Let me tell you what's happening on Sundays at Amie Street. I am a music lover. I am also a compulsive writer who, when derailed from my current fiction project, needs to feed the monster. So... I inquired with the Editors about creating a weekly biography blog introducing the site's musicians, announcing their shows, album-releases and tours for the upcoming week and acknowledging what self-created artists are saying and doing with and for their music. I'll feature one band or musician each week and make announcements for as many as possible.

What I aspire to do: lucid, honest, grassroots promotion of independent music.

Tristan Waterkeyn found time in his current two-week tour of South Africa to chat with me a bit so I could introduce him to his Amie Street listeners. I encourage you to visit his music here on Amie Street.

His debut album,

has been described as a "lie back in your hammock, look at the horizon and let the movement gently rock you" album and explores the many musical influences inherent in the eclectic nature of his personal history. Born in Tanzania and relocated to Kenya during childhood, he then attended a boarding high school in Zimbabwe, where he put the guitar lessons he began at age 10 to use. At 17 he formed his first band, "Substitute Parachute," with friends from school. He continued to explore the world, spending three years backpacking through Asia and sailing before returning to Africa, specifically, to Cape Town, where he studied Philosophy and Comparative Religion at University and where the 26-year old singer songwriter is currently based. "I think Cape Town has brought a lot of creativity out of me -- I finally realized that I had a voice and it might be a good idea to start getting onto stages and singing my songs!" Waterkeyn says. "Over the last few years I've played just about every week at all the local music venues." In the upcoming New Year, he plans to take his tour to Europe.

When asked about his influences, Waterkeyn says, "I've been more affected by some of the brilliant female singer songwriters of the last few years -- Tracy Chapman, Fiona Apple, Anni DiFranco, Aimee Mann. I enjoy their sophisticated poetic and lyrical styles." Lyrical content and how it is delivered within the context of a song is of great import to Waterkeyn, whose songwriting is both thoughtful and articulate. "It's easier to write unhappy songs," Waterkeyn says, "So I've tried to do the opposite, although I'll often contrast an uplifting light melody with a cynical or cutting lyric..." and this is the stuff that creates the organic whimsy tagged as "new vintage smooth" sound. The contents of his songs are rich commentaries on the human experience and elements of society, particularly those that seem strange to him, and his music is heavily layered in meaning and melody. "I like thinking about society and the way we operate in it," Waterkeyn says. This is true of Waterkeyn the artist as well as Waterkeyn the citizen of the world. He formed a company called Overtone, dedicated to building up the music industry of South Africa by providing bands and individual artists access to music industry directories via a rapidly expanding online community. Overtone caters to fans and the industry as well with gig guides and a newsletter.

Bottom line, I dig his music, folks. This man's got a deep, smooth set of pipes laying lyrics onto an easy-does-it and intricate musical landscape. Give him a listen. You'll find yourself revisiting these songs over and over.

Musicians, add me as a friend and send me a message. Tell me about what you're up to, where you're coming from, your politics, influences, personal history, tales of debauchery, heroism, woe, comical anecdotes, creative process, lyrical composition, the nature of your artistic impulse, how the band got together, thematic threads in your work, weird dreams you've had lately... whatever you want to convey to the public. If you'd like me to announce a show, tour or album release, send me a quick message. Think of me as a writing co-op for fair press.

Peace,
Lisa