“The potential to be the best singer songwriter I’ve heard come out of the UK since Tom McRae ……..and I think that guy’s a genius……achingly beautiful” Damien Leslie, Incendiary magazine October 2008

I have, it is fair to say, lived a certain way these last years, that is a single purpose has dominated me, and it’s pursuit had moved me form the country to the city, from the city to the sea. I am delighted to have received such a complimentary review from Incendiary. To read the full review click http://www.incendiarymag.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1865

I married in august and moved to beautiful west Cornwall. We rent an unfeasibly cold cottage halfway down a dirt track. It is as far I think from South London as you can be; recently we have been kept awake by silence. I have written and played more than I have in years & more importantly written the new single “Radio” which I hope to begin recording in December.

New live dates are to be announced shortly. The singles lady napalm and London remain free to download from www.tobykeane.com. Old fashioned cd’s are available illustrated with beautiful artwork courtesy of the infamous Matt Street who also got his sticky fingers on some t shirts as well- write to me at mail@tobykeane.com.

I hope you’ll forgive me for not writing sooner, particularly in light the support I’ve had since the single was released almost a month ago. In that month we’ve had around 10’000 hits on the site which is great news. The next step will be getting some national radio play for single in the coming months, and of course, would dearly love to chart it.

I moved from South London to Dartmoor 2 weeks ago after 3 years in the capital. I’m also getting married next week. Everything has been moving at lightening pace with the move, the single release and the wedding, and although seemingly we have a lot on, we feel happy and a great deal more comfortable in our surroundings.

Since returning BBC Devon have been in touch and documented the return, you can read the words here http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/content/articles/2008/07/30/toby_keane_feature.shtml . I’ll also be performing on Kev Hutchins radio show on august 29thfrom 10 pm. You can listen from anywhere in the world online at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/mainframe.shtml?http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/devon.shtml or listen on a wireless on 103.4 fm if like me, you’re in Devon.

We’ll be sorting a homecoming gig out in September, and I’ll be popping down to the ride marquee to play a set or two, when I get a chance to catch my breath.

The video is coming along; Matt Street is taking time out of a busy filming schedule, to shoot the video in the coming weeks….will keep you posted-we’ll also be making some additions to the site, not least updating the images section, but I’ll also will be adding a ‘words’ section, where you can read lyrics & unseen poems.

What I’ve learnt most over the last month is that the music, the machine, doesn’t exist with out you. Without you listening to the songs, visiting the site, coming to the gigs, it all stops. I’m not there yet, but with your help can be… if you like the songs, pass them on, tell your friends, I will make an album, but only with your help….

All the best.

Toby

www.tobykeane.com

I think the music business is in trouble, but not for the reasons part of the industry think. Its nothing to do with the availability of free downloads; moreover it has more to do with quality output, and the lack of added value. People pay to be part of something, I think responsibility lies with the artist, the label, (in fact everyone) putting more effort into that something rather than just cynically churning out the same old manufactured commercial record. The reality is the consumer can now chose independently of shrewd Svengalis. This is a turning point.

When I discovered that the ‘music business’ was in fact the ‘business of music’ my heart sank. Suddenly artistic merit had to take a back seat to commercial awareness, great pr, and a truer focus on marketability. Selling music or being commercial now means that the opposite is true. We need to add value, suffer more; put more effort in. That really means by breaking your back to make better music, you stand a greater chance of a pursuing a music career and if that’s the case it validates the last 10 years, the soul destroying jobs and the constant disappoint that though I always felt success lay in a melody, its real success was measured in its palatability deemed by a team of tastemakers I would never meet.