Tim Guy

Last night I found myself sitting on the front step of Donovans Store, watching the fading sunset and the emerging stars, catching the enchanting sounds of Tim Guy sneak through the slightly open front door, the perfect end to a beautiful day in Okarito.

Donovans Store came to life for the second time in a week, this time the packed house was treated to an evening in the company of Mr Guy, a nomadic singer song writer of the highest order. The set comprised of beautifully crafted original songs mixed with a couple of covers. Tim Guy likes travelling light, just a guitar, whose case doubles as his drum, his skills with both was apparent and his gentle voice was perfectly suited to the acoustics in Donovans.

As Andris Apses photographs watched from the walls, Tim spoke and sung of life, love, travels and some rather unusual dreams. Another fantastic and memorable evening for everyone.

Thanks for taking the time to come to Okarito Tim - Donovans Store - Okarito

Having shifted from Melbourne to Auckland to further his career, you might say Tim Guy is breaking with convention. Though his music doesn't.

It does a spare but sturdy and intimate line in guitar pop with alt-country/folk-rock trappings, a fetching mix, rustic as it is melodically enticing and sometimes lyrically intriguing.

Though the reasons for his immigration are apparent in the liner notes - Blazey was produced by Bic Runga (who sings and drums here alongside various Pluto-ites, among others) and is released on her own Nu Shoo label.

Though some songs can remind of fellow pop countryman Ben Lee, Guy also packs in some variety among the 10 tracks. That's whether it's the blues-stained opener Take You Down, the Jayhawks-like summer pop of In the News, shades of early Enz on the piano-driven Movie Stars, and the waltz-time duet of Question.

It holds together well, save for the falsetto goofiness of Grow or Strike too close to the Eels for comfort.

But Guy sure has his fair share of winning tunes. It might not make a dent in that NZ-Oz musical trade deficit, but it's a good start.

Label: Nu Shoo - NZ Herald

What can we expect to see from you over the next year?

The next year for me is touring. I'm off to Europe in July and will be back before Christmas, going round as much of Europe as we can, trying to squeeze in as many shows, and then we'll swing back through America.

Who are your favourite NZ musicians/bands, and why?

I really like Anika Moa's new album a lot. I think it's bold. The Ruby Suns' album is worldly, and I like their tour schedule! I just heard simon Comber's new record too, its heart is in Dunedin but its head in Auckland. It's pretty classic.

What will your next release be?

My next release is my 3rd album 'Big World', it's just come out.

How do you come up with your lyrics?

For the lyrics to this record, I went to Spain, and I wrote about 20 postcards to friends and family and didn't end up sending them, and then when I sat down to write lyrics, I realised I had a heap of stuff already down and it all fit perfectly.

What is your favourite place in NZ to be?

My favourite NZ place is Queen Street, Auckland, I know there's so many beautiful spots around the country, Milford Sound, Te Anau, the Glaciers, Northland, all that is truly stuff of beauty, but I love Queen Street from top to bottom.

What inspired you to become a musician?

My father inspired me to become a musician, in a weird round about way and he would be suprised to hear that, cause he isnt a musician. He has passion for a certain style of music to hear, but mainly I would say him, because of the joy he showed by bringing home a new record for us to listen to, and he'd say, 'now sit in front of the speakers, listen to the words and don't talk!', later on, mum has had a major influence on me cause she is obsessive about music, about its history.

What is the best gig you have ever performed at, and why?

The best show by far was at Womad in 2008, being on stage with Neil Finn, Don McGlashan, and about 40 others singing 'throw your arms around me' for the final set of the festival. Also Womad that year marked the last show of my band with Anika Moa and Anna Coddington, which was special, a good way to go out!
- Muzic.net.nz

Following the release of his latest album, Big World, Tim Guy has one more show in Auckland and then he's off on a European tour with Monkey Records label mate Bond Street Bridge.

Two of New Zealand's most unique and talented independent singer/songwriters, Tim Guy and Bond Street, tour Europe for the first time, bringing their music to intimate venues in the UK, France, Germany, Switzerland and Czech Republic.

Tim Guy (dreamy folk pop)

Born in Australia, Tim Guy spent time living in Papua New Guinea as a child, but these days resides in Auckland, NZ. He is an ever-changing, evolving songwriter, constantly pushing the boundaries of his craft whilst remaining within the parameters of traditional song structure. Tim has 3 albums to his name, 2004's Blazey (produced by Bic Runga), 2007's self-produced and fast becoming lo-fi classic 'Hummabyes' and 2010's 'Big World', a lush production as the antithesis of the previous release.

Tim has toured New Zealand many times over the last few years building up a loyal fanbase and developing into a consummate performer and entertainer. Following the release of his latest album 'Big World' in May 2010, Tim is taking it to the world on a tour throughout NZ, Australia and Europe.

"Memorable, compelling melodies..." - NZ Musician

"Gentle mature heavenly pop." - Elsewhere

"It all sounds effortless and the songs roll along like some kind of blissed out Sunday afternoon." - Eavesdrop

Bond Street Bridge (cinematic folk noir)

Bond Street Bridge is the solo project of New Zealander Sam Prebble, who has become a fixture of the Auckland indie-folk scene over the past few years, playing mandolin, fiddle and guitar in a wide range of up-and-coming bands.

The live set is a solo show in which Sam uses loop pedals and tape echoes to build up layers of guitar, violin, minimalistic beats and vocals to produce a hypnotic, compelling and original sound. Audiences are drawn in to the strange world Bond Street Bridge conjours up with a combination of evocative, poetic lyrics and sonically lush instrumental arrangements.

In 2008, Bond Street Bridge released his debut album 'The Mapmakers' Art' on Monkey Records, and since then has toured extensively around New Zealand and Australia.

'The Mapmaker's Art is one of the finest collections of homegrown music to cross this desk in a while... a joyously cinematic listening experience' Real Groove

'Very different and very good indeed' Graham Reid (top 40 albums 2008)

'Darkly beautiful in it's ingenuity.' Cheese on Toast

Tim Guy
8:30pm, Thursday 29th July
Wine Cellar, Auckland
w/ special guests Benny Profane (The Benka Boradovsky Bordello Band) and Lubin Rains (The Vietnam War).
$10 doorsales only

Bond Street Bridge

Tue 20 July
East of Eden, Berlin w/ Sandra Bell

Wed 28 July
Schokoladen, Berlin w/ The Mamaku Project

Sun 8 Aug
Lewes Arms, Lewes, East Sussex, UK

Tim Guy & Bond Street Bridge

Tue 10 Aug
The Windmill, Brixton, London, UK w/ Hannah Curwood

Thu 12
Portobello Acoustic Sessions, Notting Hill, London, UK

Fri 13 Aug
The Spice of Life, Soho, London, UK w/ Hannah Curwood

Sat 14 Aug
Inspiral Lounge, Camden, London, UK w/ DJ Balkanetic

Mon 16 Aug
Halfmoon Unplugged, Putney, London, UK

Tue 17 Aug
Jingle Jangle, Steeles, Chalk Farm, London, UK

Thu 19
Espace B, Paris, France

Thu 26
Café Kairo, Bern, Switzerland

Sat 28
Café Galao, Stuttgart, Germany

Thu 2 Sep
Hafen 2, Offenbach, Germany

Thu 9 Sep
POPKOMM, Berlin, Germany

Sat 18 Sep
The Royal Oak, Prague, Czech Republic

Related Items
•Bond Street Bridge
•Tim Guy - Amplifier Magazine

Back in the late Sixties and early Seventies there were a number of great but ignored bands and artists (Left Banke, Dwight Twilley Band, Merry-Go-Round and their singer-songwriter Emitt Rhodes who had a solo career, Sagittarius, the Millennium) who shaved off the best of the mid-period Beatles melodies, added it to some Beach Boys warmth and Association harmonies and created a sublime pop.

For this, his third album, Auckland singer-songwriter Guy -- whose previous album Hummabyes was more folksy but hinted at this soft-pop direction -- now seems to be in that illustrious lineage.

The title track opener is slight (shorter and repeated as a coda might have been interesting bookends) but things really kick in with the follow-up, a beautifully understated, glisteningly melodic and McCartney/Neil Finn-framed gem entitled . . . Beatle.

With a hook as big as a cloudless sky, this is heart-warmer -- and a couple of tracks later has its melodic counterpart in the ridiculously catchy (but lyrically a little trite) Love Pie.

These are songs which, heard once, become instantly familiar. They have echoes of half-remember classic songs but stand on their own.

Embellished by Rhodes, piano, strings where relevant, harmonium, glockenspiel etc, this is folk-pop (the lovely Coming Up with its gentle phasing, the seductive melodic drift and narrative of 70s Angels and a Homeless Man) and pure pop (Rhythm of the River, a snapshot of home) rendered as precise and concise little worlds, like luminous spheres.

There is a lot of deliberately "light" New Zealand pop around these days and much of it falls into the inconsequential and twee. But -- with a few reservations about some lyrics and his vocal weakness in a couple of places -- Guy (and the supporting cast) have crafted a gentle, mature album of heavenly pop.

Let's hope at least one is a hit.


Added: 28 Jun 2010
- Elsewhere

This gentle album is so light it makes the Bats sound like Thin Lizzy.

Auckland-based singer-songwriter Guy has stripped his music back to airy arrangments for guitar and bass (with ukulele, slide, harmonica and triangle where required) but the whole thing has a summershine spaciousness and the smart production lets these whimsical (but never twee) songs breathe even more gently.

Beautiful backing vocals by Anika Moa and Anna Coddington, a few classy but discreet guests, and who knew the Tokey Tones would ever have such a profound influence? Soft pop which just charms like crazy -- right up until the final track which is a funny and wheezy singalong for drunken uncles at a wedding.

Added: 20 Nov 2007
- Elsewhere

2004 album 'blazey'- ten track album of flavourable everyday songs, produced by bic runga.

2007 album 'hummabyes'- an album of gentle songs recorded using arcaic recording techniques and utilizing the vocal abilities of anika moa and anna coddington whom also double as the band.

2010 album 'big world', the 3rd album, recorded in auckland, a co-production with jeremy toy (he produced the opensouls record, and hollie smith's 1st L.P, so it sound pretty lush in alot of places.
i reckon,
timbo,
june 2010

100% New Zealand Music
- Amplifier

Tim Guy plays dreamy acoustic folk/pop and he recently released a new album called Big World.

Following 2007’s experiment in lo-fi, Hummabyes, and the folk-pop of 2004’s Blazey, Big World is both a natural development of Tim’s classic pop-smarts and an aesthetic expansion into spaces as wide and wonderful as the title suggests.

A co-production between Tim and Jeremy Toy (Open Souls, Hollie Smith), the album was recorded throughout 2009 in Auckland and features Julien Dyne on drums, with further help from Matt Short, Jason Smith, Ben King, Edmund McWilliams, and Anji Sami, whose sensuous backing vocals lend not only colour but feminine form to the record’s in-the-air romanticism.

Like all fine recordings, Big World’s pop credentials are the result of several stages of perfectionist graft. Jol Mulholland mixed the album and Dave Cooley (Serge Gainsbourg, Polyphonic Spree, Danger Mouse) mastered it in Los Angeles, both men expertly finalising what came from Jeremy’s imaginative studio-scientism and began with Tim’s relatively straight-with-a-twist songwriting style. The result is a lush transformation of Tim’s best songs into his strongest album to date.

Tim has toured New Zealand many times over the last few years building up a loyal fanbase and developing into a consummate performer and entertainer. Following the release of ‘Big World’ in May 2010, Tim has been taking it to the world on a tour throughout NZ, Australia and Europe.

Reviews
“Guy (and the supporting cast) have crafted an album of gentle mature heavenly pop.” – Elsewhere
“Big World is a little pop gem” – Cheese on Toast
“Tim Guy seems to fly under the pop radar, but this collection may just bring him into the limelight.” NZ Musician
- Monkey Records

As the story goes, in 2002, Melbourne-based Tim Guy met Bic Runga backstage after one of her shows and handed her a CD of some of his songs. Impressed by what she heard, Runga offered to produce and play on his album - a huge opportunity.

The result was 'Blazey', released on Runga's own freshly created label Nu Shoo Records in 2004. Guy played support for Runga on her acoustic churches tour that year and in 2005 got the support slot with American songwriting legend Jimmy Webb at Sky City Theatre. He has since toured regularly with the likes of Miriam Clancy, Paul McLaney and Age Pryor. I caught up with Guy at an inner city Auckland bar to talk about 'Hummabyes', his second album, which will go on sale October 26th.

Tim Guy is softly spoken and understated - certainly not the rock star type. Having found a distant quiet corner, I still wonder if my dictaphone will pick up his voice. Listening to his new album over several days, I had one lasting impression: 'Hummabyes' is a study in subtlety and understatement. There are no instrumental or vocal heroics in evidence, every instrument usage seems placed to create a cohesive whole.

Where there is an instrumental, it tends to comprise of a number of instruments that compliment each other, creating the melody. It is certainly a record with depth - one appreciated more, the more you listen to it.

It does seem odd that when so many Kiwi musicians are heading across the Tasman for greener pastures that Guy, an Australian, would choose to set up home in New Zealand. Turns out his decision to live here was far from a business one. Where most musicians strive to break into the music industry, make big sales and big dollars, Guy's idea of 'breaking through' is to achieve contentment and happiness.

"When I met Bic and came over to start recording, straight away it felt like home. New Zealand feels like it's closer to the heart of whatever 'the heart' is. The last few years that I was living in Melbourne, I was on the outskirts of everything. When I arrived here I automatically found friends who were doing the same thing I was doing... you need that so you feel you're moving in the right direction."

He does seem to have a knack for making handy friends. Though there may be no heroics on 'Hummabyes' there are certainly some heroes. For example Guy's flatmates Anika Moa (bass and vocals) and Anna Coddington (drums and vocals) are his rhythm section. Well regarded musician/producer Ed Cake, who has guitar, vocals and production credits, is another close friend.

'Blazey' included catchy single Different Feather and collaborations with Runga and Pluto's Milan Borich, but without distribution gained little attention. Guy sold the run of 1000 copies through live gigs. So what does he hope to achieve with 'Hummabyes'?
"I wanted to make a record that my friends would like... that I knew I'd like."
Cue for me to point out that friends don't pay the bills.

"I learned from my last record the only thing you can do is write, record, and play shows; everything else is out of your control," says Guy. He confesses he had a misconception with 'Blazey' that it would make it to the record stores and then people would buy it - that didn't happen. The arrangement with Runga's label was solely to make the album, not distribute it.

This time round Monkey Records are releasing the album with distribution through Rhythmethod, though again Guy's main strategy for selling the new album is to tour for the next couple of years and sell it at gigs. The initial pressing is for 1000, but they expect to repress fairly quickly. It will be packaged as a six panel digipak with 12 page booklet of fantastic artwork

Having toured 'Blazey' until he had no more copies to sell, Guy approached Nigel Braddock of Monkey Records to help record his sophomore album. The pair had met previously when Braddock organised a tour for him.

"My aim is to be able to tour 365 days a year and 366 on a leap year," laughs Guy, evidently quite accustomed to leading an itinerant lifestyle. While at school his family moved around a lot, meaning he was always the new kid in class. It seemed appropriate he should team up with Braddock whose label also carries on-the-road busker Luke Hurley.

"Nobody tours artists like he does. He sends his artists on really long tours," says Guy. "I basically went from Bic's house to Nigel's place."

As suggested by its title, the idea for 'Hummabyes' was to record an album that could be hummed, like lullabies. Though Guy didn't end up sticking strictly to that ideal, (check out opening track Protection), there is certainly a softness and hum-ability to this record.
The recording method was kept simple: hire an 8-track reel to reel tape deck and record the basic tracks of vocal, guitar, bass and drums in his bedroom, utilising the unique talents of flatmates Moa and Coddington.
"I wanted to break everything down. Everybody's making records with heaps of stuff; I just stripped everything away."
Guy says he appreciates modern digital software like Pro Tools and Cubase, and is good at using them "over the shoulder", but prefers to use what he describes as "archaic" equipment.

"The 8-track is something I understand. All you have to do is play and record."

Much of the other equipment used, such as microphones and guitars was borrowed as required. There are some interesting techniques employed on this album, like having Moa and Coddington sing their harmonies together into a single microphone and using just one microphone on Coddington's drums.

"Anna was great. She's a perfectionist and insisted on re-recording her drum parts over until they were perfect".
Midway through the recording process Guy undertook on a month long tour with buddies Paul McLaney and Age Pryor. These two, both with much experience in the art of recording, were a great source of advice and inspiration. He returned from the tour full of vigour and new ideas.

The next step was to set up his mattress at Platform Studios in Auckland's Queen St, where Ed Cake is resident engineer/producer/. Here Guy was able to get away from the distractions of a busy flat and finish the basic tracks he had laid down in his bedroom with contributions from the likes of Cake and Pryor. The first single from the album Stephen should soon surface on the radio, to be followed with a NZ On Air-funded video for second single Cater for Lovers.

As Guy says, all he wants to do is write, record and play. Now that 'Hummabyes' is complete, it's time for him to indulge in his favourite part of the cycle - playing, or more to the point touring. Readers will have plenty of opportunity to see this roving tunesmith perform his songs as he travels though out the country. The first leg of the tour (kicking off with the launch at The Dogs Bollix on Oct 26th) will include Moa and Coddington; then a stand-in bass player will be used for the second leg while Moa heads off on her own tour.

'Hummabyes' captures a kind of dreamy contentment that will most certainly have you happily humming along at home. If you're after a bit of live escapism, Guy and his band (The Tutaes) will be just the ticket, transporting you safely to an idle summer afternoon.

- NZ Musician

Melbourne born, Auckland-based musician Tim Guy came to our attention via Bic Runga who produced and performed on his first album 'Blazey' in 2002. On this follow-up Guy has yet more stellar assistance with Anika Moa and Anna Coddington, who provide both angelic backing vocals and (respectively) bass and drums. Age Pryor supplies ukulele on whimsical, tropical Summer Breeze, and there are cameo appearances by Ryan McPhunn (drums), Jeremy Toy (guitar), and vocalists Paul McLaney and Steve Abel. The album, released by Monkey Records, was recorded and produced by Guy, and mixed by Ed Cake, with mastering by Chris Chetland. The songwriting is alt-country and indie pop/rock based, with memorable, compelling melodies. 'Hummabyes' utilises varied instrumentation - ukulele, slide guitar, and harmonium, while clarinet and trumpet give Here and Now a 1920's atmosphere. Guy should be more widely known, he is both a skilled writer and musician, and this record shows assured, elegant and restrained musicianship from both him and his talented band. An interesting record. - NZ Musician

Tim Guy likes to write his albums in different locations – ‘Blazey’ in
Melbourne, and ‘Hummabyes’ in Auckland – and this time he’s gone to
Barcelona, giving his third album an inspired, international vibe.
‘Big World’ focuses on Guy’s radio-friendly pop music, with big
choruses, and laid back melodies, which come to the fore on Beatle one
of the most hook-laden songs I’ve heard in a long time, while You
Bring The Gold is reminiscent of The Ruby Suns, with muted vocals and
stuttering beats. Much of the material present here has an early ’70s
singer songwriter feel to it, with hazy soul harmonies and funky
rhythms, best exemplified in Love Pie, with its very relaxed almost
country-pop delivery. Recorded in his Auckland home, with assistance
from flatmate Jeremy Toy (Opensouls) and Ben King (Goldenhorse), and
mixed by the ubiquitous Jol Mulholland, this is a classic pop album
and a change in direction from ‘Hummabyes’ gentle alt-folk, but
showcases his talents as a songwriter just as well. Tim Guy seems to
fly under the pop radar, but this collection may just bring him into
the limelight.
- NZ Musician