Tag Archives: ambient

Rachel LaFond – New Album – Encounters of the Beautiful Kind

Come along on a powerful musical journey inspired by Rachel LaFond’s experience, of being a stranger in a new country. New Zealand to be precise where she now calls home.

This beautiful solo Piano Album was recorded in high resolution audio at her home and mastered by the golden ears of Mike Bloemendahl.

The music explores universal human experiences: feelings of loneliness, worries about not being good enough, and the evolution we undergo as existing friendships change or fade while new connections spring to life.

This journey culminates in the realisation that as we bear each other up and connect with one another, we make the world a more beautiful place for all of us.

About Rachel LaFond:

Rachel LaFond is an American composer and pianist now residing in New Zealand who has been steeped in musicality her entire life. Her appreciation of the piano began when she was a toddler as her mother (a piano teacher) played with a young Rachel on her lap. She began formal lessons at age five, and by the time Rachel was eleven, she began teaching lessons herself. She lived in Vienna and studied piano performance there as a teenager, then returned home to major in piano at the University of Washington. After university, she continued to teach and perform professionally, but for years Rachel didn’t realise she had a talent for writing music hidden inside herself until David.

David she had met just weeks ago. Rachel couldn’t stop thinking about him on one rainy autumn afternoon, everything changed. Gazing out the window of her teaching studio, Distraction transformed into inspiration, and by the end of that evening she had finished her first original piece, Loving in the Rain. This first piece stood alone for a while as Rachel got swept up in life’s adventures: Rachel and David got married, quit their jobs, and embarked on a year of long-term travel around the world.

Rachel’s music is inspired by, and engages with, the full depth of human experience. Whether she’s capturing the heady wooziness of falling in love or responding to the chest-cracking pain of Barcelonans who suffered in the terror attack of summer 2017, her pieces are unflinching and compel the listener to lean into the feeling of the song for just a moment more. Rachel’s drive to bring beauty, light, and kindness to dark places through her music lends a striking sense of purpose to her creative work. And she’s just getting started.

All recorded in Auckland, New Zealand in Rachel’s home.

Mastering by Mike Bloemendahl

Connect with Rachel LaFond

News and Touring

Loren Evarts- Newest album Home Again

May 15, 2018 Marshall Cullen

Loren Evarts newest album Home Again

Home Again is the 6th original album, of this amazing contemporary pianist. It revisits several pieces previously recorded by Loren in the 1980’s, and eight new ones. It was produced by Grammy award winner Will Ackerman (Windham Hill Records) at his Imaginary Road studio in West River valley, Windham County, Vermont and was engineered by Tom Eaton.

Featuring Grammy-winning artists and Grammy-nominated Artists Eugene Friesen on cello (Paul Winter, Trio Globo), Rhonda Larson on many types of flutes (Paul Winter, Ventus) and Jeff Haynes on percussion (Pat Metheny, Pete Seeger), bassist Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel and King Crimson).

Besides Piano, Loren Evarts has been known to perform by singing, trombone, hammered dulcimer and organ.

Loren has performed professionally in the Connecticut area of USA in a variety of musical situations for over 40 years. He has been grateful to have been involved in performances with artists such as Dave Weckl (Chick Corea), Gerry Neiwood (Chuck Mangione), Everett Silver (Chuck Mangione), Mike Davis (Rolling Stones), Danny Stiles (Bill Watrous), Fred Vigdor (Average White Band), Rhonda Larson (Paul Winter Consort).

About Loren Evarts:

I was in first grade when I heard a fellow classmate play the piano, and I said, “Hey, I want to do that, too.” Of course, I had no idea that you had to practice, which made me think twice about my choice. But due to frequent beatings from my mom, I persisted, Partially kidding!

I started playing classical piano at age 7, but like a lot of kids, I started listening to pop radio in middle school. Fortunately, I was allowed to stick in a few popular tunes in my lessons along with the serious music. In high school I started to get influenced by jazz. My biggest influences were bands like Chicago and Tower of Power, Elton John, James Taylor, Carole King, Jazz singer Al Jarreau, and jazz pianists like Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and Liz Story.

What can a crowd expect at a live show?

My music is probably best described as a mix of new age, jazz, classical and world. It’s piano-based but sometimes I will add a percussionist, bassist or woodwind player for concerts.

What are your future plans for 2018/2019?

Well, I am an American so, like many of my fellow citizens, I am looking to survive until 2020(enough on politics). But otherwise, At my stage of the game, I just want to put out a good product, and I hope to write some new material now that my newest album has been released. And that means I have to sit down at the piano and start! I am always gratified when people enjoy my music. I no longer crave being a big star. It’s nice being in this place.

Spotify Link:

Facebook Link:

Website Link:

News and Touring

Let There Be Light Tom Moore & Sherry Finzer New Album

April 16, 2018 Marshall Cullen

Let There Be Light is the New follow-up album

of multi-instrumentalist Tom Moore and

award-winning flutist Sherry Finzer

Heart Dance Recordings is proud to announce the new release of multi-instrumentalist Tom Moore and award-winning New Age flutist Sherry Finzer -

Let There Be Light

New age, ambient, meditational music

Let There Be Light is the follow up to the duo’s highly successful release of Whispers from Silence, which received worldwide airplay on FM, Internet Radio, SXM Spa Channel, and numerous airline placements.

This album’s music is an expression of a journey. It is about movement not only in our outer life, but equally on the inner plane. Light is the most omnipresent element in nature. The universe is made up of light, which then becomes vibrations and sound. The purpose of this album is to help bring “light” to the listener in as many forms as possible.

Link to purchase the Album:

Itunes:

Spotify Link

Album Review:

Mainly Piano

Review by Kathy Parsons

Let There Be Light is a very positive and uplifting listening experience that is sure to ease away the stresses of daily life. It is available from Amazon and iTunes. Highly recommended!

New Age CD

Review by Dyan Garris

From the very first notes, the music effortlessly leads us into a place that transcends space and time, effectively reaching its goal of translating the frequency of light into sound. The album is broad in its appeal, multi-dimensional in its scope, and through each song we find ourselves inside ourselves, and yet at the very same time beyond

Facebook Links

Sherry Finzer Tom Moore

News and Touring

Flow with their self titled Debut Album

Link March 14, 2018 Marshall Cullen

FLOW: A DYNAMIC NEW AGE IN MUSIC

Will Ackerman, Fiona Joy Hawkins, Lawrence Blatt and Jeff Oster Take a Open Approach to Musical Discovery, Embracing Friendship While Building Organic Songs for their eponymous new release–FLOW.

Forty years after Windham Hill became a catalyst for the global musical phenomenon, its bountiful legacy of best-selling solo works (George Winston, Liz Story, Alex DeGrassi, Michael Hedges) and Grammy-winning ensembles (Shadowfax)–extends into a truly new age with FLOW–a new four-piece ensemble comprised of Ackerman and three of today’s most acclaimed independent artists, Australian pianist Fiona Joy Hawkins, acoustic guitarist Lawrence Blatt and flugelhorn master Jeff Oster. All in, FLOW members have accumulated literally dozens of accolades, from GRAMMY® Awards, ZMRs, IMAs, IAMAs and a catalog of #1 albums in the genre.

FLOW, on Blatt’s LMB Music label, came together to record deep in the West River Valley in Southern Vermont, at Imaginary Road Studios, the longtime creative home base of legendary Grammy-winning acoustic guitarist Will Ackerman, the original founder of Windham Hill; the 282-acre property in Windham County has become a hotbed of acoustic excellence over the past 25 years.

Ackerman shared his thoughts on the process of recording with FLOW, saying – “There was a moment in the process of making FLOW with Fiona, Lawrence and Jeff when I felt a hint of panic that my pieces were being altered and transformed into something very different from what I would have done with them on a Will Ackerman record. It was in the moment just after this thought that I realized that FLOW was actually working… that I was experiencing real synergy. The group had become a creative entity unto itself and four dear friends had gathered to create something beyond anything they could have created on their own.Experiments don’t always work. This one worked!?”

As officially announced, the concept of FLOW had its origins in 2015, when Blatt invited Fiona and Oster to join him at Imaginary Road to create an album inspired by the iconic Windham Hill sound and ensembles. Ackerman had already produced several of Fiona Joy Hawkin’s and Oster’s albums plus Blatt’s recordings The Color of Sunshine, Emergence, and Latitudes and Longitudes featuring Oster on horn; Blatt and Fiona met while recording a special project on Blue Coast Music.

Oster remembers that each of them brought two or three songs to the project to which they added their parts under the guidance of Ackerman’s longtime production partner at Imaginary Road, Tom Eaton. The group likens Eaton’s multi-faceted role in the success of the project as that of The Fifth Beatle.

Reflecting on FLOW’s debut project, Oster says, “If you look back into any time of human existence, this need for peaceful breathing and listening has always and will always be deeply important. It’s not only New Age music, it is EVERY AGE music!”

FLOW made their official debut with an album release celebration at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall on October 6, 2017. The group is booking concert dates this Spring, including a featured performance at the Zone Music Awards on Saturday May 12th at Roussell Hall in New Orleans; they are nominated for both Album of the Year and Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.

AXS Review

“By Sari Cohen”

“These are four musicians who are all self-sufficient in their talents. They’re brilliant at making albums that are unique and musically successful as soloists. The lovely surprise is that they, we, all managed with grace and ease to come together and create something new and different from anything any of us had ever done before,” Grammy-winner Will Ackerman explains.

World Music Central Review

“By Angel Romero”

Flow is a supergroup of musicians who have been involved with New Age music for many years. The term New Age is used to describe a wide range of genres, from easy listening acoustic music to electronic meditation music. In this case, Flow performs peaceful and ethereal instrumental music with smooth jazz, folk, gliding ambient sounds and classical music elements.

Website Link

https://www.flowthegroup.com/

Link to USA Tour Dates and Tickets

FLOW hope to tour Australia at select locations in 2019

News and Touring

Carol Albert – New Album and a chat

November 6, 2017 Marshall Cullen

Carol Albert releases her new album ‘ Fly Away Butterfly, a Jazzy, Soulful offering with some modern twists and talks to us about her early influences-

Tell us about the moment you decided to become a Songwriter and Performer?

It was never a conscious decision . I grew up with music in my church playing the Organ for Worship Services and Singing with the Oldschool southern “Singing Schools” of the South where we learned Solfege (shape-Do-Re-Mi ) notes which we sang to the music instead of lyrics to Gospel Songs. I took piano lessons as well while I was growing up. I didn’t decide to major in music/piano until my Sophomore year of College. It was after I graduated from College that I decided to play Pop Music in Clubs, Bars and Private Events as well as teaching private Piano Lessons.

How did my family feel about it?

My Dad publicly announced at a family gathering that he would give me 10 cents when I graduated from College because that is all my Degree would be worth. He always thought I should just be a school-teacher.

Tell us a little about your music and what a crowd can expect at a live show?

My music is a combination of Smooth Jazz, Ambient World and New Age Music. I intersperse Instrumental Piano and Vocals with other instruments like Saxophone, Guitar, Bass , Drums . With some really upbeat tunes mixed with more introspective Ballads that are Piano driven.

What is the first record you bought and why?

I bought the Album “Close To The Edge” by Yes because it was my 1st Concert to ever attend. I was blown away and listened to the record until the Grooves were worn down. Then Emerson, Lake and Palmer, The Moody Blues and Pink Floyd. The keyboards were so over my head I just listened over and over trying to figure it all out.

You are on stage with Hans Zimmer. What do you say?

i would be awkward and speechless but, having seen him this summer in Atlanta, I think he would be very earthy and friendly. I wouldn’t know what to say except “ I’m in awe of your work! “

What is the one thing you want/need that you think will make you a successful artist? Why?

What is success? is it making enough money to retire and travel around the World or is it having the ability to create music that is so intrinsically satisfying that it doesn’t matter if you ever do anything else? Success for me is reaching as many ears as possible and have people contact me saying “Your music is beautiful . it really touched my soul. We want to hear more.” Of course , making it monetarily feasible is always a challenge and some people equate success with how much money you make/made. Recognition is always a nice validation that your work is successful with monetary rewards.

Click images below for more info

Stream or Buy

News and Touring

Andy Iorio -USA Classical Crossover Pianist and Composer talks about his early influences and new album II

October 7, 2017 Marshall Cullen

Hi Andy Iorio,
Tell us about the moment you decided to become a composer. What did your family have to say about it?

When I was very young, the moment that I really connected with music was when I saw the film “The Neverending Story”. I fell in love with the movie instantly and more importantly I was drawn into the music that went with the moving images. Shortly after seeing that movie, my parents bought me a keyboard – my state of the art Casio SK-1, (equivelent to a Fisher-Price “plunk and plop”) and I started creating my own little pieces and experimenting with sounds. I would set up my keyboard in front of my tv and mute the sound and create my own music for what I was watching. It was in that moment that I knew I wanted to be a composer and score a film of my own one day.

Who are your early influences?

There are so many artists that have inspired me throughout my life! I was around 10 years old when I found my parents vinyl collection and started listening to the records I thought had the most interresting artwork on their album covers. Early influences included Pink Floyd, Billy Joel, Elton John and George Winston. As I got older, Ludovico Einaudi, Max Richter, Philip Glass, Yann Tiersen, Abel Korzeniowski and Hans Zimmer were at the forefront of my most inspirational composers. Simple tonality, beautiful melodies and soaring strings made for some of my strongest musical influences.

What current Australian acts inspire you and why? What international acts?

I really like Sia; I think she has a great voice. I have been a fan ever since I heard her track “Breathe Me” in the final scene of the HBO show “Six Feet Under.” I have always been drawn to instrumental music most. So when I think of international artists, Ludovico Einaudi and Max Richter are the first two that come to mind. Both have unique musical signatures unlike any others.

What is the first record you bought and why?

The first album I bought was Counting Crows “August and Everything After”. I loved Adam Duritz’s lyrics and the organic sound of the band. The instrumention was so unique for the early 90’s. The phrasing of Adam’s voice was also very different from anything else I had heard up to that point. I still listen to that album in it’s entirety today.

Favourite artists of all time?

Billy Joel, Pink Floyd, Dream Theater, Ludovcio Einaudi, Max Richter, Philip Glass, Yann Tiersen, George Winston, Abel Korzeniowski and Hans Zimmer.

Fave food or drink and is there a story associated with that?

I would have to say my favorite drink is tea. Hot or cold, it is the best to calm and relax me. I can’t pick a favorite one, but there is nothing I enjoy drinking more. I actually have a 5′ long tea station at home with over a dozen international artisan teas, tea sets and tea accessories displayed on it.

Tell us a little about the new record and what a crowd can expect at a live show?

My music is mainly piano driven, with a cinematic and lush vibrant string section. It carries simple tonality with controlled harmony. Recently, I have been playing all of my concerts as solo piano performances. I feel it is more intimate this way and the audience can really connect with the music the way I composed each piece – always on the piano first, then with orchestrations built around the piano. Over the next year, I want to add a string quartet to bring the pieces to the live audiences the way they hear them on the album. My performances will then be a mix of piano and strings along with the intimate setting of solo piano.

Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/album/6ECPEnAYFEFb4KuGjFsYSE
Official
http://andyiorio.com/

News and Touring

Joseph L Young – A chat about his early influences and new album Ethereum

October 7, 2017 Marshall Cullen

Tell us about the moment you decided to become a Composer What did your family have to say about it?

Music has been my passion my whole life, it’s always been who I am. I began playing saxophone in 6^th grade, played my first sax solo in 8^th grade jazz band, and also started composing my own music about that same time. My desire to continue performing and writing grew naturally from there. I also developed an early love of the Native American flute, and composed my first flute song “Shaman’s Dream” before owning a flute. I received a flute as a gift in my mid-20’s, and eventually recorded that song with it, which later ended up on my first album “Pathways.” I’m very grateful that my family has always been extremely supportive of my music interests, and encouraged me to follow my own path. They continue to hold an important place in my life today, and have been vital to my musical success.

2. What inspired you to become an artist and who are your early influences?

My earliest inspirational memory was of Chip Davis’ Mannheim Steamroller. I distinctly remember thinking “I want to write music like that!” I admired the way he combined technology and synthesizers with traditional symphonic instrumentation. Soon after, I discovered Kitaro, who used the same magical combination but with a uniquely beautiful result. Compositions by John Williams, Michael Kamen and Harold Faltermeyer always held my attention, too; I love cinematic music. Other early influences included The Cars because of their complex musical layers, the dreamlike sound of Loreena McKennitt, the synth sounds of Tangerine Dream, and of course David Sanborn and his saxophone, which I listened to obsessively for years. I also listened to a lot of contemporary jazz, 50’s rock, and even classical.

3. What is the first record you bought and why?

The first record I bought was a 45 and I was 9 years old. I bought the J. Geils Band’s “Freeze Frame” because of that catchy keyboard line and of course the horn section. That was back when a lot of popular music had horn sections. I still have that record somewhere. I loved that record store. I could have spent hours in there.

4. Fave film? Fave Book? Fave place?

Favorite film: I’m a movie nut and my tastes vary widely, so I have a lot of favorite films, many of them in the sci-fi and fantasy genres, such as the “Lord of the Rings” series, “The Fifth Element,” “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “The Princess Bride”.

Favorite book: “Dancing Wu Li Masters: An Overview of the New Physics” by Gary Zukav, which was my introduction to quantum physics. I’m fascinated by physics, the Universe and nature, and a lot of my music reflects these ideas.

Favorite place: I love water, so anywhere with a waterfall, a lake, the ocean.

5. Tell us a little about your writing process for ETHEREUM,?

My writing process is rather organic and flexible. Sometimes I’ll start with a melody that keeps running through my mind and keeps me awake at night. Sometimes I’ll lay down a bass line or percussion track and build the song around that. And other times it’s a chord progression and the mood or feeling that surrounds it. I love to experiment with sounds and instrumentation that aren’t typically played together, to release myself from what’s expected. I also give myself permission to start over if something isn’t working for me. Most of my music is inspired by nature, emotions, and experiences; it’s how I best express myself — through music.

6. What are your future plans for 2017/2018?

I’m currently working on a new album which will be primarily new age saxophone, due for release in early 2018. I’m very excited about that, it’s something I’ve had on my mind for years. I’ll be teaching again at several flute schools in 2018. And of course I’ll continue performing all of my world flute music, as well as my new sax music next year, in addition to playing with other bands – always more performing!

More At

Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/artist/16zSmewOTIVw3Ghnn47i07#

Website
http://www.josephlyoung.com

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/JosephLeeYoung

Videos

Fiona Joy – Through Cloud Solo Piano Contemporary Instrumental

Video May 31, 2017 Marshall Cullen

News and Touring

Fiona Joy Releases Audiophile Album Into The Mist

May 31, 2017 Marshall Cullen

Australia’s very own Contemporary Instrumental success story Fiona Joy will release her new Audiophile Album ‘Into The Mist’ as part of both the LA Audiophile Show (including The Sony-sponsored Hi-Resolution Magic Bus) next month and The Australian HiFi Show where she will perform live at The Intercontinental Sydney in late July.

Into the mist epitomizes the art of contemporary solo piano recording in today’s market.
This is Fiona’s second album to be released on Blue Coast Records where once again she teams up with Cookie Marenko, Producer and Engineer, who is well known for her contributions to the world of Audiophile recordings ever since her early years at Windham Hill under the watchful eye of Will Ackerman.

Fiona brings calm, sensual and delightful sensations to her unique compositions on “Into The Mist’ .Performing on an 1885 Steinway Grand Fiona’s talent is evident in her control of the instrument.
Her previous solo piano album Signature –Solo received critical acclaim by topping ZMR’s radio chart in 2016 and winning the Award the ‘Best Piano Album’ in the same year.

Into The Mist was recorded in the Highest Fidelity Possible, a new format DSD (Direct Stream Digital). Her choice to make the album in this format and utilize new recording technologies makes her both a pioneer and role model for other musicians to follow.

Producer Cookie Marenko said
“Not all artists are as easy as Fiona to work with. One of the reasons I enjoy her so much is because she let’s me do my job…. produce a great record filled with passion and emotion.”
Fiona Joy said
“It was truly an amazing experience working with Cookie again and her label Blue Coast Records (content Partners with Sony for Hi-Res) plans to officially launch Into the Mist with a customized event for our friends and supporters. We will have exclusive access to Sony-sponsored Hi-Resolution Magic Bus - built by Jon Whitledge, its known as the world’s best car stereo. I can’t wait….”

Into the Mist: Release details:
Official Worldwide Release Date June 2nd(Blue Coast/Sony SACD)
LA Audiophile Show – Sheraton Gateway Hotel LA Airport
3rd June 3-5pm (Show runs 2nd – 4th June).
The Magic Bus will be location at the front of the Hotel.

Australian HiFI Show
Featuring Live Piano Performances by Fiona Joy
Intercontinental Sydney July 28-30

LISTEN HERE
Interview Recorded in the Magic Bus

Click the images below to Checkout two of the tunes/videos from the album

The feel of Into the Mist brings back to my mind…immediately…the wonderful years of Windham Hill, when I could buy an LP (or later, a CD) with complete confidence that I was going to love it. Fiona’s piano, recorded to Quad DSD, is simply there, and Cookie’s mastery in the audio arts is no less than Fiona’s on piano. Together they give us a quiet tour of creative force, without sonic compromise.
Dr David Robinson- Editor in Chief Positive Feedback Mag

Social media links
https://twitter.com/fionajoymusic
https://www.instagram.com/fionajoymusic/
https://www.facebook.com/fionajoymusic/

-Official site
http://fionajoy.com

YouTube channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/fionajoy

News and Touring

Tom Eaton New Album Indesterren Q&A

March 28, 2017 Marshall Cullen

Read Tom Eaton’s new Q&A talking about his albums Abendromen and most recent one indesterren!

What inspired you to become a composer and who are your early influences?

I started playing piano in high school around 1987 and got into synthesizers at the same time. Mostly I was listening to the pop music of the time, Peter Gabriel, Eurythmics, Thomas Dolby, but also Tangerine Dream, Vangelis and Jean Michel Jarre. Through a friend I was led to Windham Hill…Will Ackerman, Michael Hedges and George Winston, and those more acoustic albums balanced the music coming from the Private Music label that was releasing amazing electronic work. So my piano playing was being influenced by the sequences of electronic music and people like Winston, and my electronic work was being influenced by the ambiance and sparseness of the Windham Hill records, which was similar in use of space to what Patrick O’ Hearn was doing at the time. Probably the deepest and most lasting influences were Tangerine Dream and Tim Story.

Tell us a little about how you write, how do the songs come? What gets you going creatively?

Both of my albums that were released in 2017 came from a huge emotional upheaval and life change I was going through. “Abendromen” was a way to process the deep sadness and loss I was feeling, and “Indesterren” was more about me finding my footing in a new chapter of my life. My music frequently starts at the piano, even if the piano doesn’t play a huge part in the finished material. For much of what I doing these days, the first thing I do is create an ambient electric guitar loop as a textural landscape for the piece and then work the melody over that shifting drone. Once I have the bones of melody, usually drawn from one of the piano improvs I’ve got stashed away on video, I start weaving electric guitars, bass, percussion and synthesizers in and around the melody until things seem to find a sense of cohesion.

Your bio mentions that you’ve been a recording engineer since 1993. Tell us more about that?

I opened my first commercial studio in 1993, catering mostly to the folk and singer-songwriter scene around Boston/Cambridge, MA. For seventeen years I produced albums in that genre before a chance opportunity led me to Will Ackerman’s Imaginary Road studio in Vermont when Will was in search of an engineer. We hit it off and in the last six years, we’ve produced more than fifty albums together for clients from all over the world. We record at Will’s studio in the mountains of Vermont and then I mix and master at my own studio where I am usually working on some of my own music in addition to the Imaginary Road albums.

What is the first record you bought and why?

I was dj-ing friends parties starting in sixth grade, with my own 45 collections, so it must have been some pop hits of the time. Prince, or Men Without Hats or Hall and Oates, maybe. I definitely remember the first three CDs I bought: Tangerine Dream-Tyger, U2-The Joshua Tree, The Police- Every Breath You Take, The Singles.

What current Australian(or Local) acts inspire you? Ditto for international acts?

I’ve done a bunch of work now with Fiona Joy, both on her Signature Synchronicity album and in her capacity as a member of the FLOW group with Will Ackerman, Jeff Oster and Lawrence Blatt. Working with Fiona is a blast…she is fearless and completely committed in the studio. I adore Damon Albarn’s recent work…his “Everyday Robots” album is brilliant. There’s a rock band from the states called House of Heroes that is amazing, their newest album “Colors” is getting a lot of play here these days!

Tell us a little about your music and what a crowd can expect at a live show?

My music sits somewhere between “pretty” new age, full on electronic music and ambient music…with some electric guitars thrown in for good measure. I wander in and out of using rhythm parts…some songs are percussion driven and others float on those beds of swirling electric guitar. When I’ve played live in the past few years it has been solo piano… the albums are too textural for me to pull them off in concert by myself, so sitting at the piano seems like a direct and familiar way to introduce at least part of my voice to an audience.

Favourite artists of all time?

David Sylvian, The Blue Nile, Tim Story, Tangerine Dream, Cocteau Twins, Kate Bush, Kate Rusby and Will Ackerman!

Where do you see artist careers heading?

Well, it’s hard to see the financial return side of the business improving anytime soon, but for those that want to be out on the road playing there is still a living to be made. It’s a different music industry model now that the internet allows music to be moved nearly instantly all over the world. I still love making albums that are collections of songs circling around a central theme or feeling, but the world seems to have returned to a more singles-based model, though of course vinyl is coming back to some degree, so there are music listeners who do want to immerse themselves in a longer experience, which is a good thing. I hope that somehow the streaming world comes around to a more artist friendly system, where fans can listen without spending too much money and musicians can get more than fractions of pennies per spin.

What are your future plans for 2017/2018?

I have three albums of my own in the works right now, and the constant cycle of albums that Will and I are working on. So my plans are to sit right here in front of my mixing console and make some music!

Want to listen to Tom’s latest album? Find it here:

Spotify

iTunes

Interested in what else Tom Eaton is up to? Check out his socials!

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