Tate Toussaint

I'm 19 from Crouch End, North London. My Dad's a jazz musician from New York so i've always been around music, well jazz music in particular.
I started messing around on the guitar at around 10 and dipped in and out of playing it through the years ,until i started to write songs about two or three years ago. I've been heavily influenced by much of the folk, country and blues music that i've found over the years through collecting records, some from the dawn of the 20th century, some from not too long ago.
If i had to list my main influences it would probably have to be Woody Guthrie, Townes Van Zandt, Cisco Houston, Hank Williams, Brownie McGhee, Elizabeth Cotten but there's far too many to list. I guess a musician is a product of all the music they enjoy, and i enjoy a lot of music so listing it would be very hard. I write lyrics and accompany myself on guitar, as well as reworking old folk and blues songs. That's a great thing about folk music, if you feel you relate to a tune or you just really like it, you can make it your own with a little work.
I've been playing gigs rather frequently over the last year or so, more recently working with the monto promotion company, but doing other things here and there. I played a gig at Audio Gold Record Shop in late March which was very well received, which was great because it's such a great shop with such friendly staff, i was honoured to play there.
I guess the only way i can give you a feel of my music is if you have a listen.

Tate,