Ethan Tucker

When Ethan Tucker sings, people listen. On Monday morning, he played a song outside Java in Twin Falls, his bare feet tapping as he strummed his acoustic guitar. His soulful, gravely voice turned the heads of those walking by. One barista cheered as she took out garbage.

What sets him apart from other Twin Falls musicians? His adaptable style is at home at bars, coffeehouses, festivals. And at 20-something, his resume already includes a tour with Cas Haley of “America’s Got Talent” and plentiful radio play in southern Idaho.

Now his fans can rally around him at his Twin Falls CD release party Saturday. The new album “Lost Between”features music he has written over the past few years. It’s been a long time coming.

This is Tucker’s second solo album — the first, “Take Me To The Mountains,” was released in 2007. The release date for “Lost Between”has been pushed back about eight times,Tucker said, because of scheduling conflicts between him and the person who helped him record it. Tucker was anxious to get the album out, but the delays gave him more time to put together all the pieces of his CD, he said. Everything from the cover art to the song order has thought behind it.

“Lost Between” has the same acoustic reggae feel as “Take Me To the Mountains,” but the lyrics and vocals are more mature. Tucker’s fans agree, he said. One of his friends specifically commented on how Tucker has grown in the three years since “Take Me To the Mountains” came out.

“He said, ‘You know, this is a little more grown-up than your last album,’” Tucker said.

In his music, he pours out his heart. “Lost Between” is largely autobiographical, with several tracks about someone who played a big role in his life for a few years, he said. (Tucker plays coy with details about his personal life, like who that influential person was. Now that his fan base is growing, he maintains two separate Facebook pages — one public and one for friends — to keep curious eyes away from family photos.) Other inspirations include the news and current events, like in his song “Paradise.”

“And I seen the pope up in New York riding around in a million-dollar bullet-proof limosine,’ he sings. ‘At the same time there’s children starving on the steps of a cathedral down in Mexico City.’

The album came out earlier this month and is already getting great reviews. Tucker didn’t know exactly how many MP3s he has sold between the multiple sites they’re listed on, but said he has received notes from listeners across the country who have downloaded his music. “Angel By the Lake” is getting regular play on KSKY.

Tucker declined to give his booking fee, saying only that it starts at $100 and varies depending on whether the show is public or private and how long he’ll play for. Besides a few odd jobs, he is doing music full time, living off music sales and gigs.

“I’m hustling 10 times harder,” Tucker said. “I have to pay my bills, man.” It’s not easy, but it forces him to focus on his music. He stays busy enough that he doesn’t have a girlfriend — something that catches him grief from his bandmates.

“Dude, I don’t have time for that,”he said.

His dedication is paying off. On top of his local shows — some solo and some with his band, Ethan Tucker & The Grassroots All-Stars — he is touring in Washington and Montana in January. The tour includes a stop at Seattle’s Hard Rock Cafe on Jan. 7.

Lebron Burton of Twin Falls recently heard Tucker play his song “Stop and Run”at Hands On. Since then, he has looked forward to hearing Tucker’s new CD.

“I think he’s a one-of-a-kind artist and definitely unique to the area for sure,”Burton said.

Pierre Tusow of TwinFalls band Alpenflow heard bits of the album while his bandmate Brady Devey engineered and recorded Tucker’s album. Tusow said Tucker’s authenticity makes him stand out. While other musicians put out songs to please their audience, Tucker’s music is genuine.

“His stuff comes from the heart,”Tusow said.
- Melissa Davlin, Times News