Some songs tell you exactly how their story ends. Others leave you standing at the crossroads, wondering what you would do if you were the one holding the decision. Dan Schiz’s “Paris NY” belongs firmly in the second category.
The alternative rock track follows an unexpected encounter between a man and a woman named Paris in New York, building toward a choice that is deliberately left unanswered. Does he board the plane and return to the life he knows, or take the risk of staying behind for something that could become meaningful? Rather than deciding for the listener, Dan Schiz leaves that final moment open, turning the song into something more personal than a straightforward love story.
Recently, Dan Schiz spoke with us about the inspiration behind “Paris NY,” the emotions that shaped its story and the freedom he has found through his solo work. He reveals that the idea of leaving the ending unresolved came unexpectedly during the writing process, but ultimately became one of the song’s most important elements. For him, the uncertainty reflects those real-life moments when people look back and wonder what might have happened if they had chosen differently.
Written during the pandemic, the song also carries a personal sense of longing. At a time when travel and spontaneity felt almost impossible, Dan imagined taking a flight to New York and finding an unexpected connection. Growing up outside New York, the city also gave him a way to revisit his roots while creating a larger story around two strangers meeting under unlikely circumstances.
“Paris NY” reveals another side of Dan Schiz as well. Best known as the guitarist for Powerman 5000, a role he joined in 2022, his solo project gives him the freedom to step beyond the boundaries of the band. Here, he is not simply the guitarist. He writes, sings and makes the creative decisions, allowing him to explore softer sounds, personal emotions and character-driven storytelling.
That freedom comes after a journey that demanded plenty of commitment. Dan recalls putting everything he owned into a Honda Civic and driving across the country to pursue his career in Los Angeles. Years of performing at the city’s legendary venues and eventually joining Powerman 5000 have given him an even deeper appreciation for the opportunity to make music.
In our conversation, Dan also discusses the relationship between his band work and solo material, the importance of keeping a song engaging even when its mood is mellow, and how collaborating with producer Patrick Windsor has helped sharpen his solo work. He describes the sound he is developing as “Adult Contemporary Alternative Prog Rock,” while making it clear that the label matters less to him than continuing to develop his own voice.
At its heart, “Paris NY” is about more than romance. It is about those moments when life presents a door and we have to decide whether to walk through it. Dan hopes the song encourages listeners to step outside their comfort zones, whether that means pursuing love, changing careers, moving somewhere new or simply looking back at their own journey with greater appreciation.
With more music ahead and ambitions to expand his production, storytelling and sonic palette, Dan Schiz is clearly treating his solo project as more than a side chapter. “Paris NY” is another step toward defining what that chapter sounds like.
Read our full interview with Dan Schiz below.
“Paris NY” places the listener inside a story where a man meets a woman named Paris in New York, but deliberately leaves the ending unresolved. What inspired you to give the audience control over whether he boards the plane or stays, and what does that uncertainty say about the risks involved in choosing love?
The inspiration actually came in the middle of writing the song. It was not planned. I just thought it would be a good way to engage the audience and give them a stake in the story itself.
Regarding uncertainty, I always feel like regret is one of the most attractive feelings in songwriting. Everyone has their fork in the road moment in life where they ask themself, “what if?” I think choosing to have uncertainty in love as a focus of the lyrics makes the song more personal to each individual. The story invites the listener to reflect on their own lives and the choices that they’ve made. Some might still feel regret, but some might feel at peace.
The song is described as a tender meditation on taking chances before you miss out on something meaningful. Was there a particular experience, relationship or moment that shaped the emotional idea behind the song, or did the story develop more through imagination?
I think that at the time of writing this song, the scenario of the story is what I wanted to experience myself. I wrote it during the pandemic when all I wanted to do was take a plane to New York City and spontaneously find love.
New York and Paris have both become symbols of romance, possibility and reinvention in popular culture. What do those two cities represent to you personally, and why did bringing them together feel like the right setting for this particular story?
I grew up outside of New York City, so I think I was trying to explore my roots. At the same time, it is a popular destination all over the world. Paris, the character in this story, can represent anyone regardless of where they’re from. But both Paris and New York represent wonder and grandiosity, and I wanted to create a big story where two people meet in unlikely circumstances.
Musically, “Paris NY” takes a softer alternative rock approach, which creates a different atmosphere from the heavier world many listeners may associate with Powerman 5000. What did stepping into this more intimate sound allow you to express that you might not explore within your work with the band?
My solo project is an outlet to create whatever music I want to make without any limitations. In addition, I am only the guitarist in Powerman 5000. With songs like Paris NY, I not only play guitar, but sing and write the lyrics. I can explore and express different emotions and tell stories just like the one in this song.
You have spent years performing in legendary Los Angeles venues before joining Powerman 5000 in 2022. How has that journey, from putting everything you owned into a Honda Civic and driving across the country to building a career in music, shaped the songwriter and artist you are today?
I definitely take it more seriously as a result. I sacrificed everything to move to Los Angeles and join a band like Powerman 5000. The journey helps me appreciate my career and my craft. I do not take my life for granted, so I try to make the best art I can possibly make.
Joining an established band like Powerman 5000 while developing your own solo identity gives you two very different creative worlds. How do you decide which ideas belong in the band and which ones need to exist as Dan Schiz solo material?
In Powerman 5000, our singer, Spider One, ultimately decides what material he would like to develop. With my solo project, I make all of the decisions. However, I do work with other people, like my producer Patrick Windsor, to help make the material more focused or pick the best songs out of the batch that I have written.
Because “Paris NY” functions almost like a short film, the listener can imagine different outcomes for the characters. When you write narrative songs, how important is it for you to leave space for listeners to bring their own experiences and interpretations into the story?
I think leaving space for the audience is the most important part of songwriting. You can create characters, but at the end of the day, people like characters that they relate to or even situations that they relate to. People want to feel emotionally invested in the stories.
Your background is strongly rooted in guitar and live performance, but this solo chapter also puts greater emphasis on you as a songwriter and artist. Has working outside your main band changed the way you approach songwriting, recording or even your relationship with the guitar?
I think they go hand in hand. Spider always gives feedback that a song should not be boring and should maintain a similar level of energy throughout the song. I think Paris NY is a great example of this. The song is slow and mellow, but it always maintains its groove.
At the same time, I think writing and recording your own material makes you more versatile as a musician and helps you learn lessons you would not learn otherwise. You also get to work with different people who bring a fresh perspective that elevates the art.
There is something universal about the decision at the centre of “Paris NY”: stay with something uncertain or return to the life you already know. What do you hope listeners think about in their own lives after hearing the song, particularly when it comes to the chances they may have been afraid to take?
I hope it helps people get out of their comfort zone and pushes them to make positive changes in their lives. It does not have to be a romantic change. It could be a career change or moving to a new area or city.
Another aspect, which I alluded to earlier, is to also look back at your life and feel proud of the choices you’ve made. We can’t always make the optimum decision at each juncture, but hopefully, they led you to become who you are today.
As you continue developing your solo career alongside your work with Powerman 5000, what kind of artistic space do you want to create for yourself? Is there a side of Dan Schiz that you are only beginning to explore through this solo project?
Good or bad, I think I’m started to develop my own sound and voice with my music. I call it Adult Contemporary Alternative Prog Rock haha. No matter what it’s defined as, I think I try to bring my own unique perspective to everything I do. I think after releasing songs like Paris NY, no one will think I am a one-trick pony. I always want to grow as a songwriter. In future material, I do want the production side of things to be more layered and increase the scope of my sound. I want to tell more stories and hopefully have a dedicated audience along for the ride.
