Artist description Describing Tumble's music and pinpointing their influences are much like trying to identify the subtle ingredients in a rich sauce. Wray's voice skyrockets from low, sultry whispers to full-on diaphragm belting & then plummets to a velvety warble that shows this girl knows the definition of "dynamics." There's a little bit of Portishead, Tracey Chapman, Sarah McLachlan & Joni Mitchell going on, but not completely. And on the other hand, Austin handles his guitar with a buttery groove and a sangria feel. Little hints of Spanish rhythm reveal themselves from time to time. There's some Marvin Gaye, Pat Metheny & David Gilmore going on here, but not completely either. The duo's individual styles ultimately meld together to complement each other the way five years of playing with one another will do-each bringing out the best in the other half.

Music Style Melodic female driven acoustipop

Musical Influences dada, Aretha Franklin, Jeff Buckley, Ben Harper, Tracy Chapman, Sarah McLachlan, Peter Gabriel, Sundays

Similar Artists dada, Aretha Franklin, Jeff Buckley, Ben Harper, Radiohead, Sarah McLachlan, Janis Joplin, Natalie Merchant, Portishead, Marvin Gaye

Artist History Singer, Stacy Wray & guitarist, Gus Austin are TumbleÑan acoustic duo living in Los Angeles, transplanted from Seattle and originally from the East Coast. They quickly named themselves after one of their songs in the autumn of 1995, ten minutes before they debuted in Seattle at the Art BarÕs infamous and now defunct open-mic. Describing TumbleÕs music and pinpointing their influences are much like trying to identify the subtle ingredients in a rich sauce. WrayÕs voice skyrockets from low, sultry whispers to full-on diaphragm belting & then plummets to a velvety warble that shows this girl knows the definition of "dynamics." ThereÕs a little bit of Portishead, Tracey Chapman, Sarah McLachlan & Joni Mitchell going on, but not completely. And on the other hand, Austin plays guitar with a buttery groove and a sangria feel. Little hints of Spanish rhythm reveal themselves from time to time. ThereÕs some Marvin Gaye, Pat Metheny & David Gilmore going on here, but not completely either. The duoÕs individual styles ultimately meld together to complement each other the way five years of playing with one another will doÑeach bringing out the best in the other half.Tumble released their debut electric album Gravity in 1997 on PepperAlley Records complete with bass, drums, zither & didjeridoo. SeattleÕs alternative music magazine, The Rocket, called Gravity "a haunting, plaintive blend of ethereal folk-pop injected with dreamy swirls of beauty." Austin & Wray spent two years promoting their record playing shows in most of SeattleÕs top clubs, performing at the Bite of Seattle and the Northwest Folklife Festival. Tumble received radio airplay on SeattleÕs KMTT The Mountain and on college station 90.3 KCMU. In July 1999, Tumble was named "Artist of the Week" on www.musicbuilder.com where their song "Watering Mutes" remained in the Top 20 on the Alternative Charts for over three months.Words and language are not an after thought for Tumble, but an integral ingredient in each of the duoÕs songs. WrayÕs insightful lyrics reflect the native VirginianÕs English & Creative Writing degree. Each song weaving a tightly spun story chocked with intense imagery, emotion & childhood memories as illustrated in "August Porch": Happy New Year, may you scrub your face today with a stinging resolution to turn the page, watch the snowy-dressed branches melt away.TumbleÕs melodies are collaborations between the two musicians. It is common for Austin to have a melody line in his head & never tell Wray, but then the singer unknowingly comes up with almost the exact same melody. Again, five years playing together cultivates this kind of chemistry.In Los Angeles, you will find Tumble performing at the premier acoustic clubs in the city like Genghis Cohen and Highland Grounds in Hollywood. They even venture out of the city to play desert hot spots such as the Crossroads Coffeehouse in Joshua Tree, CA. The duo is currently hard at work crafting a new record due out some time in the Ô001. As always, Tumble promotes and tests their works-in-progress with such fine e-music purveyors as amazon.com, mp3.com and CD Baby.

Group Members Stacy Wray - voice; Gus Austin - Guitar

Instruments Guitar, Vocals, Bass, Drums, Zither, Didjeridoo

Albums Gravity

Press Reviews Gravity is a haunting, plaintive blend of ethereal folk-pop injected with dreamy swirls of beauty. This is a celestial and intelligent debut release from Seattle's Tumble. Vocalist Stacy Wray, a Charlottesville, Virginia transplant, has put her English degree to good use in the eight tracks on Gravity, each a tightly spun sonnet rich in depth of storytelling. Wray's soulful, velvety voice imbues each track with an innocent seduction that is indelible. Gus Austin, who handles guitar and various gadgets, and drummer Robert Schermerhorn provide steady, commanding accompaniment that transforms even the most obstinate rock tempo into a wholly danceable one. Gravity is an impressive, graceful production that strikes at the listener as mysteriously as an embrace from a spectre.----by Tina Potterf 'The Rocket' (Seattle, WA)

Location West Hollywood, CA - USA

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