Born in 1954 to a Swedish-American family in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Paul began playing the fiddle at the age of nine. Learning from his grandfather Edwin, who came to the United States from Dalarna, Sweden, in 1924, and from his mother Nancy and his uncle Bruce, Paul was soon performing at Swedish-American events in the Upper Midwest. Together with his grandfather and his uncle, Paul took the lead in their group known as American Swedish Spelmans Trio. After his grandfather’s death in 1985, Paul formed the American Swedish Institute Spelmanslag, which continues to play traditional Swedish folk music today. In 1996, Paul was recognized as a National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts because of his work with traditional Swedish music.