Listen Up - Tom Burden
A look at some of the emerging artists of the acoustic roots & folk circuit
Listen Up - Tom Burden
A guitarist who thought it was time to bring back the good old protest song and write songs with real meaning. Noticing that the music industry doesn't really have any rules of what to do and what not to do, he is only posting his music on YouTube and streaming platforms. He doesn't have a Facebook, Twitter or Instagram account for his music out of protest because he believes it is no coincidence that the recent rise in prejudiced opinions coincided with the rise of social media. 'Experts' would say he's doing it wrong. He hopes to prove all the experts wrong and make the world better, even if only by a small degree.
How would you describe your music?
Having been purely a guitarist for many years, I realized I had things I wanted to say, so I started writing songs about things that are worth a damn. Things like the horrors of war, climate change and the impact of humans on the world. While I embellished my songs with strings, brass, piano and the odd drum beat and sometimes (shock horror) synth, they are at their core acoustic guitar songs that tell humanised stories of the aforementioned heavy topics. You won't find any run-of-the-mill breakup songs here, I'm afraid. Basically, I like to take large scale events and try to see them through the eyes of someone actually involved with it somehow. People will happily read about this war here or that natural disaster there, but because it doesn't directly affect them, the gravity of the situation is lost on them. If I can get people to think about the specific loss and suffering that such events cause, then perhaps we can slowly improve the world for the better. I also like to use my style of musical composition to do original covers of songs I hold in high regard and that have a similar message. Eg. Blowin' in the Wind and Where have all the flowers gone. Songs relevant still to this day.
What has been your highlight so far?
Simply being free of the constrained image of what a musician should be and should do has been a breath of fresh air. I'm writing and covering songs I want to write and cover, how I want to do them. I like to think that my music would do well in a purely acoustic guitar and vocal format and indeed that is how I perform my songs, but that's not how I want to record my music. Stations and people that may not play or listen to my music because it isn't 'pure acoustic' be damned. There is no better gift to a musician than the continuing freedom to create the music that they want.
What plans regarding recordings, video, tours etc do you have for the future?
All the songs I release, be them original or covers, are released on YouTube and so have videos to go with them. I do this regularly. So plans for recordings and releases are to continue to release music. I average around 1 fully produced song with a video per week-10 days. All my originals will be uploaded to streaming platforms in EPs of 3 tracks and my first EP is now out. The next will be out later in the year. There is no stopping. As soon as the Covid crisis calms down, I will get to performing live and I very much doubt that will have any true structure to it either, performing, as I will, when and where I can in order to bring people into my YouTube page. If my live performances eventually become popular enough to warrant more structure then I will cross that boundary when I get there.
Is there anything else you would like to say or any message to our readers?
Yes. Be good to other people even if they are stupider than a bucket full of dead wasps. That and support your local live music scenes. Music executives think they know what people want to hear and only push that into the mainstream which means a lot of talented and skilled musicians don't become well-known. Those musicians live and perform near you and have songs that put main-stream songs to shame. Do yourselves a favour and find these people and give them your support. It will mean more to them than you may think and you get to discover new and amazing songs you didn't even know existed.
For more details:
YouTube Channel
I Am
Fatea Showcase Sessions
The Fatea Showcase Sessions are a series of downloads featuring acts that we've really enjoyed and think that more people should get the chance to hear.
Pirate is the current session and features 16 fantastic artists check out the website to find out more about them and download your copy
www.fatea-showcase-sessions.co.uk for all the artist information.