Tom Cooney - Can't Hold Him Down
Tom Cooney is a singer/songwriter from Brisbane who has just finished work on his debut album Hold Me Down.
While most artists would feel relieved to have completed their first album Tom still seems a little tense. “It feels great but not quite final,” says Cooney.“All the work is done but now my baby is going to have to meet the world of critical ears and voices. It will be a first for both of us.”
While Tom Cooney can be considered a solo performer, don’t expect to just hear a man and his guitar on the new album.“Only one of the 7 tracks is completely solo,” explains Cooney. “The rest have either harmonies, guitars, cello, double bass or interesting noises (like the last track).We [Jamie Trevaskis and Cooney] wanted to be sure all of the accompaniment was complimentary, so there aren’t layers and layers of sound, we didn’t feel it was necessary for the songs. The next album may beg for more accompaniments, we shall see.”
While Tom Cooney may be a well established name around Brisbane, the rest of Australia may still be wondering who exactly this man is. A bit more national exposure is something Tom hopes will come with the new album. “That’s exactly what I’m hoping - and hope is all I can do,” says Cooney. “I just hope for the best, keep trying and don’t expect too much, that way I get a chance of being pleasantly surprised.” Tom also hopes the album will help give him the chance to tour around the country. “It all depends on radio play as to how extensive I could tour,” says Cooney. “The plan to tour is definitely there though.”
With the current trend of acoustic performers such as Bob Evans and Josh Pyke receiving national airplay there is definitely a market out there for the new album. But what has caused this trend in acoustic singer/songwriters becoming more popular with Australian audiences? “It may be a question of quality or trends,” says Cooney. “Maybe people just like hearing lyrics and melodies and a few artists have jumped out from the vast sea of rock and hip hop and paved the way, you certainly don’t see them blazing the charts though.”
Tom cites the usual subjects when asked what inspires him to write music, “uncertainty, confusion, detachment, hope, happiness, romance, sadness, insecurity, realisation – sometimes all of them at once.” Also growing up in a household where “Dylan was king” it’s not surprising some of the artists he lists that have influenced him over the years. “When I was young there was Bach, Mozart, Marais, Dire Straights, the Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and some Randy Newman,” says Cooney.
What is more interesting is the answer he gives into how these artists played a role in his decision to become a musician. “Music for some people is for certain things like a signpost, or just for dancing, or for intellectual stimulation,” explains Cooney. “For me, it’s a bit of everything but mostly to attempt to express the inexplicable. That’s what appealed to me about those bands and composers and that’s what I try to do. Obviously, I’m bound to fall short but that always gives me somewhere to go.”
Tom Cooney’s debut album Hold Me Down is available independently through selected record stores and online through Foot Stomp Music
