Name: Tomten
Members: Brian Noyeswatkins (Keys, Guitar, Vocals), Jake Brady (drums), Dillon Sturtevant (Bass, Vocals)
From: Seattle
Label: Plume Records
Booking: Lynne Angel, Duck Club Touring
Links: bandcamp / facebook / twitter / soundcloud / iTunes / spotify

MUSIC

VIDEO

PRESS PHOTOS (credit: A. Francis Vilendrer)

PRESS PHOTOS (credit: Brady Harvey)

ALBUM ARTWORK

BIOGRAPHY
Tomten is a trio from Seattle, Washington. Often described as baroque or dream pop for their prominent use of organ, electric piano and analog synthesizers, they share a wide influence from early power-pop to electric folk.

The band formed in 2008 when singer/keyboardist Brian Noyes-Watkins met original bassist Lena Simon (La Luz, Kairos) at art school. The two began recording demos in the practice rooms, and started performing regularly in 2010 after drummer Jake Brady joined.

Their debut full-length Wednesday’s Children was released in June of 2012. Recorded on an old 16-track Tascam in a small Seward Park studio over the course of July the year prior, Wednesday’s Children is a keen plate-reverbed excursion over a soundbed of Leslie organs, Rhodes, chiming guitars, and 3-part harmonies.

Following the release of Wednesday’s Children, Tomten began work on their follow-up album, The Farewell Party, recording with engineer/producer Jason Quever (Papercuts) during the summer of 2013 in Sacramento and San Francisco. The singles off The Farewell Party displayed a stronger focus on songwriting as well as production. The Farewell Party was released August 19th 2014 on Seattle label Versicolor, with a following US Tour.

After releasing a single in May of 2015, “Bitter Pill” b/w “Humdrum Doom Song,” Tomten, now featuring Brian Noyes-Watkins (keys, guitar, vocals), Jake Brady (drums), and Dillon Sturtevant (bass, vocals), released their third full-length Cremation Songs on Seattle label Plume Records on July 7th, 2017.

“I first thought of the name Cremation Songs as a bit of a joke to poke fun at our previous record The Farewell Party,” says Noyes-Watkins. “It later dawned on me that it fit the songs well, seeing as most are vaguely about death in some way or another.”

Now Tomten is set to release their fourth album, Viva Draconia, named to invoke an authoritarian anthem sung by grey children in a grey room, or a boldly written declaration on war time propaganda. This release marks a shift from Cremation Songs, offering a record that is more personal, energetic and electronic. The additions of an acoustic 12 string and Roland SH 2000 for most of the album’s lead synth parts makes a bigger sounding record than the band’s previous output.

“Going into this record, we wanted to make a synthesizer focused album, also keeping it more concise. All of the songs are new and I didn’t pull anything from the past to rework which has sometimes been the case on previous records,” says Noyes-Watkins.

Charles Spitzack created the album artwork. “Charles is a fantastic artist who did some pieces for The Project Room in Seattle a few years back called ‘The Big Question Print Series,'” says Noyes-Watkins. “I was looking through some of the work he’d done, and saw this print, and I immediately felt a strong connection to it. Its abstract violence seemed fitting, and I didn’t want an image that was too specific or loaded.”

Lead single “Blue Movie” is a pop song in the vein of Orchestral Manoeuvers in the Dark, with that kind of instant synth gratification. According to the band, “It’s a song about pornographic excess and dissatisfaction, but with some whimsy!”

Viva Draconia is set for release on Seattle label Plume Records on September 28th, 2018 on CD, vinyl, and digital formats.