JACK-of-all-trades Tomo Nakayama creates truly lovely chamber-folk, dripping with emotion and powered by his devastatingly clear tenor and astonishing vocal range.
Seriously y’all...this vocal range. Nakayama has an ability to express tender hushes that passionately unfurl and still everything in the room; with guitar and piano, it’s something akin to Sufjan Stevens, Cat Power, and Elliott Smith.
Based in Seattle, Nakayama first garnered attention fronting beloved folk/dream-pop band Grand Hallway. Recording on a single microphone and a laptop, Nakayama’s studio approach involves finding a perfect historic space, taking up residency, recording at odd hours, and emerging with a full album.
2014’s Fog On The Lens, was written during Nakayama’s residency at Town Hall Seattle, a Roman-revival style building—for a lo-fi recording, the sound is enormous.
In addition to earning high praise from NPR, New York Times, and more, the singer/songwriter/producer/multi-instrumentalist also also composed and acted in Touchy Feely, Lynn Shelton’s Sundance Grand Jury-nominated film starring Ellen Page.
He’s currently touring in support of Spaces: Volume 1: Ballard Homestead. It’s the first in a series of one-take field recordings, tracked in a former church built in 1928. The mic picks up the crackles of the space, the little dangerous tremors in Nakayama’s voice, resulting in piercingly honest songs; he’s sure to be a can’t-miss live.
Sunday, September 13, 8 p.m., $5
