly played around London and released one 12" single before splitting.

Draper returned home to study at Wrexham Art College before forming Mansun with bassist Stove King, and guitarist Dominic Chad.

In 2006, Draper was diagnosed with cancer (during album sessions at Rockfield Studios), but responded well to chemotherapy, though he was unable to play for several months after the tumour was cut out and his finger swelled up following treatment.

[6] In October 2005, "Alone in My Room", a single by Skin (Skunk Anansie), co-written and co-produced by Draper, was released; his first involvement in any musical project since Kleptomania.

He worked on a version of the 2006 Ibiza anthem "Exceeder" by the Dutch DJ Mason, which was uploaded to his MySpace page, and in 2009 produced and appeared on a track by The Joy Formidable, which was made available as a free download from the band's official website.

Draper performed a version of Mansun's "Wide Open Space" at London Astoria's last ever gig before it closed on 14 January 2009 with My Vitriol.

In October 2013, Draper stated that he was considering releasing material from his abandoned solo album Spooky Action at a Distance, which only existed in demo form, if there was enough interest.

[12] Draper's first solo song "Feeling My Heart Run Slow" was premiered at a Mansun convention held at The Live Rooms in Chester on 23 August 2014.

Kscope also announced a new vinyl release, Paul Draper – Attack of the Grey Lantern – Live at the Ritz, recorded in Manchester on 1 March 2018.

[18] The album features guest appearances from musician and producer Steven Wilson on "Omega Man" – a collaboration about Wilson and Draper's feelings of isolation during lockdown, Gamaliel "Gam" Rendle Traynor from the band Sweat, who played, arranged and engineered all strings, as well as a 288-person choir (assembled from clips provided by fans online) who provide backing vocals on "Lyin' Bout Who U Sleep With".

[29] In 2016, an online interview with Paul Draper was removed from the Backseat Mafia website, after he made numerous unsubstantiated allegations against former bandmate Dominic Chad.

[30][better source needed] In March 2018, at the Rescue Rooms in Nottingham, Draper "sacked his keyboard player onstage and berated the audience".

[38] Further influential and favourites bands were revealed by Draper in an early 2019 interview with GuitarGuitar – "Abba, Prince, The Beatles, Bee Gees, Kate Bush, Motown, Bowie, Depeche Mode are up there as my faves but I like all good songwriters and musicians, I’ve got a wide taste.