2606B Raeford Road
Fayetteville, NC 28304
Tel: 910-677-0055
ON STAGE
Tim Prince
Tim Prince
Hereford, United Kingdom
On Stage at Paddy's: Friday, June 6, 2008
Tim Prince Bio
Tim Prince was born in Royal Leamington Spa, England, of Irish descent. His grandmother tried to teach him hymns on the piano, but he played everything with a four-four rock beat, much to her dismay.
Prince listened to Irish Rebel and traditional ‘folk’ songs, and soaked up the atmosphere in the Irish clubs, watching grown men reduced to tears by the old, slow ballads that were sung there. In these drunken clubs he heard the songs of Bob Dylan and discovered the world of American folk, blues and country. They all sang of traveling on, so he decided to follow them.
Tim worked his way through Australia, Spain, Holland and Italy, Ireland and France, and made numerous trips to America, writing and singing as he went. He loves to write, sing and perform; after all, his Grandmother played it into his soul. His debut album, Angel Songs, was recorded at John Keane’s studio in Athens, Georgia, USA, using local session players and some friends Prince brought along from England.
My songs are about what I see, feel and hear,” he says. “I like to keep them simple, but with strong melodies. I’m a sucker for a good melody. My life is in my songs, though I insist they remain accessible. If a song’s any good, it should be able to be sung with just an acoustic.”
Tim’s influences are varied. “My influences are the usual carpenters of song: Dylan, Cohen, Tom Waits, The Beatles, Hank Williams, but also The Clash, The Stones, Nick Cave and The Pogues. I also include Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Peggy Lee; I love a crooner. My song ‘Sometimes’ is straight crooning, just kind of…twisted!”
His ambitions? - “To make music and increase my audience. And basically, any day above ground is a good one! There’s an old traditional African song that says, ‘Do not seek too much fame/ but do not seek obscurity. Be proud/ but do not remind the world of your deeds. Excel when you must/ but do not excel the world. Many heroes are not yet born/ many have already died. To be alive to hear this song is a victory.’ I’d go along with that.”
Tim's songs have been broadcast and performed by a variety of people, from contemporary dance companies like EARTHFALL, to BBC TV programmes, such as 'The Amazing World of Desmond Rezillo', HTV's 'PRIMETIME' and CHANNEL 4's 'The Electric Chair'.
Bands he has written for include: JUNKHEAD, SHALLOW TWINS, and THE SKIN TRADE.
Tim has performed for PRINCE CHARLES at THE PRINCES TRUST Concert in Wales, at the SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST FESTIVAL in Texas.
Tim currently lives in Hereford, UK.
Whats being said about Tim!
“Tim's music is a refreshing combination of honest, heartfelt lyrics coupled with beautiful, compelling melodies.” — John Keane (REM, Cowboy Junkies, Indigo Girls)
"Wow. Nice stuff. This is professional. Great intro. The verse melody is haunting and is so original. The instrumentation and arrangements are really well done and thoughtfully put together. This is a strong song and a radio hit by far. Just be careful not to over do the chorus. I know for the past 10 years, industry has harped on about the chorus, the chorus, the chorus.... but I think people are kinda of getting sick of that and will be more impressed by originality than a chorus endlessly shoved down their throats. Until I got to the chorus, I was thinking Crowded House... after the chorus it was like... hmmmm sliding into Robbie Williams.... I think Crowded House will go down in history where Robbie probably won't.... get what I mean? Overall a hit!" — Scout Review, Slice The Pie, July 2007
"If you've not seen this guy live, you must. His guitar playing is rudimentary, it's true, but his voice and his songs are amazing. And he has the kind of charisma most artists can only dream of. See him before one of the majors snaps him up. " — The New Folk Radio, USA
Tim Prince. Say it with me. Tim Prince. Plan on hearing that name again. And again. And again. This versatile Englishman has a winner with his first release, "Angel Songs". From the hooky, pop "Weatherman" which, by the way, is so catchy that 10, 11, and 12-year olds can sing along the first time they hear it, to the gut-wrenching "Letter From Clarke County Jail", Prince strikes whichever chord he’s aiming for. If he wants you to cry, you’ll cry; if he wants you to bop along, you, my friend, will bop.
If you listen to music regularly, you know that there are times when you know what’s coming in a song you’ve never heard before, be it a line, a chord progression, a melody. Tim Prince, happily, avoids most of those predictabilities; while I did have a couple brief moments of déjà vu when I seemed to know exactly where he was headed, I was more often than not surprised at the musical twists and turns. The playing and singing are flawless, the production is perfect; nothing heavy or overstated, it all fits into the vein of Americana, even though Prince paints with a much broader brush. He can’t be pigeonholed; the obvious influences are the usual singer/songwriter suspects, think Dylan et al, (not that there’s anything at all wrong with that) but think outside the box a bit also; think what would have happened if, say, Lennon and Tom Waits hooked up to do a project. As I said, the influences are somewhat obvious, but there is nothing derivative; this is all fresh, original stuff.
Do yourself a huge favor, go to LostcatRecords.com and order this cd. And while you’re online, head on over to YouTube and watch the video for the leadoff cut from the CD, "Cold Living". Tremendous! This is a cd that’s definitely going into my rotation. — Rick Marchetti, The Muses' Muse, Berklee Music
22/4/2007 "Great production! Everything that comes in is not what I expected. Brilliant chorus, lyrics are so good! The effect on your voice in the verses is really good and contrasts well with the chorus, in verse 1 though it makes you sound nasal. love the use of the organ. A top quality tune, i'm backing you!." — Scout Forum, 'Slice The Pie', July 2007
"On songs like 'Lullaby' and 'Doing it Wrong', Prince's voice resonates with a sultry warmth, conjuring comparisons to Damien Rice. The earnest sweeping canter of "Lullaby" proves to be the perfect sad song, and makes the entire album worth listening to...he is sure to be an artist to watch." — 'Indie Music’ US Magazine Review, May 4th 2007
"As a fan of authenticity in music, I am always on the lookout for musicians who put their art above commercial expectations. Tim Prince immediately struck me as just such an artist. His work is real, and that's what makes it immensely appealing from both an aesthetic and emotional standpoint." — Jerry Jodice, Lost Cat Records and host of The Great American Music Hour
"Tim's music is a refreshing combination of honest,heartfelt lyrics coupled with beautiful, compelling melodies." — John Keane ( REM Producer & Engineer)
With 'Cold Living'...Prince might really have something." — Americana, 31st May 2007
"...combining the spirit of Lennon with the musical vibes of Cohen and Radiohead, Tim Prince delivers gut wrenching heartache, served on a platter of melancholy - through the eyes of his soul!..." — Lee Tyler Post
"Like Snow Patrol, only catchier!" — John T, BBC Website
"You can really hear Tim's influences from all over the world, there's some Deep American roots in there somewhere!" — Andrew Marston
"I heard Tim's music on the BBC Website and fell in love with it. Song For Jane is so beautiful. " — Nika(RadioFM)