With the release of her latest single, the upbeat and sweetly melodic Front Row, London, Ontario-based singer/songwriter Carly Thomas is poised to build on the foundation of her talent, determination and vast experience as a touring and recording artist, to elevate her career to new heights.
Already an acclaimed singer/songwriter with three albums to her credit and thousands of performances around the world, Front Row sees Thomas pushing the limits of her already abundant talent as a crafter of catchy, evocative and highly memorable songs. She has dug deep emotionally, rededicating herself to composition and live performances that connect more profoundly with audiences and to continue to build her reputation as an artist of uncommon sincerity, with a penchant for poetic lyrics and dynamism on stage.
Front Row is a song about the unique and serendipitous ways people can meet, form bonds, and develop friendships or intimate relationships. In particular, how the special milieu of a live concert can bring people
together through their shared experiences and passion for music.
“Front Row is a conscious change from my previous releases. It’s much more poppy and it came from me wanting to have a little more fun with what I have been writing. I wanted to capture that essence of being at a concert,
whether it’s a roaring stadium or a small coffee house, the power that music has to connect people continuously amazes me in every scenario. I also saw it as a tribute to my audience, a way to say thank you, and appreciate that
we are all in this together ,” Thomas explained.
“In the bridge there’s the line, ‘hold this moment before it’s gone.’ And that sums it all up: we have a very small window to live in each moment, and if you really grasp that, life can be a beautiful experience. When we live
without the past or future, there’s a peace that comes, and I think that’s where music can take you too. It’s like the pulse of our human experience.”
Thomas has travelled extensively and spent much of her youth overseas in far-flung locales such as her birthplace of Thailand, Argentina, France, the U.S. and many communities in Canada, giving her a sense of perspective, an
ability to adapt and a view of the world, of people and relationships that is rare. It has given her a sense of wanderlust, which she uses to good advantage in her art.
“I came from a family that craved adventure and change and movement. And I grew up believing that was a pretty normal way to live” Thomas said. “It shaped me in the sense that I continue to love to travel and that will
always be a part of my life. And also it helped me in terms of learning the skills of an observer, and how to see the world and the cultures around me in a less abstract, more intimate level,” she said, adding that to combat the sadness and anxiety of being uprooted often as a child, she took to poetry and songwriting as a way to express those feelings. I think this life has given me a wider lens on how I view the world and even how I view all the stuff I write about.”
Her precocious first album, Distance was released in 2003 at a time when Thomas still hadn’t committed fully to the life of a full-time creative artist. Gradually, music pulled her back and over the last 10 years she has toured regularly and released two more albums – Up This High in 2009 and Explode in 2014, which went on to win a Jack Richardson Award for Best Contemporary Singer/Songwriter in 2015 and again in 2017.
Her new single is the first step in the road to a new album due out in early 2020. She has been working diligently to craft a collection of songs that are lyrically thoughtful and provocative, musically diverse.
Front Row celebrates how the collective experience of live music can bring people together in a meaningful way – a metaphor for how many experiences in life can lead to new experiences, new relationships, and growth as an
individual. It is the way Thomas has lived her life, followed her muse and built up relationships with music lovers around the world.
Carly Thomas plays The Horseshoe Tavern on Wednesday, Feb 12 at 11:30pm and February 15 at The Old Nick on the Danforth. She also plays Feb 22 at the Queen’s Bar in Port Elgin and Feb 29 at the Rockstar Music Hall in Windsor, Ontario
Connect with Carly Thomas online: Website Facebook Twitter Instagram
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