Artists

TOM FIDGEN: Beyond Before

born thomas kennedy fidgen in cape breton, nova scotia, in 1971, tom showed an affinity for music at an early age.

he began singing and playing before live audiences in cape breton almost a decade ago and from 1994 to present has been rolling coast to coast performing his music.

in 1998 tom released a much anticipated solo cd titled "human by trade" hailed as - a clutch of acoustic guitar-driven alterna-folk songs with depth and staying power but don't assume from the 'made in cape breton' sticker that the six-song ep was another one-kilt-fits-all celtic-flavored offering.

fidgen's songs come from a country of his own making; a slightly darker place that's mapped out in his smokey voice, his nimble, sometimes cynical lyrics and the songs' pared down instrumentation.

yet this bare bones affair is satisfyingly full and rich, thanks to fidgen's passionate delivery and the unpretentious directness of the music.

in no time the debut recording was being dubbed and circulated from one room to another across the country by enthusiastic fans.

a fresh, distinctive voice in a genre that many felt had gone stale.

something new, improved, and still old fashioned... tom is outside the parameters of current trends creating a kind of organic electricity... a fish net-sea scape of acoustic sound.

the grassroots response to that album led to lots of offers for shows, and within a few short years fidgen was moving from coffeehouses and college dates to larger clubs and festivals.

at the same time however tom seemed to be struggling with what he wanted to do and in 1999 he finally parted ways with his label and management and separated himself from the music scene for awhile.

now, armed with a new album created with long time friend and fellow recording artist douglas macdougall, he is determined to write himself out of the corner he had backed himself into.

tom's appeal can transcend traditional musical boundaries...from dark, poetic lyrics and strong critical praise these are stories that need to be heard.

from his word-of mouth, honesty, to the steel string bleakness of an urban sound scape...he brings a keen sense of the past to the acoustic music of today...this is music that demands the respect of the past while looking toward the future.

Check out the artist's website:
http://www.tomfidgen.com

Track List:
1. Robbery Song
2. A Little Less
3. Sour Dough
4. The Duke of Fife Is Dead
5. Tar
6. The Devil's Advocate
7. Chelsea
8. The Narcotic Seasons of Disbelief
9. A Sailors Serenade
10. All the Wrong For Missing Rights
11. These Compromised Bruises of Opportunity
12. Ever and Never
13. Dear John: (rendezvous)
14. Isn't It Obvious?

Other Genres: