Trailhead
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Trailhead

Berlin, Berlin, Germany | INDIE

Berlin, Berlin, Germany | INDIE
Band Folk Acoustic

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Music

Press


"Press reviews - CDs"

An astonishing piece of work, concerning the mature songwriting, as well as the bright sound ... 13 songs bristling with harmonies and intimacy ... the images carries you to the US, to Bob Dylan or the alternative Country-scene around The Jayhawks. The multi voice harmonies often remind one of the Grateful Dead. Everything on this record has a ring of wide spaces and open sky.
(Berlin Tagesspiegel)

Americana through and through.
A wonderful record.
(Folker Magazin)

With captivating harmony vocals and fine melodies the 14 songs relate to today’s americana-bands like Wilco and at the same time harken back to the classics, like Crosby, Stills & Nash, Simon & Garfunkel, Paul McCartney and Donovan. Convincing debut.
(H.P. Daniels / Tip Stadtmagazin Berlin)

A heartfelt americana-roots-album abound with verve, musical surprises and contrasting arrangements, taking the listener to Scandinavian autumn scenery, as well as to Death Valley.
(Melodie & Rhythmus)

"The Road To Salamanca" paints images of landscapes, encounters and desire. The melodies are grand in their simplicity, the warm vocal performance soaring with harmonies. Everything is arranged harmoniously, catchy, yet beautifully simple.
(Lichter Magazin)

You almost feel the dust on your skin, listening to Panwitz’ virtuosic guitar playing and melancholic voice.
(Folkworld)


- several


"Press reviews - CDs"

An astonishing piece of work, concerning the mature songwriting, as well as the bright sound ... 13 songs bristling with harmonies and intimacy ... the images carries you to the US, to Bob Dylan or the alternative Country-scene around The Jayhawks. The multi voice harmonies often remind one of the Grateful Dead. Everything on this record has a ring of wide spaces and open sky.
(Berlin Tagesspiegel)

Americana through and through.
A wonderful record.
(Folker Magazin)

With captivating harmony vocals and fine melodies the 14 songs relate to today’s americana-bands like Wilco and at the same time harken back to the classics, like Crosby, Stills & Nash, Simon & Garfunkel, Paul McCartney and Donovan. Convincing debut.
(H.P. Daniels / Tip Stadtmagazin Berlin)

A heartfelt americana-roots-album abound with verve, musical surprises and contrasting arrangements, taking the listener to Scandinavian autumn scenery, as well as to Death Valley.
(Melodie & Rhythmus)

"The Road To Salamanca" paints images of landscapes, encounters and desire. The melodies are grand in their simplicity, the warm vocal performance soaring with harmonies. Everything is arranged harmoniously, catchy, yet beautifully simple.
(Lichter Magazin)

You almost feel the dust on your skin, listening to Panwitz’ virtuosic guitar playing and melancholic voice.
(Folkworld)


- several


"Press reviews "live concerts""

an almost familial intimacy with the audience ... Trailhead makes use of the American folk’s veriations, occasionally giving way to echoes of Spanish guitar, but finally ever returning to the dusty dry style of Americana.
(Wiesbadener Tageblatt)

The listeners completely succumbed to the fascination of his voice. Unique in its warmth and memorability.
(Nachrichten Sonthofen)

Trailhead set out, with an air of lofty restlessness, self reflection and roadside philosophy, to set his music apart from the mass of stereotypical folk music.
(Uniradio Magdeburg)

His music gives the impression, that he’s still „on the road“. Gentle finger picking gives way to powerful chord changes; Cheerful melancholy teams up with dynamic restlessness. ..roadmovie-songs
(Kieler Nachrichten)

His music is open, sensitive, believable, and never reduced to recycled phrases. Folk-rock, country, americana, simply good roots music, warm as the sun on your neck, powerful as the train you jump to watch the world pass you by.
(Country & Western Friends Kötz)
- several


"Press reviews "live concerts""

an almost familial intimacy with the audience ... Trailhead makes use of the American folk’s veriations, occasionally giving way to echoes of Spanish guitar, but finally ever returning to the dusty dry style of Americana.
(Wiesbadener Tageblatt)

The listeners completely succumbed to the fascination of his voice. Unique in its warmth and memorability.
(Nachrichten Sonthofen)

Trailhead set out, with an air of lofty restlessness, self reflection and roadside philosophy, to set his music apart from the mass of stereotypical folk music.
(Uniradio Magdeburg)

His music gives the impression, that he’s still „on the road“. Gentle finger picking gives way to powerful chord changes; Cheerful melancholy teams up with dynamic restlessness. ..roadmovie-songs
(Kieler Nachrichten)

His music is open, sensitive, believable, and never reduced to recycled phrases. Folk-rock, country, americana, simply good roots music, warm as the sun on your neck, powerful as the train you jump to watch the world pass you by.
(Country & Western Friends Kötz)
- several


Discography

ALBUMS:
"The Road To Salamanca" (2009 - Cannery Row Records)
"Bodies In The Basement" (2012 - Cannery Row Records)

SINGLES:
"Road To Salamanca" (2009)
"Bodies In The Basement" (2012)

Photos

Bio

Trailhead is the venture of Berlin songwriter Tobias Panwitz. Drawing from journeys through various parts of the world and musings on relations past and present, his songs are of a quiet restlessness, captured in simple, personal tunes. Combining energy laden melodies and roadside imagery, Trailhead captivates the listener with his moving off the beaten track lyrics in a way that few songwriters do.

Echoing the folky americana sound of the 60s & 70s classics, the songs have the rootsy sound of Trailhead's backing band or strip down, as in his solo sets, to their calmer self of story and melody, accompanied by Panwitz' folky guitar and finger picking, piano, hamonica and ukulele. Together with his warm yet powerful vocal delivery, Trailhed's music relates to the sound of artists like Crowded House, Tom Petty, Neil Young and Jackson Browne.

After years of traveling wide parts of the US, Greece & Sweden and walking the North and South of Spain, Panwitz decides in the 2000s to return to his native home town Berlin. Many a song has been written upon many a path, and, while persuing life in Berlin, singing the stories from the road is what keeps the tales alive. After, on one of his journeys, having spent months of maintaining trails in Northern Californias Redwood National Park, starting out each day at the "trailhead", the point where a trail begins, the word has stuck. Now "Trailhead" feels like the perfect name for the new music venture.

***

Between 1998 and 2006 Tobias Panwitz is touring and recording in various line ups, releasing 4 records: "Some things are beyond reason" (1998), "High Tide at the Baltic Sea" (2001), "North by North East" (2002), "Selected Road Songs" (2006)

In 2009 Trailhead releases his debut album „The Road To Salamanca“ on Berlin Folk/Americana Label Cannery Row Records, with rave reviews in the German music press. It features 13 original compositions with various guest contributions by musicians from Germany, Spain, Denmark, England and the US.

Promotional touring with and without band follows in Norway, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland and repeatedly throughout Germany.

In 2009 Panwitz is invited to attend the Norwegian songwriter workshop Lille Lungegaards Sång, a networking- and songwriting composium of the Bergen songwriter-scene on the island of Stort, resulting in collaborations with musicians of the Norwegian and Finnish folk music scene.

The same year, in Mragowo, Poland, Trailhead plays a very well received show with his band at Picknick Country, one of the most renowned festivals in the country, broadcast on national television.

The radio campaign for "The Road To Salamanca", initiated in 2009/10, results in airplay on a wide number of public and private radio stations, like Radio 1 Berlin, Radio Bremen, MDR, SR1, Star FM, Antenne Thüringen , various internet stations and public radio in the Netherlands, making Trailhead known to a further growing audience within and outside Germany.

In 2010, the music video for the album's title track "Road To Salamanca" is produced. It combines the lyrics' motive of walking the Spanish Camino de Santiago with spring atmosphere in the sourrounding landscapes of Panwitz' home town.

The same year, Cannery Row Records' Labelsampler "Can Opener" is released, featuring the song „Road To Salamanca“.

In February 2011 Trailhead wins the songslam competition at Moritzbastei / Leipzig.

On May 24, 2011 Trailhead perfoms as one of the representatives of the Berlin music scene at the official "Dylan's Birthday Bash" in honour of Bob Dylans 70th birthday.

In July 2011 Trailhead is being elected among over 100 candidates by acclaimed Berlin public radio station Radio 1 to perform at the exclusive showcase "Casting für die Seele".

In winter 2011/12 Trailhead's second album "Bodies In The Basement" will be released..