Woody Guthrie, Utah Phillips, Ani DiFranco, Hamell On Trial, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Joe Strummer, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Kerouac, Ginsberg, Lenny Bruce, Hunter S. Thompson, Paul Simon, Bob Marley, Mason Jennings
Antony Mores wrote his first song at the age of five, and his first
live performance was soon to follow. "Growing up listening to Cat
Stevens and Sam Cooke certainly puts it all into perspective. It's
something that's always with me. The first CD my father ever bought me
was a Jerry Lee Lewis greatest hits album, and the rest just took care
of itself." Born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Antony
initially discovered how much he loved the expression and passion
behind singing while in a Catholic school choir. The first song he
ever remembers performing in front of an audience was 'This Land Is
Your Land,' and simultaneously he discovered his penchant for Woody
Guthrie and old folk music. He was seven.
At fifteen, he immersed himself in madrigal pieces and jazz and swing
choirs, as well more traditional melodies. "My voice broke when I was
fourteen, and suddenly I had this massive vocal range, and I was
loud." By the time he turned twenty he was a front man and co-writer
with a grunge band out of Waukegan, IL, which played gigs throughout
Chicago and its suburbs. "We were high-energy, blaring suicidal rock
with a carefree mentality. I was playing with guys who were ten years
my senior- metal guys. They definitely taught me a lot."
In early 2007 he released his first solo album, 'American Refugee' on
his own label, Folk It Up Records. "I had picked up the guitar again
and started writing. I was at a point where I was dealing with being a
new father while watching my marriage slowly disintegrate, and somehow
it all manifested itself within the presidency of George W. Bush and
what he was doing to this country. It was a very politically affirming
time for me. The politics of life, of love, and the wake-up call of
everything suddenly being thrust into oblivion- there's a lot of
material to be had in that."
So when it came time to record his latest release, 'Self Titled,' he
found himself using more distinct events as inspiration. The album
itself is very lyrically assertive, which ties into its vocally driven
techniques. It explores the experiences of unrequited love and inner
angst while remaining passionately optimistic about life. In the end,
Antony's music boils down to one thing- remaining true to himself. Its
premise, scrawled across the back cover, reads: "The only real titles
we have in this life are self titles. They are the collected
perspectives that we've applied to ourselves over time. All that we
have holding our society together are these made up titles. The words
that come to define people in terms the rest of society can identify
quickly with and understand. Of course it should be well noted that
adopting a made up title does come at a great personal risk to your
own individuality. I have found the best way to avoid such perils is
to remain completely self titled."
I'll be in Evanston/Wilmette for LilFest (myspace. com/lilfest) in a week. I'll help start the whole thing off with a show at Bills Blues on 9/11. Chicago's Michi will be my violin. Hope to see you and your friends there.
hey you, thanks for coming out the other night and for bringing the folks. haven't gotten a chance to listen to your tunes yet but i will and i'm sure i'll love them!
Hey Tony, great meeting you last night! The pictures you put up on you site look nice! Thank you so much for your kind words & great conversation! Keep in touch Andi&Paul(HH)
It's great to see a few new photos on here and I'm very much anticipating the new record! From one folk musician to another, I hoe things are going great on the road as well.
Thanks for stopping by with the kind words. Have a pleasant holiday season, and don't be a stranger. I'll look for you next time I hit Chicago. Cheers, Curtis ----- Curtis Eller's American Circus www.curtiseller.com
Salut!!
Thanks for the add and for taking a listen....any comment or feedback would be great!..much appreciated!..i'm loving this time of year, TGIF, party time!! have a good Friday!
Youna :)
Just a comment to let you know that I love your song 'gods'. I have been listening to it all day while trying to write. Also, I see you like Ani DiFranco....saw her and Hammell on Trial a few months back-excellent gig.
