One of the bands that really took me by storm was TesseracT and their front man (at the time), Daniel Tompkins. I was fortunate enough to catch them on tour with Devin Townsend during his cross Canada tour. Side note, I almost shit myself when I heard that someone such as TesseracT would be playing my home town of Chatham, ON (a town of 42,0000) with Protest The Hero, I would have never thought this music would hit rural Ontario.
Anyways, as much as I am a fan of the group still and the musicians that entail it, I was most captured by Daniel with his unreal vocal capabilities and the energy that followed. Daniel moved on from TesseracT shortly after seeing them live and has since moved onto to some great projects such as Piano, Absent Hearts and his new sensation SKYHARBOR.
I was fortunate enough to get a chance to do some one on one questions with Daniel in hopes to get some info about his background, roots and future endeavours. So without further delay, AFGM brings you DANIEL TOMPKINS.
Daniel, much thanks for taking the time to do these questions. What are you up to today?
Hey just sat in bed with a cup of tea and some 'hobnob' buiscuits...that's where you'll find me every Sat morning.
What vocal training and techniques have you received over the years?
I've been singing since the the age of 16 but only started to have lessons at 21 when I decided to take things seriously. I had classical training for a period of time but developed my voice in my own time, whilst consulting various professionals over the years. 13 years on I'm finally in place where I feel on top of the game.
What roots of music did you grow up on that made you want to start singing?
Yeah, it's important to respect your roots right? I grew up from a very young age listening to AC/DC, The Sex Pistols and Stiff Little Fingers as my Dad loved his Punk and Rock. But through my teens I started to get into System of A Down, Linkin Park, RATM, Marilyn Manson, Korn, all of that stuff. I then took a turn towards Tool, A Perfect Circle, Glassjaw, Dredg, Hopesfall plus many many others. My first ever live show was watching A Perfect Circle at Nottingham's Rock City when I was 17. I was mesmerized by Maynard the whole show, who I have to say has had the biggest impact on me over the years.
At what age did you realize you wanted to do music as a profession?
When I hit 21 I hit a cross roads in my life. I chose at that point to develop my voice and I haven't stopped since.
Any pregame rituals before a show?
These days for me it's important to relax before a show and get into a certain frame of mind. I'll spend 30 - 45 minutes gently warming out particular parts of my voice, with a routine I have tailored to my voice over the years. Then I'll make sure to chill out at least an hour before the show. No alcohol, no smoke, no food.
What's the Daniel secret to maintaining good vocals consistently each night?
The voice is a delicate tool, which needs to be cared for. It's important to understand that singing everyday can cause vocal fatigue so saving your voice is paramount. Warming the voice and the muscles in your face, head, neck and shoulders is something that needs to be done to remove muscular tension, which can effect the voice. It may seem anti-social but post gig I like to spend time on my own as that's an important time to decompress my voice and be silent. If I'm feeling worn, I may even stop talking all together and communicate through writing! That's how important voice maintenance means to me.
Have you ever been at a show/played a show where your music and sound was vastly different from the other bands on the bill? If so, What was the crowd reaction and how easy did you feel playing on that stage versus stages shared with similar genre bands?
It's been something I've had to deal with hundreds of times, playing on a bill where you sound very different to other bands and the crowd has been unresponsive because they've either never heard of you or they just don't know how to react. For me that's always been my opportunity to grab peoples attention.
Where did the inspiration come for lyrics in your projects, whether it be Skyharbor/Piano/Haji's Kitchen/Absent Hearts. Do they come from personal experiences? World issues? Politics?
More or less everything I write is inspired by the subconscious and/or personal experiences in life. My lyrics are a direct response to the music I'm writing for. I often drift away in sleep listening to songs. I find myself waking up through dreams with images/thoughts/ideas which the music has inspired. This is often followed by leaning over the bed and whispering melodies into a voice recorder. But at the end of the day it's all about how the music makes me feel, it has to have that emotional connection.
What kind of mics are you using while recording versus on tour? Any specific reason why?
I've recorded through some pretty amazing condensers in the past on various records but when it comes to live I enjoy singing through my Neumann KMS 105. I feel that if the stage is big enough then this mic is great for adding that extra spark in quality.
Whether in session work or in a band, what words of wisdom can you give to inspiring vocalists?
It's important to understand that as a singer your voice is totally unique so being original as a vocalist isn't difficult. Always be yourself and sing from the heart.
How did you guys come together to form Piano?
I've been with Piano since 2006. I actually auditioned for the band, whilst they were studying in Notts.
I see Zestone Records are from Japan, I take it they promoted you guys quite a bit since you guys toured there twice ('06 &'08)? Being that you are originally from the UK, how did you end up getting a record deal from a Japanese dominant label?
Hyato Taguchi (Zestone) hit the guys up on the previous EP. The old singer had departed before they were about to tour. So I joined at the right time. The internet is a wonderful thing right.
Hows the process of the LP coming along? Any updates in the Piano camp? Have you set a release date?
We'll have a release date soon, we're hoping late 2012.
You seem to be very busy between projects. Now I see you are working on th EP for Absent Hearts. Hows the coming along? Any updates on this project?
Yeah, the album 'August Earth' is now complete. Mixed and mastered. We're aiming to release late August 2012.
"Absent Hearts was the result of pure chance meeting through the web." Can you give me some insight into how his project came to be?
I like to find new music/artists on the internet and came across 'The Kay Project' now known as 'Absent Hearts'.
I heard a lovely song called Arctic and asked Scott Kay if he wanted to collaborate. It really is a short and simple story. I came across a very talented song writer, saw a great deal of potential in his music, and wanted to help him out.
Favourite city/venue you played in thus far and why?
Well that would have to be all the Indian shows I've played with TesseracT / Skyharbor. The Indian metal scene is booming, and I've been lucky enough to play to thousands of people on some superb stages with great acts such as, Meshuggah and Lamb Of God.
And now for some fun, random questions that every musician likes to answer:
If you could have a single guest member on an upcoming album, who would it be and why?
Maynard James Keenan or Chino Moreno purely because they are such inspiring singers.
If you had one band/musician you would be honored to share the stage with, who would it be?
Tool!
Covers are always fun to do when your jammin out in the studio or spur of the moment live, any songs in particular you like to play and have fun with or is it all original material?
Er...pretty much all original stuff these days but I've sang in wedding / covers bands many many times, which is lots of fun. One song which I have had lots of fun with is 'Play That Funky Music' always a good laugh.
Since this was one I was patiently waiting for, much thanks an appreciation go out to Daniel and taking the time out of his busy schedule (as you now are all aware of). Be sure to keep up to date on all of his work at the following links:
- www.facebook.com/danieltompkinsvocalist
- www.youtube.com/user/RockWithDan
- www.facebook.com/Skyharbor7
- www.facebook.com/HajisKitchen
- www.soundcloud.com/daniel-tompkins
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