Tommy Bonner to launch his new album Emotional Kaleidoscope in Ballybofey

Ballybofey singer-songwriter, Tom Bonner, will launch his new album Emotional Kaleidoscope at the Balor theatre at 8pm on December 16.

He will be accompanied on the evening by Michael Gillespie and his 4-piece band will be accompanied by a choir. The singer who uses the stage name StrawMan, describes his new work as rockout and upbeat combined with a few slower more melancholic tracks. Emotional Kaleidoscope is the eagerly anticipated follow up to 2020's acclaimed Fearless. 

Tom's main influences include REM, The Verve/Richard Ashcroft, The War on Drugs, Frightened Rabbit, The Slow Show, Bruce Springsteen, Regina Spector and Biffy Clyro and many others. So far, he has amassed over 300,000 streams on Spotify and N1M and sees this as a solid launch pad for the release of his latest offering.

Tom first started writing songs while at university in Galway in the mid-90s. He moved to Hungary in 2003 to work as an English tutor. While there, he wrote and recorded his debut album Some Belated Truths under the moniker Urban Hermits. This was released to a solid reception in 2007. Later that year, the band played at the world-famous Cavern Club in Liverpool.

Due to family commitments, Tom took a break from music from 2008. Fearless, 2020, was his second full release.  In April 2021, he was commissioned by Donegal Education Training Board (ETB) to compose a song for Roddy Doyle’s novel Brilliant. The end of the year saw two new releases including a Christmas single. He launched Fearless in the Balor Arts Centre, Ballybofey on December 10 that year with an excellent new band and received a very positive reception.

As with Fearless, this latest work was recorded at Valley Music Studio in Ballybofey and produced by Terry McGinty of Valley Music Studio, Ballybofey.

"This latest album was born of rejection. We had been blown out for a few festivals in Donegal that shall remain nameless. I had two choices, to sulk and complain or see the opportunity that had presented itself. We were at least three tracks deep into a new album and I had a stack of songs written during the first lockdown. If we cracked on with it, we could have the album finished for Halloween.

"Not only did we have Adrian Harkin, drums and percussion and Kevin Halpin, bass, keys and guitar, on board but also wonderful musicians such as Adam Hannigan on guitar, David Oliver, trumpet, Joanna Harkin, vocals, and Rodney Deery, saxophone, to add a bit more gloss to proceedings. Huge thanks to all of them for being so generous with their time and talent. Adrian and Kevin had played on the first three tracks and did brilliantly. You can hear that for yourselves on I Can Hear Dan Grimaldi Weeping, A Rooster’s Step and Krakatoa. However, due to certain circumstances, it appeared that myself and Terry would have to continue ourselves. We got stuck in from late May onwards.

“We took it one song at a time; (A Strange Move For A) HomeTown Hero, Jump the Shark, My Capital, Wherever You Go, There You Are, Protest by Lullaby and Don't Let The Old Man In. We took each as close to completion as possible and then revisited them later with fresh ears. This has become our modus operandi. Being distant neighbours, Terry and I don't need to do lengthy sessions. We work much better in two-three hour sessions and post-recording drill, take it home, sleep, rest your ears, listen tomorrow., make a hit-list of edits, apply these and move on. I think it's a pretty good system.

Terry and Tommy completed the final mix in early October: "We'd been quite obsessed with this album and emptied ourselves creatively into it, so when it was done, the world seemed a little bit off-kilter for a day or two. I think that's when you know you've done good work. We have no regrets, not a single one. No stone was left unturned. We explored every suggestion and every idea. Most came off. Some didn't. That's ok. It's all part of the process."

Tommy says there are so many reasons why he loves this album: "I love the fact that my voice isn't the first you hear on it. I think how this record opens is so artistically brave and original. I'm also very proud of the fact that musically and lyrically, Emotional Kaleidoscope, is much more expansive and outward-looking compared to Fearless, which was more  personal.

"I didn't want to make the same record and we definitely haven't. Emotional Kaleidoscope is definitely different and therefore, a natural successor to Fearless. I try to refrain from using comparatives and superlatives. This is better or worse. To paraphrase Marlon Brando, 'Everybody and everything has his/her/its own value....'  That's good enough for me," he said. 

Tom said Terry McGinty is an excellent musician and producer: "He is such a brave and innovative producer. Combine that with his incredible musicianship and technical proficiency and it's quite a thing to behold. Finally, he is my dear friend, a great dad and a good man, which is most important of all."

In relation to inspiration and influences, Tom says he can hear The Slow Show on Protest by Lullaby, Noel Gallagher on My Capital, The War on Drugs on Don't Let The Old Man In and Richard Ashcroft on Hook, Line and Sinker.

"Maybe readers will hear something else. I'd be curious to know. I love all these songs and try not to show favouritism. However, if I had to choose from the ten, I'd have to go with '(A Strange Move For A) Hometown Hero'. I adore the vocal. It was one take, lazy, spontaneous, full of feeling and wee vibratos. The song is a homage to my hometown of Ballybofey. My girl sometimes refers to me in jest as The Hometown Hero because I know and chat to so many lovely people when we're out and about. Musically, I never tire of the desolate trumpet and the dramatic string-section on this song, not to mention Terry's bass harmonic in the outro.  A few of these songs have two different outros- My Capital and Don't Let The Old Man In being others. This, I'm also fond of. I'd like to think that it's not bad writing and that I'm doing ok," he said.

The album has been out on digital release since Friday, November 3. It has been out on CD release since November 10. You can find our more aboout Tomy at www.strawman.ie 

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