Where is Wonderland?

“I had one of those dreams that felt so real; I could smell the night of the earth, the balsamic sweetness of old growth redwood trees all around me. 

I was looking overhead at this copper colored 1977 Dodge Aspen that my mom paid $800 for. My brother and me would drive that thing everywhere in the 1990’s. We’d drive it right into the mountains on these old, forgotten logger trails for hours, getting lost, way past midnight. Never felt scared or in danger, that car was a tank and protected us like a mama. We had an innate trust in the natural surroundings too, a belief that the Spirits of the Forest, the faeries and the entities in those places loved us. We were one of their kin and they looked out for us.

In the dream, I’m back in the Dodge Aspen. It’s night time, the moon is full, the stars are sparkling and there’s a warm breeze going through the trees. The car is lodged between two gigantic redwood trees, and it feels like the car’s been there for some time. All of a sudden I float out of the drivers side and my brother floats out of the passenger side. He’s a ghost. I look down at myself and I too, am a ghost. It feels amazing and we sort of do this ghostly, floating dance around the Aspen in our ghost bodies. Time doesn’t exist and the heartbeat of the earth feels familiar. The moon is smiling. The trees are smiling in their redwood way. The Dodge Aspen is happy with a mothers’ joy that we’ve returned, after all these many, many years. 

And then, I wake up.”

Paul quickly grabbed his notebook and pen (he’s never without them) and started to scribble the words, the poetry, the melody and lyrics that would become the song

“Home To Wonderland.” 

“Home To Wonderland” is a collection of five songs with all lyrics and music by Paul Ybarra (Paul Cher’s legal name) that delve into the mysteries of hope, loss, fetish and love ; there’s even a song written about Elizabeth Short, the real woman behind the myth of “The Black Dahlia.”

Paul Cher calls it “music for ghosts who like to dance.” With themes that cross light and shadow, disco and danger, this music, this album, is the true outlier in an ocean of carbon copy pop.

“I’ve learned to embrace that I don’t sound or look like anyone else,” Paul admits. After doing three full albums of other people’s work, Paul took the leap to start writing for himself. “I wanted to be Donna Summer, but I’m more Bobbie Gentry,”Paul says. “So my music is like dance songs for haunted hearts.”

The songs are deeply personal and connect like a story; a story you can move to. The tracks were recorded in November 2025 right up to May 2026. With the incredible John Ballinger not only producing, arranging, and playing every instrument you hear, he also helped create the music that makes “Home To Wonderland” so unique and special. “John has the heart of a poet and actor who just happens to be this incredibly talented multi-instrumentalist,” Paul says. “I could speak in the most obscure metaphors, trying to convey the feeling, the color of a particular lyric or melody, and he’ll make sense, making math into medicine, bringing to life the energy and fire of these ideas. He is truly an alchemist.”

The song titles are hypnotic and mysterious; Paul Cher calls it “a seance in song.” 

The lead single “Black Dahlia” debuts 07/14/2026. It was the last song written for the EP and came to Paul just like the others; in a dream. 

“I’d just finished reading Eli Frankel’s outstanding book “Sisters In Death: The Black Dahlia, The Prairie Heiress, and Their Hunter” and it really revealed the real woman behind the myth of “The Black Dahlia.” She was none of those things the press dreamed up or so many books and so called “experts” have lead the public to believe; she wasn’t this femme fatale. She was just a 22 year old young woman, full of life, innocence and a naivety that some predator took horrible advantage of. It was the first book that talked about Beth Short the woman, the person, the daughter and friend. I loved that. I ached for her. I wanted to be her friend. The thing that got me from Eli’s book was that when her luggage was retrieved and looked at, all the clothes were pastels, pinks, soft lavenders. She wasn’t this “Black Dahlia” who dressed in tight, black, clothes and behaved like a film noir Lady Dracula. She was this simple, optimistic, young woman daring to have an adventure, and unfortunately, trusted the wrong man.

So that’s where my song “Black Dahlia” came from. The chorus is about those pastel colors of her clothing that belonged to her that went against the legend, this sick myth, of “The Black Dahlia.”

A requiem for ghosts, indeed. 

Paul is also known in the fetish community; none other than Dan Savage himself has given praise and shout-outs to Paul; he was even invited to write a piece for Dan’s newsletter about Paul’s own fetish: straitjackets! 

In 2022, Paul created a straitjacket fetish-themed tarot deck, hand painting a full 78 card deck of every archetype of the major and minor arcana, wearing a straitjacket and red speedo. The deck is alive and well and available through his website and has a strong cult following. 

And with all of this, why does Paul Ybarra call himself “Paul Cher?"

“I found out in 2024 that the man whom I was named after wasn’t my biological father. It was my mom’s boss!” Paul laughs. “ There was a ton of pressure growing up as a gay kid in this very conservative, Mexican family. I was never accepted on any level from that family and struggled for decades. Learning that I’m actually Irish, French Canadian and Creole, was like winning the lottery! I never could live up to the expectation of “Paul Ybarra” and my bio-dad’s last name started with “CHAR” and ended with an “E.” I switched the A with the E and became “Paul Cher.” I finally belong to myself and no one else.”

“Home To Wonderland’” is officially released on July 29th, 2026. 

“July 29th is Elizabeth Short’s birthday. I dedicated the music to the memory of her. It’s a birthday gift. I wish I could’ve been her friend and maybe, from wherever she’s at, she’s pleased.”

“Home To Wonderland” is available as a limited edition Compact Disc, digital download and available on all streaming services 07/29/2026.