UPCOMING SHOWS
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MUSIC
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CONTACT
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10/02/09 at The Tractor Tavern w/ the allmighty Bottlerockets. 10/03/09 at The White Eagle tearing up Portland for another night with the Bottlerockets. 11/20/09 at Slim's Last Chance w/ Radio Nationals and Rootjack. 11/21/09 at The Kenton Club in Portland, OR with Radio Nationals and Rootjack. |
"Stronger at the Broken Places" came out January 27th. The CD release party was a blast. We've been making the rounds. KEXP in-studio, Portland, Neumo's and on to a sweat fest this weekend at The Comet. If you haven't heard any of the new stuff, here's a preview.
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Contact for booking and joining the mailing list.
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BIO |
PRESS/NEWS |
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Tony Fugham turns the Northwest's dark alleys into timeless landscapes. Shadows reveal rich wellsprings rarely mined in modern music. "You sing to me of faith and God and promise these to me," the songwriter declares on the heady hymnal "Hope It Goes Away." "Sometimes faith is just like fighting a disease, you close your eyes and hope it goes away." Stronger at the Broken Places – eleven blue-collar vignettes fueled by equal measures fire and fume – ebbs and flows with corresponding meditations on mortality. "Fear of death and love are big on this record," Fulgham explains. There's good reason: Three days into tracking Falling Apart – North Twin's ebullient 2007 debut featuring the clenched-fist directives "Gasoline," "Carol Anne" and "Broken Legs" – doctors diagnosed bassist Rebecca Young with breast cancer. The Seattle-based quartet (guitarist Tim Dijulio and drummer Rick Cranford round out the combustible rhythm section) says Young's steadfast resolve defined the album's distinct sense of urgency. "Rebecca did backing vocals two days after getting a porta-cath put in," Fulgham remembers. "In a nutshell, that means they punched a hole in her chest and mainlined poison straight to the heart. But most people wouldn't even have known she was fighting a disease. Rebecca never missed a show or rehearsal during the ordeal – the last day of tracking, she was cracking the whip – and the record came out great, with an edge." Critics roundly agreed. "Fulgham has a big, soaring voice that can go rough or sweet and sounds just right over North Twin's righteous jagged crunch," No Depression magazine wrote of Falling Apart. "Thrilling," raved American Songwriter's four-star review. "Falling Apart – a seamless, stunning debut, equal parts gamble and grace – echoes with the ethereal purity of Gram Parsons and the Rolling Stones jamming in a roadside tavern past dawn." In other words: Americana nirvana. Stronger at the Broken Places broadens that blueprint. Due in January 2009, the album merges the Faces' barroom grit with lush textures from less expected reservoirs. Listen intently as waves of Elvis Costello ("Fool") and Drive-By Truckers ("Clear as Day") give way to a wash of Tom Waits ("High and Low") and Johnny Cash ("Black River"). Good company. Peak moments – the hooky "Wreck" and defiant "Roll On" immediately come to mind – deliver an elegant fusion of novelist Larry Brown's gunmetal gristle and Townes Van Zandt's poetic dignity. Add hope: Fulgham consistently chases protagonists through charcoal thunderclouds with broken-glass streaks of sunlight. "I come up short every now and then," he admits midway. "Somehow you still stay strong and graceful." "Songwriting really is confessional for me," Fulgham explains. "I mix enough lies to make a good story with enough truth to get it off of my chest and I'm the only one that really knows the mix in the end. I don't keep a journal and I hate going to the shrink so it's an exorcism of sorts."
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KEXP have uploaded all four videos from our in-studio last month. They've also made "Hope it Goes Away" available for download at the Video of the Week podcast. Have we mentioned that we love those guys? Hope you all gave them gobs of money on the last pledge drive. I think it was Cheryl that mentioned on the air that it takes at least 250 dollars to do an in-studio broadcast. Add up the number of once in a lifetime performances you hear on that station in one year. Anyway, we love them. this one takes you to the podcast on iTunes Here's what they had to say about us. "Seattle’s country rockers North Twin dropped by KEXP to play four songs from their latest and second album, Stronger at the Broken Places, on the Midday Show with Cheryl Waters. Singer and guitarist Tony Fulgham, along with Rebecca Young (bass), Tim DiJulio (guitar & vocals) and Rick Cranford (drums), lean a bit more heavily on the “alt-country” sounds of bands like Drive-by Truckers, Old 97s and the Bottle Rockets than do many of their fellow roots-leaning Northwest peers (The Moondoggies, The Maldives, Fleet Foxes, etc.), but there’s a certain energy, highlighted by Fulgham’s clear, cutting vocals, that transcends the genres and makes a song like “Fool” as accessible to indie hipsters as to the country boot scooters. Check out three songs from the session, including the barn burner “Clear As Day” in its live debut, and download one more song, “Hope It Goes Away,” by subscribing to KEXP’s Video of the Week podcast. " Tony Fulgham has got a big sky voice that sounds not like Johnny Cash or Hank Williams, but does both men proud. He brings country music’s true lineage into these modern times with no compromise. Veering in and out of control, the band’s second album struggles with life and its concomitant shortfalls. “Put your guns back on the shelf and your bullets in the drawer, ‘cause baby you’re a wreck too.” North Twin may spit out pieces of their broken faith at times, but they never relinquish hope. Just when the ballads are getting a little dark, the band kicks it into high gear and beats out a barnburner that stands alongside the best parts of Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Old 97s. Stronger at the Broken Places captures the feelings we’ve all shared of being knocked around and down, but getting ourselves back up every time. Like the best country music, this elicits no depression, but an ineffable elation and belief in your own strength of character. As North Twin proclaims, pass the bottle around and keep rolling on. It will be green grass and high tides for you. -Dino Raecker ninebullets.net "North Twin- Stronger at the Broken Places" Today’s post is about North Twin’s new album and I just wanna say that had the Spotucky guys not sent me this I would have been writing a post about this album in the coming weeks. It’s fantastic. Enjoy. North Twins’ new album “Stronger at the Broken Places” was met with great anticipation from me and my co-host on Spotucky Radio. We even went so far as to recommend what to call the new album when the band asked. Incidentally, they did not take our advice. North Twin had made it known that bass player Rebbecca Young has battled cancer over the past year and I was wondering how this would effect the new album. I interpreted North Twin’s first album “Falling Apart” to be an angry battle hymn. Most of the songs were full of fighting words except for the few reprieves into your girls arms. On “Stronger at the Broken Places” that same fight is still there. Instead of fighting to create a reality they think they need and want, North Twin fights to accept the realities life has given them. A few song titles say it all, “Hope it Goes Away”, “Clear as Day” “Roll on”, and “Do What You Gotta Do”. Of course all 11 songs are full of Tony Fughams powerful vocals and the pure rock & roll lead guitar we expect from North Twin. Some pleasant surprises on “Stronger at the Broken Places” include the addition of horns and organ in just the right spots on a few songs. The best thing anybody could do with North Twin’s latest release is get yourself a few fellow sinners, roll around in the mud of life and get loaded again. All with “Stronger at the Broken Places” playing on the stereo. Spotucky Radio is your source for Spotucky Music Friday evenings from 6-8 on Thin Air Community Radio in Spokane, Washington. The best explanation of Spotucky Music is how its sound, lyrics and rhythm approach earnest sincerity- without straying from being BADASS! Check us out at the following locations: myspace.com/spotuckyradio radio@spotucky.com kyrs.org North Twin "Stronger at the Broken Places" (Independent 2009) North Twin’s second release "Stronger at the Broken Places" was written and recorded under the shadow of Rebecca Young’s (bass, vocals) diagnosis with breast cancer. As a result many of the songs reflect ‘fear of death’ and ‘fear of love’. Surprisingly this is an edgy and vigorous record full of songs from the top draw of country rock. The influences from The Byrds (Sweetheart of the Rodeo) era, Ozarks & The Marshall Tucker Band are here plus more contemporary acts such as Reckless Kelly and Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash. In the last year or so the band have supported The Bottle Rockets, Son Volt & The Drams. Musically and lyrically there is nothing innovative here but there is much to enjoy even if they are travelling a well-worn path. The four-piece band consists of main songwriter Tony Fulgham (guitar & vocals), Rebecca Young, Tim DiJulio (guitar & vocals) plus Rick Cranford on drums. Various additional musicians add piano, organ, accordion and most notably Billy Joe Huels trumpet on "Clear As Day" where this and guitar trade licks. The band is at home with straight ahead country rock on songs "Going Down" or more contemplative songs such as "I Remember You" and the closing song "Black River". Country rock never sounded so good…recommended. Date review added: Saturday, November 22, 2008 North Twin "Stronger at the Broken Places" A couple of times a year we come across a release that, in addition to the music, has a back story that makes the HearYa staff pull a little bit more for the band. Three days into the recording of their prior album, North Twin bassist/vocalist Rebecca Young was diagnosed with breast cancer. She never missed a beat and met the disease straight on, barely missing any studio time. I am sure we’ve all known someone afflicted by this horrible disease and its always inspiring to read about someone with Rebecca’s fight and resolve. Inspirational story aside, we wouldn’t posting anything about the Seattle quartet if the music didn’t deliver. The first song, “Hope It All Goes Away,” is a beautiful poignant tune that hits you between the eyes after you hear of Young’s battle. Lead singer Tony Fulgham’s voice does a fantastic job of filling the tune with a perfect amount of emotion to deliver the goods. “Clear As Day” has a little bit more outlaw alt-country in it, telling the tale of a man who’s made some questionable choices in his life. It peaks with a blistering guitar/trumpet solo that really kicks you in the ass. Stronger At The Broken Places is a fresh piece of alt-country with a great back story. North Twin are also looking for gigs at SXSW 2009 so if anybody is interested, shoot us an email at hearyablog@yahoo.com and we’ll put you in touch with the band. Reviewed by Woody January 6, 2009
American Songwriter
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