TORONTO-BASED KINKY BOOTS GUITARIST/SINGER-SONGWRITER AS WATERS LAUNCHES NEW VIDEO FOR BECK-PENNED SONG
OFFICIAL CD RELEASE FOR SELF-TITLED ALBUM MAY 18th AT THE PISTON, TORONTO
Toronto-based singer, songwriter and ‘Kinky Boots’ guitarist (born Tristan Avakian in New York City), re-releases his debut, self-titled album As Waters and throws his official record launch at The Piston in Toronto (also available online May 18). Special guest openers are this city’s Chris Birkett (producer, engineer, composer and musician) and Rosita Stone (singer, songwriter).
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As Waters has recently released a new video today for track five and the only cover on the new CD (which also features nine original tracks) titled “Just Noise” – the song is written by Beck; sourced from his sheet music book Song Reader (Beck has never recorded it). The video was filmed in Toronto at the renowned Lula Lounge, and direction, photography and editing is by Jeremy and Jocelyn Wright of Impress Productions.
As Waters says of the new tune, “With the help of ace LA arranger Steve Weisberg, I took it deep into Bacharach territory.”
As Waters is a classic heartbreak album, much like ‘Blood On The Tracks’ (Bob Dylan), ‘Back To Black’ (Amy Winehouse), ‘Vulnicura’ (Bjork) and ‘Sea Change’ (Beck). Written primarily on a battered acoustic while on the road for various musical theater productions (spring 2013 to fall 2014), three songs were ultimately recorded in Nashville with Grammy-winning musician, producer Gary Gold (Ivan Neville, Smokey Robinson, Joss Stone, Stevie Wonder) and the rest were captured in Los Angeles with composer, pianist, arranger and international recording artist/producer Steve Weisberg (Hal Willner, Sharon Jones, Loudon Wainwright III, Nick Cave).
Released softly on his website last fall, As Waters evokes an era when things were made by hand to be lasting and beautiful. So, it needed real players, and it got them: Viktor Krauss (upright bass, Lyle Lovett), Petri Korpela (percussion, Josh Groban), Mike Waldron (guitar, Martina McBride), David Davidson (strings, renowned Nashville-based session violinist, composer, orchestral concertmaster) and many others.
In spite of the fact that Avakian (who moved to Toronto in 2006 when he landed lead guitarist of ‘We Will Rock You’) is more widely known as a musical theater/rock guitarist (including Rock of Ages, Hedwig, Book of Mormon and most recently, the award-winning Kinky Boots; the 2015/2016 Mirvish production), As Waters assimilates a variety of styles, all of which pre-date Woodstock – an American Civil War ballad, an Elizabethan lay, Revolver-era Beatles, lush orchestral pop, film noir, Tropicalia – but with a post-punk sensibility instantly reminiscent of songwriters including Josh Homme, Trent Reznor, Ben Gibbard and Billie Joe Armstrong.
Concert Info
WHO: As Waters and live band members Lawrie Ingles (keys), Tony Rabalao (percussion, drums) and Eric Jacobs (upright bass).
WHERE: The Piston, 937 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON, M6H 1L5.
WHEN: Wednesday, May 18, 2016; doors 8:00 p.m., openers 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., headliner 10:00 p.m.
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SPILL ALBUM PREMIERE: AS WATERS – AS WATERS
