Music and art, what’s not to love?! Join the launch of Tim Gerard’s new album ‘Right From The Start’ and view artwork created by the singer songwriter himself. Experience the eleven paintings and eleven songs of Tim Gerard, Americana, roots- blues rock singer songwriter from London. Opening at ‘ArtDog’ from April 7th till the 17th in Lewisham off of his upcoming Album ‘Right From The Start’.
A live experience of visuals and music played and displayed by an independent artist himself. Gerard will be performing live the Thursday nights of the 7th, and 14th, the opening night will happen on Thursday the 7th and starts at 6pm, which will include an acoustic performance of his full-length album, with free snacks and wine.
‘Right from the start’ is the new album by singer songwriter Tim Gerard, recorded and produced together with Archie Sylvester (Ferris & Sylvester). The album is out on the 1st of April on all digital platforms. The album consists of autobiographical poetic songs about life, love and loss, through metaphoric imagery. Some songs stress on political deeper meaning, sometimes satirical as well as touching on the romantic side of life and love.
Behind the Artwork
Tim Gerard has created watercolour paintings to reflect each song on the album. He started painting a piece for his songs on the album at a time when gigging and live music was on standstill. The world was still in the midst of a pandemic. Each painting was inspired by a lyric from each song on his upcoming album. The paintings were done in watercolours.
The lyrics on the album were written together with author Gordon Torr (Kill Yourself and Count to Ten). The interesting side of this writing duo is that their perspective on life has a broad reach. From deep, young and romantic to acceptant, cutting, witty and wise. A great combination of light and heavy topics all at the same time. Each painting is named after the song title on the album.
Tim Gerard was born in Johannesburg and began playing guitar when he was seven. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston . After graduating, he moved to LA where he worked as a songwriter, producer and session guitarist. He has also toured and performed internationally in Nashville and London. The stories on the album are an honest and candid account of Gerard’s own experiences as a travelling musician and artist.
The Songs behind the Art
Every song is a work of art – ‘London Oh London’ is a blues rock song, inspired by Gerard’s experience gigging around London. He paints the city as a conglomerate money trap with a killer hook – “You’ve got the prettiest face and the dirtiest mind”. Gerard depicts this with a painting of a serpent wrapping itself around a London Underground sign. “You can ride and you can fly, you can run and you can hide, but what you think you gotta keep is what you gotta leave behind”. The song ‘Pretenders’ is poetically auto-biographical about the ups and downs of journey as a full time musician from living in the US to paying his dues in London as a full time musician.
Along with the song pretenders Tim painted a statue of ‘Paul Revere’ with his Fender Stratocaster guitar referencing his time in the States as a musician. The explosive song ‘Who Said’ carries a sociological and political message of gossip, rumour and fake news through multiple stories in each verse regarding false rumour captured together with a painting of a megaphone blowing soap bubbles. ‘Blue Skies’ is a satirical blues, rock n roll song about the end of the world, escaping the sadness and cynicism of one’s life.
Blue Hawaii
For this song Gerard’s visualized a blue Hawaii cocktail containing a tropical island on a windowsill as the perfect metaphor. Darker songs such as ‘As The Crow Flies’ lyrically dives into a deeper subject on humanity and a higher perspective; the crow, mid-flight carrying a pocket watch captures it perfectly. As well as songs, that are fuelled with heavy, political and sociological undertones. There are some beautiful ballads on the album. Songs such as ‘Rotterdam’ a song about breakup and reflection; “You were a sailboat and I was the breeze” depicted with a melancholy watercolour of a sailboat floating past an old Dutch windmill.
All the original works are framed and for sale in the gallery and available on Tim’s website for viewing along with the music. For more information of the event and timings visit www.artdoglondon.co.uk and www.timgerard.com. You can listen to Tim Gerard’s upcoming singles from the album on all digital music platforms.
www.timgerard.com artdoglondon.co.uk
07903194591
ArtDog gallery, 23 Brockley Rise, Honor Oak Park, London SE23 1JG
Exhibition runs from April 7 –17 at ‘ArtDog gallery’ 23 Brockley Rise, London, SE23 1JG
