(Big Hassle) Surf Road Records have announced an August 16th release date for Tom Freund's new album, The Edge of Venice. The album is produced by John Alagia (John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Dave Matthews) and features of some of LA's finest musicians joining Tom in these 9 new songs.
"The Edge Of Venice" comes in the wake of his latest EP "Fit To Screen" whose songs have been featured in this seasons "Parenthood" on NBC; and his latest full length "Collapsible Plans" which was produced by his musical cohort Ben Harper and hosted Jackson Browne as a special guest. The song "Collaspible Plans (Sugar) was seen performed live on "Last Call With Carson Daly" in January of 09.
Freund will also be touring in the coming months in support of The Edge of Venice. He will be playing shows in the US September through October, with tours of Europe and Japan in November. Details on tour dates are to be determined. Freund will also be playing European dates with Ben Harper including the Blue Balls Festival in Switzerland on July 28and Monte Carlo on August 1st.
"I feel that (The Edge) is my most direct album to date," says Freund. "Direct to the listeners in a sonic sense and transparent to what is going on in my life right now." The songs cover such topics as endless touring (Lakeshore Drive) and cell phones, or lack thereof (Show Me The Love), relationships (Everything, Lonesome) and even his recent step into parenthood (Daddy's Song). The nod to Venice comes mostly in the breezy "Wounded Surfer Boy" - about whom Freund shares, "I have seen more than a few in the neighborhood - and the girls that trail after them." The subtle beauty of "Sweetly Calling My Name" evokes an even further westerly feel with references to Hawaii and a slack key tuning on his guitar with hauntingly beautiful vocal help from LA singer-songwriter friend Meiko. "Firetrucks" is what Freund called the "centerpiece of the record" - written on a moody rainy night in San Francisco when his buddy Brett Dennen gently advised him to "stay in and write!" Freund admits he hasn't a clue where the album opener "Cruel Cruel World" came from.
Freund spent the mid-'90s touring with the indie rock cult faves The Silos and has been releasing solo albums since 1998.