Amanda Thomas
Amanda Thomas brings her own style of indie pop rock to a broad audience. Honest lyrics with universal appeal, an artist with individuality and music that is accessible.
Biography
Amanda Thomas is a captivating singer/songwriter from Sydney with a natural voice, full of soul and lyrics that are both honest and universal in appeal. ‘Midnight Sun’, her debut album, was recorded and produced independently. She has been performing live around Sydney and is taking a grass roots approach to putting it out there.
Having explored many genres of music including pop, rock, blues, gospel, folk, RnB and country – Amanda’s eclectic taste has lead to her creating an original sound of her own. Some of her greatest influences include Sheryl Crow, Aimee Mann, Bonnie Raitt, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Powderfinger, James Taylor, Carol King and Stevie Wonder. Audiences have commented that her voice reminds them of artists like Sarah McLachlan, Colbie Caillat, Michelle Branch and Brooke Fraser.
In the last year or so Amanda has performed at many established venues including Lizottes in Dee Why, The Bridge Hotel in Rozelle, The Monkey Bar in Balmain, The Royal Cricketers Arms as a guest of Tamara Stewart, The Golden Sheaf in Double Bay as a guest of James Valentine, The Clovelly Hotel, Tokio Hotel in Darling Harbour, The Opera Bar at Sydney’s Opera House and most recently with her band on the main stage at The Granny Smith Festival in Eastwood.
Amanda produced her album alongside good friend and multi-instrumentalist David Longo, who is a highly regarded guitar session musician and producer. Her other band members have included some of Sydney’s finest musicians; James Haselwood, Greg Royal and Victor Rounds (bass), Nic Cecire, Hamish Stuart and Aiden Haworth (drums) and Gary Daley (keyboard).
Having spent the last couple of years honing her songs on the stage in Sydney she is ready to venture further afield to play in festivals and connect with a wider audience. That’s how she enjoys music and hopes she can do the same for others.
Album Info:
Produced by David Longo, basic tracks recorded at Paradise Studios and Engineered by Richard Belkner
Additional recording by David Longo at The Dock Studio
Mixed by Anton Hagop at Oragami Studios except tracks 4 & 11 mixed by David Longo
Mastered by Leon Zervos at Sterling Sound, New York
Executive Producer, Amanda Thomas
Musicians; David Longo - electric and acoustic guitars, bass on tracks 4, 9 & 11, keyboard arrangements and programming. Nic Cecire - drums. Gary Daley - Wurlitzer, Rhodes, organ and piano. Greg Royal - bass. Backing vocals - Eduardo Santoni, Maureen Longo and Amanda Thomas
For those wanting to know a bit more......
I started singing and dancing on stage when I was 9 with the Johnny Young Talent School in shopping centres and theatres - I loved it! My first solo song performed live was "My Guy" - I studied singing, jazz dance and acting
I spent my first 2 years of high school at Davidson High and studied dance, music and drama, I performed in musicals and eisteddfods
I spent my last 4 years of high school at Giraween High, which had no dance or music so when I left I decided to study something else "creative" - Interior Design - and did that part-time at night for 3 years at Enmore Tafe, while working full-time in the day as a receptionist at an Interior Design & Architectural Company
I decided to get some singing lessons 'for fun' with Amanda Peterson and I performed in a Willoughby Musical Society show. I did my first grade singing exam at the Conservatorium of Music and decided not to go back to Interior Design - music was my passion
I auditioned and got into the Bondi Youth Wave program which was a 3 month course in contemporary music (TAFE). It was a great start and it was pretty cool to have Peter Koppes from The Church as our home tutor - I started to learn guitar too
From that I entered one of my original songs into the FBI Radio competition "Outta The Bedroom", I won some studio time to record more songs, I had a bit of record company interest at this time, I had no idea what to do about it, but it was exciting and spurred me on
I started organising my own gigs at places like the North Point Tavern, The 3 Weeds, and The Bat & Ball Hotel and got a residency at The Menzies Hotel in Sydney for a year where I played a mix of originals and cover songs
I joined Jubilation, a jazz and gospel ensemble directed by Joy Yates and David Macrae. I performed with this group for about 7 years alongside some great singers including; Joy Yates, Jade MacRae, Carrie Lakin, Asli Ozdogan, Mark Palmer, Anthea White and so many more.... I had a LOT of fun and performed at some great jazz festivals including Bellengin and Manly. We also performed at many wonderful venues around town including Carols in the Domain and The Basement. I recorded 2 albums with them and was a soloist. I met some of my great musical friends via this ensemble, musicians and singers alike
I attended the College of Country Music in Tamworth (TAFE) to further explore songwriting and had a gre
Lyrics
Waiting For The Day
Written By: Amanda Thomas
Too long on the frontline
Can wear anybody down
I'm searching for the sunshine
And to plant my feet on solid ground
Too little resistance
Can break a heart and steal a mind
Well I'm going the distance
So I've got to leave my fears behind
Chorus:
Waiting For The Day to come
I've been waiting for the midnight sun
Waiting for the dawns first ray
Yeah I'm Waiting For The Day
Too much of a bad thing
Can leave you lost and broken
Well I'm hearing the bells ring
So it's time to speak the unspoken
Chorus:
Waiting For The Day to come
I've been waiting for the midnight sun
Waiting for the dawns first ray of light
Yeah I'm Waiting For The Day
I think it's gonna be a long night
Let Go
Written By: Amanda Thomas
Shifting sands beneath my feet
Waves are crashing down my street
And I think, it’s time to move on out
Looking ‘round for something steady
But it seems they’ve washed away already
Oh boy, time to clear up any doubt
Chorus:
I Let Go, I free fall
In this flow I feel ten feet tall
Open mind as my guide
I unwind, sit back and enjoy the ride
Now I know how to Let Go
Staring straight into the sun
Blinded by the things that I’ve done
And I know it’s time to make a change
Setting out across the sea
Taking all of this hope with me
And I see new land within my range
Chorus
Bridge:
There’s ten thousand feet between me and earth
There’s a million different choices but I know my worth
There’s so many people out there and it’s mind blowing, mind blowing
Chorus x 2
Never Look Back
Written By: Amanda Thomas
Verse 1
You led me up the garden path
And I’m so angry with myself
For being so naïve, for wanting to believe in you
You took my hand you took my trust
I feel so stupid ‘cause I know
I should have seen it coming I should have started running
A long time ago
Pre-Chorus
Now I can’t buy time, but I know now what’s mine, and
Chorus
I’ll Never Look Back over my shoulder and cry
I’ll Never Look Back won’t waste my breath with goodbye
I’ll Never Look Back now that I’m on the right track
Watch me fly, and Never Look Back
Verse 2
I found my way out of the woods
It felt so good to feel the sun
Shinning on my face, still it cannot erase what I lost
And I will hold my head up high
I won’t forget what I have learned
And though it’s a hard pill to swallow I’ll try not to wallow
Or feel like I’ve been burned
Pre-Chorus
Chorus
Solo
Pre-Chorus
Chorus
Something Better
Written By: Amanda Thomas
Verse 1
I think it’s time to life the weight of the world from these shoulders
You let it slide and now you find yourself trapped beneath these boulders
It’s been so long since you felt the warmth of the sun
Always giving out, giving away everything to everyone
Pre-Chorus 1
But you should save a little something for yourself
‘Cause if you don’t, you should know, no one else will
They’ll leave you standing still
Chorus
The sun is gonna shine
You’ll leave all this behind
One day you’ll wake to find
Something Better
And you’ll say it’s mine
Verse 2
All of these years waiting for your saviour to come
Looking back now you can see where the damage was done
Pre-Chorus 2
So now you know and you’ve finally made up your mind
You’ve come a long way and it’s so good to find you
You can leave this all behind
Chorus
Breakdown
Chorus
Outro (1st 4 bars of Verse 1)
The Hard Way
Written By: Amanda Thomas & David Longo
Verse 1
I’m working hard to resurrect something that is probably best left alone
I’m tossing and I’m turning, there’s a lesson here worth learning
I’m knocking but there’s nobody home
Verse 2
Everyday I change my mind should I stay or leave you behind, I don’t know
If I could find the easy way, it probably wouldn’t please me per se
So what does this show?
Chorus
All I’m trying to see
I do it the Hardway, baby
I know there’s a world there waiting to be discovered
It’s right in front of me
Verse 2
Don’t want to over-analyse or take you by surprise with what I have to say
But this situations getting old I’m feeling left out in the cold
This is not okay
Chorus
Bridge
Rest your head on my shoulder (like I do you)
Best I try to be bolder (I try to)
Test the water it’s colder, than ice
Chorus x 2
Outro (instrumental)
Solitary Journey
Written By: Amanda Thomas
Everything’s alright, everything’s okay
Keep your chin up your going the right way
One step at a time climb up the mountain
Solitary Journey’s never easy
Look at your life, look at your hands
Don’t you give up your dreams and your plans
One breath at a time swim across the ocean
Solitary Journey’s never ending
Even though your destination isn’t always clear
It’s always near
And you know that when you get there
All of the day’s spent and the nights you persisted
Will just disappear like they never existed
Everything’s alright, everything’s okay
Keep your chin up your going the right way
One day at a time fly into the future
Solitary Journey’s can be lonely
Even though your destination isn’t always clear
It’s always near
And you know that when you get there
All of the day’s spent and the nights you persisted
Will just disappear like they never existed
Everything’s alright, everything’s okay
Keep your chin up your going the right way
One step at a time climb up the mountain
Solitary Journey’s never easy
Nothing To Lose
Written By: Amanda Thomas
Verse 1
I let go a long time ago
Of the notion that I could make everything right
I soon discovered life is to short
To waste it away, beating my head against a wall
Only to fall
Chorus
Now there’s Nothing To Lose
And nothing to prove anymore
There’s no one to fight
I don’t always have to be right and I’m sure
There’s a whole world out there
Of people who care
So what are you waiting for, you can choose
You’ve got Nothing To Lose
Verse 2
I found out what it’s all about
And gave up spreading myself way too thin
I soon uncovered what lay beneath
The veil of illusion that I had no one to please
No it wasn’t easy
Chorus
Bridge
Chorus/ Outro
Just Be
Written By: Amanda Thomas
Verse 1
It took a while for your words to sink in
For this day to begin
Now my vision is clear
It took some time for me to find this place
For me to leave enough space
Now I’m standing here
(Pre-Chorus 1)
I can see the sun, shine on everyone
Chorus
And so it goes
That no one really knows the way
Until you look behind I hope it’s beauty that you find
And deep inside
Where love and hope and happiness reside you know
That no one’s gonna find us
When we leave the world behind us and Just Be
The winds of change are blowing my way
I think I’ll be okay
I’ll float along with this breeze
A road so long and a place to start
I’ll open up my heart
And I’ll let it unfreeze
(Pre-Chorus 2)
I can feel the rain, falling down again
Chorus
Bridge
Just Be, Just Be, Only you and me….
Chorus
Verse 1
Wishing You Were Here
Written By: Amanda Thomas
Verse 1
The sky so limitless so blue
The day so lonely without you
A million miles away
I think of you a thousand times a day
Wishing You Were Here
Verse 2
The arms missing you so much
The night so cold without your touch
A distance worlds apart
It’s weighing heavy on my heart
Wishing you were near
Pre-Chorus
So close we need each other
So close we need to discover
So close we need to uncover
My lover, I hold you dear
And I’m
Chorus
Wishing You Were Here
Wishing You Were Here
Wishing You Were Here
Verse 3
The warmth captured in your eyes
The words whispered “How time flies”
An endless space
Only your love can fill this place
Wishing You Were Here
Pre-Chorus
Chorus/Outro
This World
Written By: Amanda Thomas
Verse 1
This world is a crazy place, it can be hard to face
And it can be bliss
This world is amazing yet, we shouldn’t forget
It can be so much better than this
This life is a mystery, I know it’s up to me
To find the meaning within
This life is all I’ve got, so I’ll give it a shot
Now tell me where do I begin
Pre-Chorus 1
Where do I, oh where do I begin
Where do I, oh where do I begin
‘Cause I can’t wait to jump in
Chorus
This World is my world in this world I have arrived
This World is my world in this world I have survived
This World is my world and it’s good to be alive
Verse 2
This love is so beautiful and I can view it all
From up here on this cloud, oh yeah
This love is all I need, I never want to be freed
I only want to escape this crowd
Pre-Chorus 2
Want to escape I want to escape this crowd
Want to escape I want to escape this crowd
And I can shout it out loud
Bridge
This World is my world, This World is my world
This World is my world, This World is my world……
Chorus
Not Alone
Written By: Amanda Thomas
Verse 1
Well the Earth has been spinning
Since the beginning of time
All the planets aligned around the sun
Suspended here in space
A marvellous place so sublime
We all exist in this world and what an amazing one
Chorus
We’re all searching for the answers
We’re all intrinsically entwined
We’re all looking for meaning
And wondering why we were divined
There are a million explanations
Each one of us clinging to our own
But as we search the constellations
It’s good to know, we’re Not Alone
We’re Not Alone
Verse 2
There’s so much we have discovered
And uncovered and found
You could say that it’s a blessing or a curse
But if I’m sure of one thing
It’s something quite profound
I’m lucky to be able to ponder this universe
Chorus
Bridge
Heaven only knows the mysteries that will unfold
Right before our eyes our history is being told
There’s so much to learn before I grow old
And when we die, where do we go?
Does anybody know?
No need to cry, we’re all going home
No we’re Not Alone
Chorus
Discography
Midnight Sun - Debut Album
Set List
Waiting For The Day
Not Alone
Wishing You Were Here
Never Look Back
The Hard Way
I Let Go
Solitary Journey
Just Be
This World
Nothing To Lose
Something Better
