TOBiAS returns with new single, 'Beautiful Mess' - playing Offbeat Festival Nov 2
Soulful, engaging and enigmatic are words used to describe Sunshine Coast artist Toby Robinson aka TOBiAS. Two decades performing on the international stage has cemented his reputation as one of Australia's leading indie/ folk pop artists, playing alongside Missy Higgins, Jen Cloher, Archie Roach, Fanny Lumsden and Neko Case. Often described as "Beck meets Paul Kelly meets War On Drugs" - TOBiAS's music brings the room to life with his craftsmanship, songwriting ability and live performances.
Now TOBiA's has returned with the first single from his forthcoming album "Beautiful Mess", a song Robinson wrote after a girl at Woodford Folk Festival told him, "you're a beautiful mess, but I want you". Piqued, Robinson's took those words and wrote "Beautiful Mess", about "how we desire the need for affection but sometimes are drawn into dysfunctional entanglements. Production wise, Robinson describes "Beautiful Mess", as an "understated well structured song that brings out emotion and story in very subtle ways. This is achieved with great instrumentation and production. It is also work that I’m really proud of and my influences are really coming to the surface, The Cure / War On Drugs / The National".
"Beautiful Mess" was recorded at Heliport Studios on the Sunshine Coast. Elliot Heinrich produced and mixed (Ayla / Fragile Animals / Future Jnr) while Brian Lucy mastered (Black Eyed Peas/Arctic Monkeys). Of the recording Robinson praises Heinrich's approach, "producer Elliot Heinrich really helped me to find the groove in this song. Originally the song was quite rhythmic and busy probably as a result of listening to all The Smith's songs I constantly come back to. Eventually we were able to find the same vision rhythmically and feeling through instrumentation but with more space which created better emotion in the song. The result has been better than I imagined. That's the beauty of working with a producer you trust - they have the ability to take the emotion out of an artists big vision, lay it out on the table and make it become a reality".
TOBiAS new single is the first taken from his upcoming album (yet to be titled). Robinson's third studio album has seen the artist evolve in his musical journey which is reflected in his music "in the past I have spent a lot of time writing slow melancholy songs, this time I really wanted the groove and and emotion in the music to tell the story - I mean I used to get emotional listening to AC/DC when I was growing up, why can’t Beautiful Mess do that!". Why not indeed.
UPCOMING SHOWS
November 2 Offbeat Festival Eumundi QLD
November 3 3rd Imperial Eumundi QLD
November 10 Imperial Hotel Eumundi QLD
November 17 Imperial Hotel Eumundi QLD
December 8 Imperial Hotel Eumundi QLD
December 12 The Junk Bar Brisbane QLD
December 15 Imperial Hotel Eumundi QLD
December 22 Imperial Hotel Eumundi QLD
December 29 Imperial Hotel Eumundi QLD