Challenge Champion: Paul Fincken

At Talent Is Timeless, we run Monthly Songwriting Challenges to help keep our members writing, sharing, and connecting. Each month, we spotlight some of the incredible songwriters who placed in these challenges — inviting them to share a bit more about their lives, their creative journeys, and the stories behind their songs.

This month, we’re featuring Paul Fincken, a 74-year-old songwriter based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, who’s been part of the Talent Is Timeless community since the very beginning. Though he came to songwriting seriously only in recent years, Paul has steadily carved out a voice that blends real-life reflection with clever lyricism — and a surprising dose of rock’n’roll energy.

For most of his life, Paul was the “go-to” guy when someone needed a witty poem or a clever lyric for a retirement speech or birthday. But after he retired, something shifted. While volunteering with Victim Support, he began to hear stories — deeply moving and often painful — that stayed with him. “My first proper song was inspired by some of the stories of domestic abuse I heard,” he says. “Not a bundle of laughs!” But when he started performing that song at local acoustic sessions, the response was powerful. “I got positive feedback, and it motivated me to write more.”

Like many songwriters, Paul faces a recurring enemy: self-doubt. “I experience it every time I start a new song,” he admits. “I wonder if I’ve said something before, or if I’m copying someone else without knowing. It’s a cycle — but I keep writing anyway.”

Instead of one “lightbulb moment,” Paul describes a slow build — a cumulative encouragement that came from folk clubs where, as he puts it, “people really do listen properly to songs.” That quiet validation helped push him forward. One particularly proud achievement came when he entered the Watford Folk Club Songwriting Competition — making the final multiple times and eventually taking home first place. “I still proudly display the trophy,” he says with a grin.

Since joining Talent Is Timeless, Paul has found the Monthly Challenges to be a rich creative engine. “I find it useful to have a theme as a starting point,” he says. “And it’s fascinating to see how everyone else interprets it.” The feedback from fellow members, he adds, is a major boost.

What many people don’t expect is that Paul is also in a gigging six-piece rock’n’roll band — playing covers of Elvis, The Beatles, Little Richard and more. “It’s helped me no end in gaining more musical awareness,” he says. That experience of being in a band, blending old-school classics with his own songwriting journey, adds a unique twist to his creative life.

His advice for songwriters over 50 is simple and tested: “When you get the opportunity, play with others and in public. Open mics and acoustic sessions have helped me gain much more confidence.”

Paul’s story proves that you don’t have to start young to make something that resonates. Whether drawing from lived experience or channeling the spirit of early rock’n’roll, he shows that it’s never too late to step into the spotlight — and say something that matters.

You can listen to Paul’s winning song here: https://www.talentistimeless.com/may-25-coming-home-catalogue/?contest=video-detail&video_id=63459

And Connect with Paul on Talent Is Timeless here: https://www.talentistimeless.com/members/paul-fincken/