Artist description Tonefarmer is a moody, emotional, melodic, modern guitar-driven, pop/rock 3 piece. Great songs with an original style that is reminiscent of a dream band of an early Neil Young/Thom Yorke clone singing with the Smiths produced by Brian Eno.

Music Style Pop-rock trio emphasizing smart, melodic, memorable songs with broad emotional range.

Musical Influences Mostly UK guitar pop/modern rock bands

Similar Artists Travis, Coldplay, Radiohead, Badly Drawn Boy, Smiths, Richard Ashcroft, Talk Talk, U2

Artist History ToneFarmer is a melodic modern pop trio fronted by Rob Hamrick (lead vocals, guitar) which also features drummer/vocalist, John Miracle and bassist/ vocalist, Chris Mundy. Formed in the summer of 2000, the group's immediate focus was the writing and recording of their debut CD Recreation. The disc's rhythms tracks were engineered at Cincinnati's Ultrasuede Studios by former Afghan Whigs bassist, John Curley, and all other tracks were completed by the band at their home studio. "The disc finds Hamrick subduing some of the more atmospheric tendencies of his previous work (Sleep Theatre) in favor of a more honed Pop/Rock approach", says Mike Breen of Cincinnati CityBeat. "But there is still a mild ambient flavor in the songwriting which recalls the folkish, melodic feel of the solo work of ex-Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft. Mundy and Miracle create a subtle yet tight backbone, while Hamrick's vocals often take the melodies to soaring heights. The guitar work is creative and always tastefully shaped for the song and the band's smart, memorable songs show Hamrick at a career-high with the more focused arrangements bringing his core songwriting talent even more to the forefront." Currently, the band is distributing Recreation to press, radio and industry contacts worldwide.

Group Members Rob Hamrick: vocals, guitar John Miracle: drums, vocals Chris Mundy: bass, vocals

Instruments Vocals, guitar, bass, drums, synths, samplers

Albums Recreation

Press Reviews Peoplesound.com Editor's Choice review August, 2001 Although American three-piece Tonefarmer claim to draw influence from Brit-pop, their tuneful guitar pop seems to draw extensively and effectively from classic Americana rather than Oasis or Blur. Vocalist Rob Hamrick possesses a Southern drawl that echoes the lazy phrasing of REM's Michael Stipe circa "Document", before breaking into a falsetto that reminds of "Harvest Moon" era Neil Young. Musically, a UK influence can be glimpsed, with similar 3 minute pop classicism as Liverpool's finest the La’s. Cincymusic.com CD review by Shane Miller August, 2001 Tonefarmer RECREATION Have you been wondering where all of the really poetic, emotionally driven songwriters have been hiding lately? Well you can find a few of them in the local band Tonefarmer. Recreation, the debut CD from these Cincinnati natives, is an amazing display of audio creativity and musical talent. The band, made up of Rob Hamrick (vocals, guitars, synths) Chris Mundy (bass) and John Miracle (drums), puts out more "ear candy" than many other discs I have purchased in the past few years. From the time the disc starts, to its completion, Tonefarmer takes listeners on an emotional roller coaster with many twists and turns. Tonefarmer displays musical styles that I find to be reminiscent of a early Neil Young meets Brian Eno. The opening track "Save the Day" features an upbeat blend of electric and acoustic guitars with a very crisp drum tone and melodic bass lines. The vocals are extremely melodic and put out hooks that will not leave your head for a day or two, and Hamrick displays a vocal range that I found to be quite impressive. Two cuts deeper on Recreation is a relaxing track titled "I Wish I Knew". I think that it could be the missing song from the Trainspotting soundtrack. Thumbs up! The disc winds down with a track called "Slow Down". I found this song to be something that could fit on an early Psychedelic Furs album. This is another one of my personal favorite tracks on the album. The great thing about this album is that there is a lot of experimental synth sounds in the background of many songs, and they are all tastefully done. You can tell that these guys have been around the musical block a few times. Everything is blended very well and nothing is over the top. Possible influences: Neil Young, Brian Eno, The Smiths, Radiohead, Psychedelic Furs. OVERALL: If you are looking for a break from the normal songwriting styles of today and you want to find a new audio experience in a local band that sounds like they have what it takes to make it big in a euro-pop society……..check it out! City Beat Conversation with Rob Hamrick by Mike Breen If you've been even a casual observer of the Cincinnati music scene over the past 20 years, you've no doubt seen the ebb and flow. There have been numerous highs (like the "Next Seattle" days of the early-to-mid '90s) and inevitable lows (the fallout of the "Next Seattle" stigma). Local singer/songwriter/guitarist Rob Hamrick has grown through all of those ups and downs. In the '80s, Hamrick's Sleep Theatre was a pivotal part of an interesting Post Punk/New Wave scene that also included bands like Red Math. In the '90s, Hamrick moved briefly to Boston with his Witches' Wah project, returning with the band to the local scene for a brief time towards the end of the decade. Ushering in the new Millennium, Hamrick is now fronting Tonefarmer, who released their debut album, Recreation, this year. Hamrick says he feels like the local scene is currently in a healthy state, but there are still marked differences from days gone by. "I think that local bands are making better records than ever," Hamrick says. "And I see that most bands in the scene are very supportive of each other. But I remember a more vital live scene in the late '80s and early '90s. I have talked to other bands, and it seems to be true for whatever reason. Bands that have been around for three to four years are finally starting to have a solid draw while 'back in the day' that same draw took less than a year. There seems to be an ebb and flow like most things in life." Hamrick was first led into the "band life" while in high school. His friend, keyboardist Itaal Shur (who has since become an in-demand musician/songwriter, working with the likes of Maxwell and Santana), would drop by his house to play his electric guitar. "When he first started coming around, I was a total beginner and pretty much didn't have a clue," Hamrick says. "About a year or so later he asked me if I wanted to be in a new Rock band he was forming, and ever since then I have been hooked." After the split of Witches' Wah, Hamrick says he stepped back to re-examine what he wanted to do as a musician. He began to record some new material with the intention of making a solo album, and he also kept his feet wet by test-driving material live at various open mic nights around town. "I wasn't sure if I wanted to be in a band anymore," Hamrick says. "It just seemed like a pain in the ass in some respects." Thankfully, a chance run-in with his former Sleep Theatre band-mate John Miracle convinced him to put together a new group. The drummer brought in bassist Chris Mundy immediately and, with a mutual love for British Pop from the last 30 years, Tonefarmer was born. "Tonefarmer is a more 'get to the point of the song' band," Hamrick says when asked to compare the new band to his previous work. "We are going for a big, beautiful, transcendental sound. Our main goal is for the listener to get a chill down their spine and feel something different and new from our songs." Mission accomplished. With a graceful, hooky sound inspired by pre-BritPop bands like The Smiths and Echo and the Bunnymen, as well as new breed acts like Travis, Coldplay and Badly Drawn Boy, Tonefarmer's Recreation is one of the best band debuts of the past few years. Given the influences, it makes sense that Tonefarmer would set its sights to across the pond. Hamrick says the band has been making some business contacts with people in London, and they're hoping to play some shows there in the next six months. The band has also begun to work on new material, which they'll be recording in their own studio for their next release

Additional Info e-mail us at Tonefarmer@yahoo.com

Location Cincinnati, OH - USA

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