About

Front & Main was born from a creative partnership between vocalist Paul Shotwell and multi-instrumentalist Michael Wu, two veterans of the Central New York music scene with deep roots across the Ithaca, Binghamton, and Syracuse regions. Formed in the fall of 2022, the band wasted little time making an impression and quickly earned a reputation as one of the most exciting original acts in the 607. True to the Binghamton tradition of putting original twists on established genres, Front & Main put the rock in soul rock: bluesy rock and roll purity and R&B flow that get your hips moving.

Paul Shotwell is the kind of frontman you don't forget. He is a seasoned solo performer, sound engineer, and stage technician throughout the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes, and his powerful, smoky, instantly recognizable voice anchors everything the band does. Michael Wu is one of the region's most versatile musicians, a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter whose resume spans jazz, metal, hip-hop, and beyond, with credits including Gunpoets, Maddy Walsh & the Blind Spots, and Diwas Gurung. Together they lead what amounts to an upstate New York supergroup, with a live lineup of seasoned regional players: Mary Tewksbury, Brian Tyneway, Samuel B. Lupowitz, Al Miele, and Jacob Kurtz.

The band's debut LP, Look Both Ways (2023), drew strong regional press, including coverage from Parlor City Sound, Steele Notes Magazine, and Pitch Perfect, plus a feature on WBDY's B-Original show. Their festival credits include the Ithaca Festival, Ithaca Apple Festival, Taste of the Catskills, and Another World Music Festival. In 2026 Front & Main opened a new chapter with the release of "True Surrender" and "Bite The Hand," two singles recorded at Ithaca's Pyramid Sound with renowned engineer Alex Perialas. With new music out and a growing following across the Southern Tier, Finger Lakes, and beyond, the band is carrying serious momentum into what comes next.