Toby Martin - new release - 'Songs from Northam Avenue'

Toby Martin by Lynda Irons (Copyright Lynda Irons) Toby Martin by Lynda Irons

Tue, 28 Feb 2017 16:38:00 GMT

If you are still buzzing over Toby Martin’s spectacular performance as part of our concert series or love his previous music with his Sydney band Youth Group then you have probably heard about his new album which was released online and physically on 17 February. 'Songs from Northam Avenue' is influenced by the people and cultures in Sydney’s western suburbs.

Toby’s research led him to the source as he was approached by a theatre company to take up residency in Homes and Businesses on the suburban street of Northam Avenue. The project, only meant to last two weeks for the 2015 Sydney Festival, took on a whole new meaning for Toby as he started creating an album.

Interviewed recently in The Guardian, Toby said “Part of the project for me was realising that these suburbs are the most interesting parts of Australia. Energetic, lively, open to new things. White, mainstream Australia is pretty ignorant of the depth and diversity of its own country.

“It had never crossed my mind that there were these amazing Vietnamese concerts or Lebanese singers. My milieu had been inner-city, indie-rock.”

To find out more about the work behind the album see the full Guardian Article or watch this exclusive video.

Rolling Stone magazine rated the album 4 ½ stars, praising it for how it “channels Western Sydney stunningly”. Read the full review.

You can listen to the album now on Spotify or purchase it from iTunes

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