Tom Freund, the critically hailed singer/songwriter who often accompanies himself on standup bass as well as guitar and piano, has completed his third album titled Copper Moon, set for release on January 25, 2005 on the indie Surf Road Records.
Freund, who served as the disc’s principal producer, believes that this work best represents his artistic vision: “I was trying to make an album which – like Tupelo Honey – was about capturing the moment.”
On Cooper Moon, Freund takes listeners on a captivating noctural trip down Americana’s lonesome highways and back alleys – from the Stonesian funky rock’n’roll of “Mercury” to the jazzy, Tom Waits-meets-Joe Henry vibe of “Comfortable In Your Arms,” before concluding with the sublime Jackson Browne-like ballad “New Moon Of The 7th Sun.”
A sought-out standup bassist, the talented, versatile Freund plays most of the stringed instruments as well as piano on Copper Moon. He also receives support from some terrific musicians. Matt Johnson (Jeff Buckley, Rufus Wainwright) and Michael Jerome (Richard Thompson, Blind Boys Of Alabama) share drum duties and X’s D.J. Bonebrake plays the vibes. The Wallflowers’ Ben Peeler provides some astounding electric and acoustic lap steel playing, while renowned producer/arranger Jerry Yester (Tom Waits) contributes a string arrangement.
New York City native Freund now hangs his hat in Venice, California. When he first moved out to Southern California in the early ‘90s, he formed a duo with Ben Harper, which resulted in an album entitled Pleasure And Pain. Freund spent the mid-‘90s touring with the indie rock cult faves The Silos. In 1998, he released his debut album North American Long Weekend on Red Ant label. The record received an avalanche of critical accolades, most notably in The New York Times in which Ann Powers called it an “unexpected gem” and ranked it #3 in her year-end best-of poll.
2001’s Sympatico drew even more raves. No Depression proclaimed that Freund’s lyrics “capture slices of Americana in a way that many attempt, yet very few actually master,“ while All Music Guide, called it “truly unique and absolutely brilliant.” Freund also is a favorite of NPR’s “Weekend Edition” and has been championed by Los Angeles’ powerful KCRW-FM, where he has performed live on “Morning Becomes Eclectic.”
The Washington Post, writing from an advance CD of Copper Moon, wrote: “Freund clearly delights in enigma. His vocals could go from laconic to impassioned without such obvious trickery as cranking up the volume. His lyrics are full of curveballs.”
Freund is highly respected by his fellow musicians as well. Folk chanteuse Victoria Williams calls Freund’s 2000 disc L.A. Fundamental Music (a soundtrack-oriented EP) “a classic.”
Graham Parker added: “"Listening to Sympatico, Tom Freund's second solo release, I find myself just as impressed as I was after hearing North American Long Weekend, his solo debut. His songs fill me with an interesting mixture of yearning and melancholy that is somehow thoroughly uplifting at the same time. I get shivers down my spine on almost every tune. Along with Lucinda Williams, Freund is the best singer/songwriter operating today."
Get ready to howl at Copper Moon.
Tom writes all his own material and his songs continue to be featured on such prime time TV shows as Las Vegas and One Tree Hill as well as such films as American Standard, Me and Will and 12 Bucks. Steven Spielberg's SHOAH Foundation also used three of Tom's compositions for their Giving Voice video. In 2001, he won a Telly Award for the music behind a National Public Service Announcement concerning child abuse. He continues to tour North America and Europe playing with his band or doing solo shows.
