Gues
GUES is the musical project of Paul Scheepmaker, a musician from Hoofddorp (North Holland). Paul studied at the Utrecht Conservatory and the Hilversum Conservatory. In 1990 he graduated as a classical guitarist, with jazz as his minor.
At the age of ten, Paul taught himself to play guitar and began writing (rock) music. A few years later, he started recording his songs. The name GUES originated during this period.
In 1988 Paul released his debut album COME ALONG on vinyl. The album contains a collection of his own compositions in the new wave style that was common at the time. Paul played all the instruments himself. In 1990 he entered the Grote Prijs van Nederland with his band.
In the 1990s, Paul Scheepmaker worked as a session guitarist for several nationally known artists and appeared regularly on television. He was also part of several heavy bands.
In 1998 Paul decided to leave session work behind and focus entirely on his own music, studio work, and his guitar school in Hoofddorp, which he has run since 1990. He also founded his own record label: GUEZ Records Ind.
Recording for the album ONE began in 1998 and took about four years. Once again, Paul played all the instruments himself. The CD was released on October 9, 2002. The album contains seven original compositions and five songs by artists including Van Halen, Living Colour, and Gary Moore, his favorite guitarist.
The video for GET OFF MY BACK has been on YouTube since 2012. In 2014, the album ONE appeared on Spotify and other streaming platforms. At the end of that year, the live clip SEPARATE WAYS was also released on YouTube.
In 2015, recordings were made for a new rock/rap album. Because Paul had other obligations and could not find the right vocalist/rapper, the album was put on hold for the time being. The project was picked up again later.
In 2019, the remastered version of the debut album COME ALONG was released. The album track FEELS GOOD appeared on YouTube in 2020.
In 2020, all GUES singles were released on streaming services: Steppin' Out (1988), Get Off My Back (2003), Gotta Get Up (2014), and Feels Good (2020).
On July 1, 2022, the new fully acoustic GUES album '17' was released on all streaming services. The album is a collaboration with singer Tessel van Bueren, who was 17 during the recordings. It contains seven tracks from the time Paul was 17 and seven new tracks written especially for Tessel. On this album, Paul shows a more vulnerable side, marking a striking break from the generally heavier music of GUES.
