Old Lost John: News

A video from the gig at Moriskan, Malmö back in July. The song, As We Do In Dreams, was released on a limited CD-R back in 2005 and has remained a live favourite among fans ever since.

Some pretty excellent reviews for the "Bringing Down the Sky" album, and here's one I'd particulary like to share with you, from renowned web site americana-UK.com:

"Once again Sweden connects with the new world in old ways.

Tomas Thurnberg, the prime mover behind Old Lost John gained rave reviews for his 2009 release “Faceless”, hailed as a “folk noire” masterpiece. Two years on he presents us with this follow up which is as fine a set of wintry bare boned tales as we’ve heard in a long time.

With his gravelled voice, guitar and mandolin, Thurnberg is supported by a skeletal crew playing banjo, violin, ronroco (a Peruvian lute) and occasional trombone. There are backing vocals on three of the songs but the overall sound is sparse and pared with atmospheric sound effects at times including thunder and wooden creaking. There are elements of dark Appalachian ballads here but at times one is reminded of English folk of the sixties from the likes of Bert Jansch while the wheezy Into The Bone could have come from the pen of Tom Waits.

Opening song Satan’s Got You Down is misleading. With its banjo and fiddle playing it’s the most American sounding song here and despite the lyrical warnings about the temptations of the devil it trots along at a fair pace. After this the record delves into darker spaces at a crawl. There are chilling pieces such as Smooth Lover with its running away theme and Scarecrow where the singer appears to crave peace and solitude. Bruised love appears time and again on the album be it the Jansch like Sparkle and rain, the folky death ballad of Gallow’s Hill or the rippling Make It Last. Overall the album has an air of mystery compounded by the opaque lyrics and atmospheric music. It deserves full attention and grows and envelops one like mildew in a dark and abandoned house." (Reviewers rating: 9/10)
http://www.americana-uk.com/reviews-cd-live/latest-cd-reviews/item/old-lost-john

Wow. I have to say a review like this makes me a little proud. Well, let's hope more people out there will discover the album! Take care and stay humble, cheers!

Fans, friends, fairies and fools! The new album 'Bringing Down the Sky' is here! Go to the 'shopping page' to order directly from me, $15 to anywhere in the world, postage included.

Release gig tonight at Vinylbaren, Malmö, Sweden. The upcoming UK tour starts on Saturday the 16th at The Basement in Brighton, where I open for Carrie Elkin. Cheers!

Fans, friends, fairies and fools! Only two weeks left, here's a little taste of the new album!

OLD LOST JOHN Satan's Got You Down by Old Lost John
OLD LOST JOHN Eluding Me by Old Lost John

Fans, friends, fairies and fools! A couple of live recordings from last year, Dagger Dagger from Malmö in March and Broken from Marlow FM Festival in September!

OLD LOST JOHN Broken (live in Marlow UK 2010-09-11) by Old Lost John
OLD LOST JOHN Dagger Dagger (live at Kong 2010-03-13) by Old Lost John

Fans, friends, fairies and fools! The new Old Lost John album "Bringing Down the Sky" is scheduled for release on April 13, and will be followed by a UK tour starting in Brighton the 16th and ending in Newcastle the 28th. Eight gigs in total, full details on the Calendar page.

After a few late changes, this is the final track list on the album: 1) Satan's Got You Down, 2) Eluding Me, 3) Smooth Lover, 4) Scarecrow, 5) Sparkle and Rain, 6) Gallow's Hill, 7) Make It Last, 8) Into the Bone, 9) Regina's Bar, 10) From An Airborne.

The album will be made available directly through me (on this website) or CDBaby, and downloads from iTunes, Amazon etc.

Take care and stay humble!
Tomas

Fans, friends, fairies and fools! Thanks to all of you who supported Old Lost John during 2010, and everybody I've had the pleasure to work with on stage and in the studio. Olof Jennfors, Göran Abelli, Ida Gustafsson, Johan Malmberg, Val Aviv, Mikael Persson, Frida Ekerlund, Ståle Holgersen... Apologies if I forget someone!

Sweden is cold, dark and covered in snow at this point, but I'm looking forward to a bright year, with the new album, titled Bringing Down the Sky, finally to be released in March. UK residents may also look forward to my next tour in April, and I'll try to put together an Italian tour as well before the summer.

Plenty of live videos are to be found on my YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/TightGrain and the first promo video for the forthcoming album should be up in February.

Also, a reminder about the official Old Lost John page on Facebook, please join! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Old-Lost-John/255462416082
Stay humble, and best wishes for 2011!
Tomas of Old Lost John

Fans, friends, fairies and fools! I've put up a batch of live videos from a gig in Malmö a couple of weeks ago on YouTube. They were shot in HD, and what you hear is a rough blend of soundboard mix and audience recording.

Go to http://www.youtube.com/user/TightGrain

Fans, friends, fairies and fools! Don't miss the Old Lost John live session for Songs From The Ark in Brighton this Friday (3rd Sept) at 6 PM on Radio Reverb 97.2FM. Streaming LIVE on www.radioreverb.com

NOTE! This event is streaming LIVE at 6 PM in Britain, so times differ depending on where in the world you are. In Sweden, for instance, it's 19:00. Cheers!

Fans, friends, fairies and fools! I'm going to the UK for a handful of gigs again and kick off at The Basement in Brighton on Friday 3rd September. Emily Jane White headlines, and Matt Bauer & Dana Falconberry perform as well, so there are several good reasons to check it out if you're anywhere nearby. Tickets are £ 9, but that's a bargain considering the talent gathered.

Tickets here: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/88378

Venue website: http://www.thebasement.uk.com

Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/?sk=events#!/event.php?eid=143878835638686

There are still a couple of question marks about the following gigs, so I'll get back to you when everything's been confirmed.

Cheers,

Tomas

The Swedish summer has been pretty hot and exhausting this year. Nevertheless, recordings for the next album is underway, and this week I've had lovely Brightonian Val Aviv in the studio, adding harmonies to three of my songs as well as nailing some of her own material. The results are very promising, though it's a long way to go before the final mixes.

The working title for the next album is "Bringing Down the Sky", which is a line from one of the songs. No final decision made regarding which songs will be on the album as yet, though five or six of about twenty or so seem pretty much on the safe side. Release date? No promises, but hopefully some time in October.

I'll keep you updated. Cheers!

Fans, friends, fairies and fools!

Old Lost John is going to the UK! These are the dates:

22 May - Tudor House, Wigan

23 May - The Orange Tree, Nottingham

24 May - The Grapes, Sheffield

26 May - The Sheepwalk, London (supporting DADDY)

27 May - The Green Note, London (supporting David Olney)

30 May - Stag's Head, London (supporting Southern Tenant Folk Union)

Check the Gigs page for more details!

Cheers,

Tomas

Fans, friends, fairies and fools! I've created a page for Old Lost John on Facebook, so please join in and become fans. An easy way to follow what's going on, interact in discussions and comment on updates, check out who your fellow fans are and connect ahead of gigs in your area. 

The link is http://www.facebook.com/pages/Old-Lost-John/255462416082

Hope to see you all there, cheers!

Tomas

Fans, friends, fairies and fools, thanks to all of you who supported Old Lost John during 2009, and everybody I've had the pleasure to work with on stage and in the studio, as well as those of you who were otherwise involved in the creation of the Faceless album. Let's see... Olof Jennfors, Göran Abelli, Ida Gustafsson, Frida Ekerlund, Frida Åstrand, Thomas Denver Jonsson, Johan Malmberg, Jan Hellman, Mattias Ljungren, Paul Ström, Anton Axelsson... Apologies if there's someone I forget to mention!

The reviews for the album have been quite stunning, and I'm looking forward to start working on the next one. I won't hurry things though, so don't expect to hear the first tracks until the spring or summer. UK residents may look forward to my next tour in May, with seven or eight gigs already confirmed. 

In the meantime, check out the new video for Come Saturday, made by my friend Joel Nevrup, by clicking on 'Video' in the navigation bar above!

Stay humble, and best wishes for 2010!
Tomas of Old Lost John

Merry Christmas to everyone concerned and Midwinter Greetings to you all, fans, friends, fairies and fools!

A UK tour is scheduled for May, most dates already in place, and new songs are continuously written, waiting to be recorded. Some video works are also waiting in the wings. Well, as most anyone, I'm rather busy at this time of year, but I'll update you further as we enter 2010!

Take care and stay humble!

Tomas

Fans, friends, fairies and fools! Here's another excellent review of the new album, this one from the renowned Americana UK website!

"Swedish folk noir that manages to sound fresh and new

Swedish, moody, and wrapped up in that American folk-noir vibe seemingly de rigueur in his homeland, Tomas Thunberg AKA Old Lost John however has an altogether wider sphere of influence on which he draws for his work. Alongside the obvious nods to the roots tradition there are elements of the carnival-esque roguishness of Waits mixed with winsome orchestrated, down-played grandness of, say, a stripped down Willard Grant Conspiracy. It all adds up to an excellent album of strong, absorbing songwriting and simplistic yet novel musical accompaniment.

Introspective tales of love lost, gone but not forgotten, is the order of the day here all supported tellingly by intermittent bursts of accompaniment from lone horns, waifish harmonies, or dark, distant mandolins. It makes for a wonderful un-hurried listen that gets even more appealing with repeated plays. Fellow ertwhistle Swede Thomas Denver Jonsson is on hand to keep stoking that lo-fi fire which, in these parts, is always most welcome. A noticeably different take on the traditional singer-songwriter approach so common place these days, Faceless is an altogether more intriguing proposition and a record well worth searching out."

Date review added:  Monday, October 05, 2009
Reviewer:  Del Day
Reviewers Rating: 8/10

http://www.americana-uk.com/auk/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=4969

Fans, friends, fairies and fools! Here's a fantastic review from the Terrascope website:

"Having released a handful of CD-R’s, Tomas Thunberg now graces our ears with his first official CD album, the beautiful and delicate “Faceless”, a collection of songs that are filled with a sadness and acceptance, not depressing but awash with wistfulness and wisdom. Opening track “Broken” finds the spirits of Towne Van Zandt and Leonard Cohen, walking across a desolate coastline, a mournful trombone adding gravity to the picked guitar phrases. On “Fairies and Fools”, a bowed saw and delicate backing vocals from Frida Astrand, create the perfect sonic landscape for the inherent sadness, some fine guitar fills completing the songs beauty.

More upbeat, “Come Saturday” has a sparkling guitar motif, simple and effective, the trombone again adding atmosphere, the lyrics not as cheerful as the bright tune would suggest. As with the rest of the tunes, the instrumentation on this song is pitched perfectly, allowing the listener to get lost within the small sketches and sad tales. After the graceful “In from the Cold”, complete with mandolin fills, things are slowed down for the droning “Tremble”, a pump organ and the sound of wine glasses used to devastating effect, an atmospheric delight that sounds better every time.

Consistent in its sound yet varied enough to hold the attention , this album maintains the quality throughout, with “Railway Car” reminding me of Iron and Wine with its hypnotic rhythm, whilst the bleakness of “Nothing Good” is an icy breath of surrender, lost love and memories, the line containing the word “elephant” bringing a surreal smile to your lips!

To close the album, the wyrdness of “Dagger Dagger” will make you listen, as memorable a song as I have heard this year, the eerie atmosphere drawing a veil of mist around your ears, sounding like Kevin Ayers at his most atmospheric.

Low-key and personal, this is fast becoming one of this year’s favourites, try it and see for yourself. (Simon Lewis)"

http://www.terrascope.co.uk/Reviews/Reviews_October09.htm

Fans, friends, fairies and fools! To buy the new album, Faceless, click the button below and pay via Paypal, and I will personally handle your order and send the album to you immediately. This is the quickest way, and also lets me keep most of the money myself!

OLD LOST JOHN Faceless CD - $15 (world wide, shipping included) So, get it now, and enjoy! Cheers, Tomas

Fans, friends, fairies and fools! The time has come to proudly present the new Old Lost John album! Launching my own label, Tight Grain Recordings, "Faceless" will in fact be my first properly manufactured album after a string of demos and limited CD-R releases.

At the core of it all is my voice and quiet fingerpicking, embellished by occassional other instruments in a purely acoustic setting. The album was recorded during late nights at my private home studio, and features inspired performances from a small cast of musicians. There are Göran Abelli's exquisite trombone fills, the eerie spells of Frida Åstrand's bowed saw, mandolin by Olof Jennfors and four various backup singers: Ida Gustafsson, Frida Ekerlund, Frida Åstrand and critically praised songwriter and fellow Swede Thomas Denver Jonsson. There's also a vast array of various acoustic instruments, like guitars, mandolin, mandola, melodeon, pump organ, tremelo harmonica and tin whistle, that I took care of myself.

The track list goes like this: 01 Broken, 02 Fairies And Fools, 03 Come Saturday, 04 In From The Cold, 05 Tremble, 06 She Won't Listen (remastered), 07 Railway Car (remastered), 08 Nothing Good, 09 And She Looked Down, 10 Dagger Dagger (remastered).

The album will have its full release on the 17th of September through CDBaby and their digital partners Itunes, Rhapsody, Napster etc. However, it will be exclusively available already to those attending my upcoming UK shows between September the 7th and 10th (see Calendar). The official release gig in my home town of Malmo, Sweden, will not take place until October the 7th, when hopefully all or most of the people performing on the album will be able to take part.

I'll get back to you with links and more detailed info about how to order the album when I'm back home again after my UK trip!

Stay humble! Cheers,

Tomas of Old Lost John

Fans, friends, fairies and fools! If your speakers are on, there is a new track filling your ears as you read this. Titled Broken, it's taken from the forthcoming Old Lost John album, and features backing vocals from Frida Ekerlund, trombone by Goran Abelli, and spooky fills of bowed saw from Frida Astrand.

More info about the album and its release date etc will follow soon.

Cheers,
Tomas of Old Lost John

Fans, friends, fairies and fools!

Volume IV in the What's Kickin' series, an album compiling artists who performed at the renowned americana club What's Cookin' in London over the year, includes one exclusive track from Old Lost John.

Titled Smooth Lover, it features, as well as myself, trombonist Goran Abelli and backing vocalist Ida Gustavsson, and is not available elsewhere.

The album is released through Stove Pony Records and launched at What's Cookin', The Sheepwalk, in London on June 17. More info on who's performing that night etc on http://www.whatscookin.co.uk/wcwhatson.html Unfortunately, Old Lost John will not take part, as I'm being busy back in Sweden.

I'll provide a link to buying the album online after its release, so stay tuned!

Cheers,
Tomas

Fans, friends, fairies and fools,

A brief little UK tour this week, four gigs in total:

May 13 Cup of Tea Folk @ Lee Rosy's, Nottingham (supporting Dana Wylie Band)
May 14 Acoustic Rooms @ The Soak, Selly Oak, Birmingham (plus Sarah Gough, Rogue State Circus)
May 15 Ditch the TV @ Newbold Comyn Arms, Leamington Spa (plus Malc Evans Band, Fola)
May 16 What's Cookin' @ The Sheepwalk, Leytonstone, London (supporting Shirley Lee)

More details to be found on the Calendar page. Hope to see you if you're in the neighbourhood!

Fans, friends, fairies and fools! The Australian compilation Beyond the Pale from Sideways Through Sound was recently reviewed by the Terrascope website. "Wyrd and creepy, Dagger Dagger is one of my favourites on the comp, the deep gravelly voice of Old Lost John adding acres of atmosphere to the tune, as does the old pump organ". Read the whole thing at http://terrascope.co.uk/Reviews/Reviews_February09.htm#Beyondthepale

Fans, friends, fairies and fools!

The compilation album from last year's FAWM challenge, "14 Songs in 28 Days, Vol IV", is now available. It features fourteen songs picked by a jury, including Railway Car by Old Lost John, and it's available here: http://fawm.org/donate/
The very same song is also part of another compilation, "Handmade and Homespun", put together by american songwriter and americana enthusiast Joel D Canfield. See here: http://handmadehomespun.com/hh/
But it doesn't end there. The Australian radio show Sideways Through Sound has just released a glorious double CD package with some of their favourite artists from the show, and Old Lost John is one of them. The album is called "Beyond the Pale", and the gloomy classic Dagger Dagger was chosen for inclusion. Go here: http://www.sidewaysthroughsound.com/message.html
Stay humble, cheers!
Tomas of Old Lost John

Fans, friends, fairies and fools, thanks to all of you who supported Old Lost John during 2008. Many thanks to everybody I've had the pleasure to work with on stage: Olof Jennfors, Mattias Ljunggren, Johan Malmberg, Unni Zimmerdahl, Goran Abelli, Ida Gustafsson, Mikael Persson and Mattias Otfors.

So, another year gone and closer to death. Looking back, did I keep my head on my shoulders? My heart in my chest? Yes, I did, this year I did!

I'm not gonna give too much away, but I think 2009 looks quite promising. The FAWM jury picked one of my songs for inclusion on the Fawmpilation 2008 album, about to be released within short. http://blog.fawm.org/ (FAWM is an annual songwriting project on the web, attracting hundreds of songwriters.) There's a couple of other compilations I'll be on as well, but that's a little further ahead. And the Old Lost John album, is it turning out a 'lost' album? (No pun intended.) Well, I've changed my direction once or twice about what songs to put on it, what kind of arrangements and production to go for and whatever, but it has all settled and I'm moving forward.

Upcoming gigs and tours? I'm going back to the UK in late April and/or early May I think, but I've just started working on it, so we'll see. Next up anyway is Restaurang Möllan, on home ground here in Malmö, Sweden, January 13.

Stay humble, and best wishes for 2009!
Tomas of Old Lost John