Tommy Henriksen

A richly textured, exciting blend of rock, pop and world music, the self-titled Capitol Records debut by singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Tommy Henriksen engenders the kind of listener excitement and enthusiasm that signifies the arrival of a major new artist. While the Long Island-born native may be new to the public at large, he’s been steadily paying his dues, honing his craft and dealing with the challenges of making it in a business where true talent is often ignored in favor of hype and hoopla. Henriksen, confident and assured without the veneer of arrogance or cockiness, epitomizes the street savvy of a musician who has survived the bumps and bruises of life in the world of rock’n’roll. Underneath the swirling rhythms and surreal atmospheric flavor of many of the cuts on TOMMY HENRIKSEN is the raw energy of a man for whom music is a lifelong passion.

That passion is evident on tracks as diverse as the melodic “I See The Sun” (the first single), the dream-like “Beyond Life” (which features Nina Hagen), the infectious opening cut “If I Could” which includes samples of chanting Tibetan monks. Tommy created the album with famed British producer Keith Forsey, best known for his work with Psychedelic Furs, Simple Minds and Billy Idol, among others. “I wanted to incorporate a lot of instruments not usually heard in pop and rock music like the sitar, tabla drums, the moon lute, the Irish pennywhistle, the banjo, accordion and the Swedish bagpipe. I listen to a lot of world music myself and I want to encourage other people to know about the different cultures and sounds.” Beyond the multi-layered use of a variety of global instruments is a straight ahead lyricism that says much about Tommy’s life and experiences. Tommy grew up in the blue-collar Long Island hamlet of Port Jefferson Station. “It’s like livin’ in the Midwest, except people go like, ‘Yo, watsup?’ he clarifies, with a grin. His childhood had its share of trauma: when Tommy was 12, his father left his Italian-American wife to bring up five children while taking three jobs to keep the family off welfare.

Tommy worked with different L.A. bands until 1991 when his mother passed away and he returned to New York. “I had nothing and I had to start from scratch again. I was doing construction work. You either do construction or work for the town. There are no musicians. When I was playing, I’d hear, ‘You’re a dreamer. You’re never gonna do nothin.’ All that did was make me work harder.”

With some money he saved, Tommy bought a 12-track Akai and gave himself two years to write songs without having to get a day job. When the time period was up, “I’m sitting here with all these songs and I’m still not there yet.”

Fortunately, Tommy met producer Keith Forsey. “I go to Keith and I say, ‘Keith, why don’t we just work on three songs? If it goes well, let’s work on the record.’ So we get in there, we start workin’ and right away me and him hit it off. He’s like me, we don’t over-think things. Like, ‘Dude, good enough, move on.’ All the vocals and guitar overdubs were done on my 12-track Akai and the basic tracks at Keith’s house.” A tape of five tunes made its way to the desk of Capitol A&R executive Steve Patch in the spring of 1998 and literally within days, Tommy signed a deal with the label, completing his album with Forsey weeks later. The result is a singular and highly distinctive record that defies comparison with any other music currently being made. “The whole idea of creating a universal kind of music, using different instruments from across the world really appeals to me,” says the multi-faceted musician, who recalls that just prior to getting his deal with Capitol he spent a brief moment as a guitar and keyboard tech for Alice Cooper.

He mentions four songs that demonstrate the album’s diversity: “Well, “I See The Sun” is about seeing someone’s personality and character traits that may not always be wonderful. We all have those traits, me included. The song is about seeing past that to the real essence of who they are. “Right Here By My Side” is a ballad that deals with grieving which is something I’ve been through myself with my mother and my grandfather. The theme of “One Voice” is bringing people together on a universal level. And “Beyond Life” is asking that very question, because we’d all like to know what might be after it, me especially! I wanted someone to sing a chant in a different language and Keith suggested Nina Hagen. She came in, did the vocal in ten minutes and was out of there. It was amazing.” The fulfillment of a long-held dream, Tommy’s self-titled album has all the elements to appeal to an audience eagerly seeking a fresh blend of pop and rock with a new lyrical slant and a unique sound. “I’m proud of this record,” says the genial Henriksen, “because I know I put my heart and soul into it. I gave everything for this record. As long as I’m makin’ music, that’s all that matters.”