Press Kit
Is it possible for a song to come from a lonely place and still make you feel good? Ask Tobin Kirk. This mustached country singer from Illinois keeps finding clever ways to smile through his evident heartache and make his own stories relatable for just about everyone. His secret is really no secret at all: write a good (or plain catchy!) song – and deliver it from the heart. For anyone willing to pay attention, Tobin’s earnest lyrics offer an open window into years spent in dignified loneliness. They can be undeniably melancholy in nature, yet these stories are often told with a wink and a sly smile, leaving any audience remarkably good humored or even plain cheerful after one of his performances.
Lessons in Lonely
In november 2021 and march 2022, Tobin recorded his debut album ‘Lessons in Lonely’ in only two days at ToneGood Studio in Urbana, IL, confidently (and rightly!) trusting the quality of his songwriting. Featuring Sarah Cramer on bass, Luke Bergkoetter on drums and Clayton Burke Deering – prominently – on pedal steel, the band brought 10 songs to life in a very direct, heartfelt way. But on a record with song titles such as ‘Why Would I Care’, ‘Let’s Get A Drink’ and ‘Stay Off My Lawn’ there is no hiding for the man responsible. On the contrary, here’s Tobin taking a step forward, finding his first rays of limelight as a country artist (with a matching look that suits him like a, well, Stetson…) and opening his heart.
By coincidence (and some powerful algorithms) ‘Lessons in Lonely’ reached independent record shop owner Johan van den Berg in The Netherlands, who was struck by the work’s sincerity. The two got in touch and cooked up a plan that matched the record both in its creativity and its ambition: a limited run of 100 copies were pressed on vinyl, each of them sold with a free concert ticket for a live performance by Tobin. Or rather, the promise of that concert. One day. Just you wait and see.
Tobin Kirk’s Waterworks
Tobin’s songwriting never stops. To this day he is still holding dozens of songs up the sleeves of his embroidered shirts, many of them teaming up in his mind to form albums yet to be recorded. So the release of ‘Tobin Kirk’s Waterworks‘, only two years after its precursor, came as no surprise. Put down with the exact same team as ‘Lessons in Lonely’ – but with two extra days of studio time –, this album at first glance brings more broken hearts (‘My Song is Blue’), more loneliness (‘The Longest Night of the Year’) and even plain despair (‘Rock Bottom’), but the exact same magic that made ‘Lessons in Lonely’ so addictive is present as well. Before you know it you are happily tapping your feet to a tune that sounds as if it has been around for ages, yet feels fresh and inspiring (‘Little By Little’). Until its message hits you right between the eyes. In other words: he did it again.
‘Tobin Kirk’s Waterworks’ was released in the USA through Chicago’s igottaguy records, and in Europe through De Groeverij in Houten, Utrecht, Netherlands.
It is a great valley of tears that Kirk sings about,
but always with a wonderful lightness.altCountry.nl about ‘Tobin Kirk’s Waterworks
Live in The Netherlands
More or less simultaneously to this release Johan managed to find a small but very real audience by promoting ‘Lessons in Lonely’ and selling it with the live tickets. By October 2024 Tobin had booked his flight to The Netherlands, five consecutive nights were planned in De Groeverij and each and every owner of the first record was contacted personally by Johan. What followed was nothing less than legendary. Buy Johan or Tobin (or one of the many visitors) a beer and they’ll talk for hours about what happened on those memorable nights.
Out now!: Tobin Kirk Live and Solo at De Groeverij 2024
We couldn’t resist pressing a nice 10″ vinyl ep with a selection of 8 songs recorded during the 5 night residency Tobin did at De Groeverij back in October 2024. Make sure you grab one of these!
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