The Paper Stars

“I think the word these days is Americana, which is kind of vague, but that’s what I’ve been told we’re classified as,” says Tres Altman, frontman for Colorado-based band The Paper Stars. Around since 2000, the Stars have only released a seven-song EP, though a new album is due out this fall. The band has been a staple in the Boulder area, with their most recent big show opening for The Avett Brothers at the Boulder Theater, but Altman’s recent move back to his home state of North Carolina to be closer to family signals a shift for the band. The Stars — who draw from jazz, blues, folk, country, and a little bit of rock ‘n’ roll — can be heard on certain Sender Films soundtracks.

Who makes up The Paper Stars? It’s usually my friend Jack Leahy, and we do a lot of stuff in coffee shops, wine bars, and smaller venues as just a duo. That’s the smallest we ever get. Jeb Bows is the violinist, and Scott Mast is the drummer when we play bigger venues. Another guy who plays bass and cello is Phillip Parker.

What was the process like turning Jonny Copp’s poem “Border Country” into a song? The first time I remember hearing Border Country was at the memorial service they had for Jonny. It was a heavy time. I was hanging out with John Copp [Jonny’s father] that night, drinking whiskey and talking, and he said that the poem was almost like a song. He asked me if I could put music to it, and I said yeah. A while later, we were at Fullerton [California], Jonny’s hometown, at another memorial, and I went to the Copp house.There were pictures and Jonny’s journals on the table, and there was a guitar sitting there, so I just picked it up and started writing the song right there in their living room. We had a party that night for Jonny, and I played it then.

What do you do when you’re not playing music? I’m working on my graduate degree in media arts with the European Graduate School. I’m writing my thesis on sustainability. Trying to save the planet sounds like the noblest pursuit right now. I’m surfing again and I’ve found out how much I suck, but that doesn’t matter.

You can download the song “Border Country” at cdbaby.com/cd/paperstars2. All the money for the song goes to the Jonny Copp Foundation.