Back in  the 1960's a 14 foot fibre glass boat pulled up on the rocky shore in a small inlet on Loch Gairloch in  Wester Ross, Scotland. A young lad got out along with the adults. The adults started chatting whilst the boat lay unattended. Tom grabbed hold of the rope and held the boat secure from the gentle waves and slowly receeding tide. He scowled at the wreckless adults.

 

in the 1980's an aspiring songwriter wandered into the BBC in the West End of Glasgow for an audition. He played a couple of songs into the high quality microphones in a large room. For maybe the first time in his musical career there seemed to be a 'bit of a buzz' as a group of adults (including the producer) chatted away. Tom remained innocent and wide eyed. Later as he chatted with the organiser of Mayfest he found out : 'They were really interested in your songs, but the producer was sacked the next week' Tom was later to work with the said producer for an independent video of his song Fast Food.

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In 1990 a freelance creative ventured to New England to play music and promote his first Album 'Filling in the Cracks'. Within a week Tom had formed a band and was playing a few 'hip gigs' and bamboozling folks with his accent. He ventured into the Mountain Goat (a shop selling outdoor gear). The conversation with K led to romance, marriage and two delightful daughters brought up in Stirling, Scotland, where Tom formed and ran the project INTER-ACT.

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It's now 2021 veering into 2022. The last two years have not exactly gone 'to plan'. I released an Album in 2020 Gap in the Fence and then all gigs and launch events were off. The Album was 'Highly Recomended' by Tom Robinson on BBC Radio 6.

 

I've started a new Album for 2022 which will be recorded mainly in Session in the House. I'm looking forward to seeing what we create. I've also got an Album of Spoken Word soundscapes on the go in 'The Den'.

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Meanwhile i do feel a little like Nero, Fiddling while Rome burned, or maybe like one of the strings.

Take Care x

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Tom Houston has formed and played in bands such as Paper Tiger, Unspeakable Acts, Tite Slax, Del Hood, Bamboozle, The Ventriloquists, Tom Houston and the Keltic Band, and davesnewbike. He has been musical director with Fablevision and the Arches Theatre. He has co-written with Chris Difford, Neill MaColl, David Harper Gray and Christope Edwards. He has released 4 solo Albums: Filling in the Cracks 1990, Open the Skylights 2013, Plastic Trumpet 2018, Gap in the Fence 2020 and two with davesnewbike : Wanderlust 2015 and The Tin Can and the Flood 2017.

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