Floyd Tolston
Floyd Tolston Ennis, TX www.floydtolston.com www.myspace.com/floydtolston
Genres: Country/ Folk/Americana; Singer-Songwriter Label: Independent Performs Live: Solo
Do not waste your time listening to Floyd Tolston if pumped-up, punked-out, commercial country glam is your idea of the way country music should be. The Texas singer/songwriter puts a new face on country music as he recounts stories of his country, memories and perceptions in a fresh, yet pure and unpretentious way. These are stories to which almost anyone can relate. Remaining true to his country/folk roots, some songs remind one of Townes Van Zandt, John Prine or Tom T. Hall, but all bear the mark of Tolston originality. From humor to soul-searching ballads, captivating lyrics define the artist’s genuine songwriting ability. His debut record, Something Special is a collection of 14 original songs filled with vivid imagery uncluttered by cryptic metaphors and analogies. His humor paves the way for appreciation of his more serious works. Wal Mart Lovers is the true account of a couple that the artist came across while shopping. In contrast, Austin, the record’s debut single, tells the story of a musician chasing the Nashville dream, and ultimately succumbing to its pitfalls. Something Special catches a sense of time and place as it follows the winding path of the human condition—its humor, social consciousness, lost promises, loves, happiness, busted dreams and death. “There’s a story behind a lot of the people that you’ve known,” he says. “Most of my songs are written about people I’ve known or things they couldn’t get beyond.” The record’s track, Everybody’s Got’em A Song, drew both praise and criticism for its debatable sociopolitical overtones concerning immigration. After 19 weeks on the RadioFreeTexas.org charts, peaking at number six, the song ranked number 21 on the station’s top 100 most-requested songs of 2007. “The thing that I think makes most of my songs different from the other stuff you hear, even among Texas music circles, is that they generally tell a story,” Tolston explains. “In order to know what is going on within the thought process of the song, people have to listen to the words. I think a lot of the songs reflect days of coffee houses when people listened to the words of the songs and identified with the contents.” Born and raised in west central Texas, Tolston launched his songwriting and musical endeavors during college, playing local country and folk clubs. While attending Tarleton State University, he joined a band, which enjoyed moderate regional success. After college, he settled into a full-time career. For the most part, his songwriting and musical endeavors gave way to family and everyday life. Upon retiring, he resumed serious songwriting and musical pursuits, finishing half-written songs, and writing new ones for the cd. “Most of my songs come in the form of a burning bush,” Tolston says. “I’m not one of those guys who can get up in the morning and say, ‘I’m going to write a song today.’ Something has to inspire me, or something has to evoke the feeling.” Something Special is available on the internet for purchase and mp3 download from cdbaby.com, lonestarmusic.com and amazon.com. Radio and industry downloads are available at the following websites: www.airplaydirect.com www.airplayaccess.com www.radiowavecds.com/public_onesheet.asp?ID=1344
For further information, contact:
Lezley Norris lnorris@floydtolston.com 214-543-6817
