Locals' favorite Tom Goss will be joined by the talented Matt Alber on Wed, Feb 3 8:00pm at the Rainbow Cactus in Virginia Beach.
TOM GOSS BREATHES, SPEAKS AND ACHES LIKE NEVER BEFORE ON -- BACK TO LOVE
Washington DC Based Singer/Songwriter Builds on Success of 2008’s Rise
Washington DC—Every singer/songwriter uses life experiences to help
shape their own musical style and direction. For Washington DC based
Tom Goss, that method has been taken to another level on his latest
album, Back To Love (April 7, 2009). Produced by Mike Ofca, Back To
Love is a collection of edgy alt/pop songs that are literally about
love—not always romantic love, but the many faces of love. He has built
on the success of his first national tour with acclaimed
singer/songwriter Eric Himan in 2008, as well as the production and
release of his first video, which was featured nationally and
eventually rose to #2 on MTV LOGO’s The Click List.
“I wanted to create something that was instantly accessible,” says
Goss. “Something that would touch a wide audience, and something that
was fast and clean but also carried a concrete message.” And he teamed
up with Ofca, because, as he says, “I love what he can do. He took the
songs and added depth and edge -- layers of guitars, monster drums, and
a real respect for each individual song at its core.”
As for those songs, the months Goss spent on the road with Himan in
2008 fueled his songwriting into something more personal and profound,
influenced by some of his favorite artists, including Ben Folds, David
Gray, Dave Matthews, Sufjan Stevens, Paolo Nutini and The Beatles. In
addition, the songs are a way that Goss has opened up about his own
romantic love. As a gay man, he wanted to deliver a message about
societal and religious perceptions of what love means to a gay person,
as well as his family’s love and failed love, including the divorce of
his parents. Goss also learned a lot from his recently deceased
grandfather, whom he says loved his grandmother “more than I have ever
seen anyone love.” He adds that “Back To Love breathes speaks, and
aches like nothing I have ever done before.”
Goss, who grew up in Kenosha, Wisconsin, moved to DC in 2004 to enter
Catholic seminary in hopes of becoming a priest. After that didn’t go
as planned, Goss later found himself through his charity work and
through his partner, and began to make music a full-time ambition. His
debut, album, Naked Without, was released in 2006 and was followed by
Rise in January 2008.
Goss plans to hit the road in support of Back To Love, delivering the
message of his new album to a wide range of listeners. “I want people
to listen to Back To Love and leave with a sense of hope and love
greater than before,” says Goss. “I want to start conversations about
love and loss, anger and forgiveness, hope and fear, but most
importantly integration, of self and of each other. And at the same
time, I want to deliver the best batch of songs that I possibly could.”
MATT ALBER blends extraordinary, emotional nuance with impeccable vocal range and style.. Following a tenure with the San Francisco-based classical ensemble, Chanticleer, winning two Grammy® Awards, Matt turned his attention to contemporary projects. In 2004 Alber released a self-produced album of experimental songs called Nonchalant with co-producer/writer Jeff Crerie at Utmosis in San Francisco. The duo became fast friends capturing the sounds of neighboring wind-chimes and borrowing banjo players from the park to create their neo art-songs on Macintosh computers. Within months Alber was signed by Tommy Boy as the first artist to their new imprint, Silver Label, and immediately began work refining his independent release into the full-length, Hide Nothing. The album is resplendent with glitchy-orchestral romance (End of the World, Fieldtrip Buddy) and delves deep into the mystic (Rivers & Tides, Beotia) including an intimate re-telling of Imogen Heap's Hide & Seek. Alber'sunfailing voice threads these songs together with a constant airy nuance close to the ears (and heart.) Many fans have come to know Matt through the achingly romantic 1960’s themed video of “End of the World".
Check back here in February to see his live interview!
Comments