This article was last updated on April 16, 2022
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Toronto-based singer, songwriter and Kinky Boots guitarist ‘As Waters’ (born Tristan Avakian in New York City) throws official record launch for his self-titled debut album 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).
NEW VIDEO “Just Noise”: https://youtu.be/UcN5dxzib1E.
As Waters also releases a new video for track five and the only cover on the new CD (which also features nine original tracks and two bonus 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.”
AUDIO: https://soundcloud.com/tristanavakian/just-noise-1?in=tristanavakian/sets/as-waters-1.
‘As Waters’ is a classic heartbreak album (also available online on May 18), 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).
WHO: As Waters and live band members Lawrie Ingles (keys), Tony Rabalao (percussion, drums) and Eric Jacobs (upright bass).
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.
HOW MUCH: $10.00 at the door.
ARTIST QUOTE: As Waters states, “The tunes took on something of the cultural identity of whatever tour city I was in, refracted through what I was feeling at the time. People whose opinion I respected told me how touched they were by the songs, so I had no choice but to make an album. And, after long delays because of work commitments, I am now proud to present the official record launch concert.”
PRODUCER QUOTE: “Were old friends, Tristan came to me and asked me to produce a couple of these tunes in Nashville and I gave them the standard litmus test that I give any project, which is I ask myself ‘does it feel like these tunes are absolutely necessary’, and in this case their was no doubt in my mind that these were absolutely necessary songs to record.” – Grammy-winning musician, producer Gary Gold.
FACEBOOK EVENT: https://www.facebook.com/events/1132777753440514.
ARTIST INFO: http://www.aswaters.com, and https://youtube.com/channel/UC5NE4c-ynsR5ZJw0WWSW9mQ.
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.
ABOUT:
‘As Waters’ is the artist name and self-titled orchestral pop/folk debut album by New York City-born, Toronto-based guitarist, singer-songwriter aka Tristan Avakian – now set for official release on May 18, 2016.
For more artist information please visit:
Facebook.com/aswatersmusic
Twitter.com/tristanavakian
https://www.youtube.com/user/tristanavakian
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