Tom Howie

Tom Howie is a 22 year-old guitarist and songwriter whose soaring vocals and songwriting talents have drawn comparison to Jeff Buckley and Thom Yorke. You’d never guess he started out as a Canadian punk kid. Tom picked up a guitar at age 8 and from 8 to 13 he listened to NOFX and Rancid, skateboarded around his native Vancouver, wrote songs, and formed many bands. One of these bands, “Crackhead Logic,” Tom admits was more concerned with jumping around the stage than playing proper chords. At age 14, he and a friend were awarded a grant by the Canadian FACTOR program to record a single. In an abandoned plastics plant they recorded and rehearsed a 5-song EP. Tom knew right then that, “The Rock and Roll life was for me.”

Several years later, Tom’s direction experienced a major shift when he discovered a love for acoustic-based singer-songwriters, whose music has had the largest influence on his current sound. With access to his stepfather’s record collection, artists such as Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and Jeff Buckley enlightened him. His songwriting followed suit, and Tom “discovered during live performances of these songs, when I could hear a pin drop, I would have a meditative experience on stage.” Shortly thereafter, he experienced a whirlwind of successes as Tom was discovered by musician and producer Ashwin Sood, played an array of gigs with his new band around Vancouver, was accepted into the Berklee College of Music, recorded his EP The Chester Sessions, and toured the northeast.

On November 9, 2010 he will release his third solo album, The Right and Wrong of Everything. This collection of songs represents a great leap forward in his maturation as a gifted songwriter, singer, and guitar player. Self-produced by Tom and mixed by Ashwin Sood (Sarah McLachlan, Rufus Wainwright), this new album features Tom’s soulful vocals and fluid guitar playing on 5 tracks. On his new release, Tom has fleshed out his sound to include layers of guitars, organ, and piano. “Chester [Sessions EP] was acoustic because that's how I write, mostly. That doesn't mean that's always the most effective way of communicating, however,” Tom explains, adding, “This new album is more in the direction of how things sound in my head. It’s the next step.”

The first single from Tom’s forthcoming album is the Tom Petty-esque, “Diamond.” After writing the chorus and melody several years ago, the song just wouldn’t come together, so Tom put it on the shelf. When he revisited it last year, the verses “just flowed.” He then added the electric slide guitar, the strong drum intro, and the simple guitar solo in the bridge. The result is a fan favorite that always prompts an enthusiastic response when played live.

On his forthcoming tour, with Berklee alums Ryan Gleason, and Matt Musty on bass and drums, Tom intends to take these new tracks to surprising places. “I’ll be primarily playing electric guitar, rather than solely acoustic as I have in the past,” he shares. “My goal is to achieve a dynamic mixture of electric and acoustic guitars, combined with a tight, driving rhythm section, to push the songs beyond the studio versions.”

Tom has relocated to New York City and recently recorded new tracks at the legendary Avatar Studios. In July of 2010, the band performed twice at the 15,000-seat Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York, prior to John Mayer and Sting. He and his band will tour North America this fall and winter and with hard work and a little luck, Tom hopes to one day share the stage with heroes of his such as Ray Lamontagne, Coldplay, or Radiohead.

MANAGEMENT/BOOKING- Russell Ragland at Mag 7 Management: Russell@Mag7management.com

Music Video for "Diamond": www.tomhowie.com/2010/10/12/diamond-video/