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After spending the last few months following up their stunning 2018 debut album ‘Dead Circles’ with the captivating offerings ‘Wishful Information’ and ‘Highest Mountain’, Finnish outfit Tuomo & Markus continue the support for their eagerly-awaited sophomore LP ‘Game Changing’ with the soulful new single ‘We’re Not Buying It’.
Featuring some funky chops from guitar legend Marc Ribot (Tom Waits, Plant/Krauss, Black Keys), ‘We’re Not Buying It’ sees the pair hark back to the smooth and refreshing sounds of the late 60s for their newest offering. While their previous efforts focused on their folk-inspired core, their latest gem sees them break away from their traditional conventions in pursuit of something woozier and more groove-laden than we have ever heard from them before. Then again, their soulfulness should come as no surprise since these same two gentlemen have previously recorded well received retro soul 45s for Timmion/DapTone label under the mysterious pseudonym Pratt & Moody.
Speaking about the inspiration behind ‘We’re Not Buying It’, they said, “’We’re Not Buying It’ pays musical tribute to the soulful protest songs of the late 60s and early 70s. We love the way artists like Curtis Mayfield, Allen Toussaint and Staple Singers would write hit singles with heavy social subject matter. The lyrics for We’re Not Buying It were originally inspired by the ’occupy’ movement, but can be applied to any situation, where a majority of the people feels they’ve been left behind, ignored or lied to by those in power. Like in the case of black lives matter movement, abortion rights activism or action on climate change.”
Tuomo & Markus are a new musical project from acclaimed Finnish soul/jazz artist Tuomo Prättälä and singer/songwriter Markus Nordenstreng of The Latebirds. The duo’s music has been described as Nordic Americana and indie-folk with distinct jazz, soul and prog-rock influences. Their haunting harmonies complement each other much like in the cases of Simon & Garfunkel or Crosby Stills Nash.
Tuomo & Markus recorded their debut album ‘Dead Circles’ in Tucson AZ. The spontaneous sessions at Wavelab Studios featured many high profile guests, including various members of Wilco, Calexico and The Jayhawks.
Since the fruitful sessions in Arizona Tuomo & Markus have transformed into a stellar 6-piece live band, featuring Finnish jazz trumpet sensation Verneri Pohjola. Jazz and psychedelic influences have become more and more evident at their ambitious live shows, drawing the attention of critics like David Fricke who hailed the band in Rolling Stone Magazine recently and Kevin Cole from KEXP who in turn invited Tuomo & Markus for a live session when they performed in Seattle.
Tuomo & Markus have also recorded several 7″ soul singles for Stylart/Timmion Records under the alias Pratt & Moody.
Tuomo & Markus’ new single ‘We’re Not Buying It’ is available to stream now, with their new album ‘Game Changing’ arriving on the 14th October via Grand Pop Records.
T R A C K L I S T
Game Changing
Wishful Information
Predator
Let This Season Go
Highest Mountain
Galway
Hecho En Mexico
Aliens with ET
We’re Not Buying It
Love Coming Down
Hearing Voices
Better Days (Bill Withers cover, bonus track)
Hollywood Forever (bonus track)