Tommy Wallach - Update on First Tracks Contest...

Hello Gather Family,

It's been almost two months since the Gather First Tracks contest ended. I'm sorry I haven't written sooner, but things were moving first slowly and then quickly, so I had nothing to tell you, and then too much. I've finally found a moment, however, and I'd really like to catch you up. After all, if it weren't for all of you, I never would have won the contest in the first place.

As soon as the contest ended, I met with Dave Novik, VP of A&R for Decca, here in Los Angeles. We had lunch in an old train car that doubles as a restaurant (Carney's, for all you locals) and talked about the plan. Basically, we decided on a 4 song EP, with three originals and one cover. The songs we've chosen are: Elodie (my First Tracks entry for the first and third rounds), Room In Your Heart (my First Tracks entry for the second round), Drunk, and Paul Simon's 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.

In the next few weeks I had some great promotion opportunities. I wrote an article for the Huffington Post, and Gather's own Tom Gerace talked about me and the contest on Fox News. For more on that, see my previous article about winning the contest.

In the last few weeks, we've begun moving forward with the recording of the EP. I was assigned a producer, a great guy named Vince Pizzinga. He's worked with a lot of Decca artists, including Delta Goodrem (he wrote the title tracks of her multi-platinum album 'Innocent Eyes'). He's from Australia and has a little Gizmo doll next to his computer. That's Gizmo from 'Gremlins.' I love that movie. We've already recorded dummy tracks for all the songs, and done some recording of vocals and incidental instruments. For accordion, I had to play the two hands separately, as I don't really know how to play the accordion. I still don't, but we faked it pretty well. Technology is amazing.

This week is when all the big stuff really happens. Vince arranged strings on Elodie and 50 Ways, and another arranger did horns for Drunk. On Wednesday and Thursday, we go into a professional recording studio to record strings, horns, piano, and drums. With any luck, the EP will be done and done within two weeks. Then, everything will rest in the hands of Decca. If they like the EP, they'll do a release (either both digital and physical or only digital), and depending on how that goes, will decide if they want to give me a full-on record contract.

I realize all of you have helped me a whole lot already, and I'm super grateful. However, the real trial is only just beginning. My music career depends on how well this EP goes, and I could really use your support. Even if you don't feel like buying the EP (though I hope you do!), please join my group of friends here on Gather. I read somewhere that an artist only needs 1000 real friends to make it. If 1000 people support the artist, make it out to shows, and recommend his stuff to other people, he'll be successful. Because I owe what success I've had to you folks on Gather, I'm hoping to find my 1000 people right here. If you want to be part of my community, please join The Real Friends of Tommy Wallach. Also, I'd love for you to add me as a friend in the normal fashion. Yay friends!

I promise to keep you updated now with any other news, and please let me know how you're doing. Thanks again for all your love and support.

Tommy