1. ‘Homeward Bound’ (Sample)
(from ‘Counting Time’ – 2012)
/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Homeward-Bound-SAMPLE-v1.mp3

2. ‘Lovely To Me’ (Sample)
(from ‘Counting Time’ – 2012)
/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Lovely-To-Me-SAMPLE-v1.0.mp3

3. ‘Counting Time’ (Sample)
(from ‘Counting Time’ – 2012)
/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Counting-Time-SAMPLE-v1.0.mp3

4. ‘No Other Man’ (Sample)

(from ‘Counting Time’ – 2012)
/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/No-Other-Man-SAMPLE-1.0.mp3

5. ‘Like a Bird’ (Sample)
(from ‘Counting Time’ – 2012)
/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Like-a-Bird-SAMPLE-v1.1.mp3

6. ‘Drowning Me’ (Sample)
(from ‘Counting Time’ – 2012)
/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Drowning-Me-SAMPLE-v1.1.mp3

There are a few tickets still available for our album preview concert at the Tudor Grange Hotel in Bournemouth on Wednesday March 21st. Please let us know if you’re interested in coming along ;o)

The album is due for release in early 2012 and features well-performed tracks including ‘The Load’, ‘Amelia’s Dancing’, ‘Homeward Bound’, ‘Lovely To Me’ and ‘Valentino’.  Please check back for updates.

Listen to Tinderbox tracks here:

Having been with us for around twelve major shows over the last 9 months there shouldn’t be any stage-fright issues.

Please watch this space for an update on upcoming gigs and also the new album which is currently in production.  The new album will feature a host of already well-performed tunes including ‘Lovely To Me’, ‘Homeward Bound’, ‘Amelia’s Dancing’, ‘The Load’ and many more…

The as yet unnamed new album will feature some tracks that have already become popular through live shows.  These include ‘Lovely To Me’, ‘Homeward Bound’ and ‘The Load’.  Watch this space for updates.

2011 already looks set to be a busy one with UK shows scheduled in Oxfordshire, Devon, Dorset, Somerset and Essex; as well as a hugely anticipated headline at the famous Whelans in Dublin on Saturday 26th March.

Tinderbox recently returned from Caceres, Spain where they attended the annual Premios Pop-Eye Gala Ceremony to collect an award for Best Revelation Group in the European category.  These awards are hugely prestigious in Spain and focus on independent artists ranging from musicians to film makers, fine artists and designers.

The gala was held in the beautiful Gran Teatro in Caceres where throngs of artists, celebrities and industry professionals flocked for the annual event.

After screening the video for Tinderbox track ‘Shine’ the duo were invited up to the podium to collect the award.  Fantastic recognition that completes a mammoth year for Tinderbox that included a new album release (The State of Play),  a successful US tour and numerous sell-out shows across the UK and Europe.

Roll on 2011!

To listen to a tinderbox interview on Spanish radio click on this link and go directly to 17 mins 40 seconds :

http://hombreluna2.podomatic.com/player/web/2010-11-17T02_49_21-08_00.

For more review and articles please go to: http://flyinshoes.ning.com/profiles/blogs/tinderbox-state-of-play

Tinderbox: (The) State of Play

Tinderbox are Monique Houraghan and Dan Tucker; based in Bournemouth, they write songs together that combine Monique’s high, clear and sweet singing with Dan’s quite exquisite finger-picked acoustic guitar. They’ve gathered a fair crowd of musical friends to gently flesh out the sound of ‘State of Play’ but there is no doubting the starring roles here as Monique’s voice flutters like a bird above the beautiful flowing melodies picked out on the guitar.

Nine songs and one instrumental make up ‘State of Play’ and the subject matter ranges from the intensely personal and domestic (‘For You Dear Emily’ celebrates the purifying joy of going home to your young child at the end of the working day) to an attempt at socio/political commentary in the title song which I have to say doesn’t succeed in delving very deep. The two strands meet in ‘River To The Sea’ when a soldier’s wife learns he won’t ever return home again. These personal songs are honest and earnest, striving to express emotional truths and to avoid easy cliches. In listening to them, though, it would be easy to be distracted by the pure beauty of Monique’s voice and the gentle elegance of Dan’s playing.

The album centres on their two finest moments here. The instrumental, ‘The Journey’ caught my ear on one of these recent October days; I was in the car quite gobsmacked by the autumnal beauty I saw all around me as if the whole world was in harmony for once, and this tune fitted the mood just perfectly – gentle, lyrical and happy.

‘River To The Sea’ follows on from ‘The Journey’; the drama of the lyric (as mentioned above) is bolstered by some strong vibrato in Monique’s voice and a bit of a production number going on during the chorus as the drum comes in ominously and the echo chamber makes for an uncharacteristically big sound. I don’t normally go for that sort of thing but in the context of this album it sounds really good and, in part, I think that’s because overall there could be more use of background vocals or harmonies to give a contrast to Monique’s high clarity. Oftentimes things sound, or look, all the better in the context of some contrast, and, for me, that’s the case here.

Tinderbox’s approach creates music of beauty, something delicate and gentle to offset this frantic world. I find there’s a few albums in my collection that I put on to soothe me at the end of a frazzled day, and it could be that ‘State of Play’ becomes one of those tonics.

John Davy

Now Tinderbox are easing off on live performances and concentrating on recording a new album and promoting some pretty amazing events in late 2010 and 2011.

In November the duo will perform at the televised ‘Premios Pop-Eye Gala Awards’ ceremony in Caceres, Spain where they will accept the 2010 award for “Best European Revelation Group”.

On their return to the UK Tinderbox will headline at the fabulous ‘Stables’ in Milton Keynes where they recently played fantastic support to Jon Allen.  This will be the final live show for 2010 and is highly recommended!

March 2011 will see a debut headline appearance at Dublin’s famous ‘Whelans’, and in April 2011 Tinderbox take to the road again with a Caffe Nero tour of the UK, as Caffe Nero’s ‘Artist of the Month’.

Exciting times ahead…watch this space ;o)

So far the summer has seen a great run of shows including the Isle of Wight, Wimborne and Chagstock festivals as well as more intimate shows at the Assembly Rooms in Glastonbury, ‘Ryedale Live’ at York’s Helmsley Arts Centre and ‘Ditch The TV’ in Coventry.

New album ‘The State of Play’ has garnered stunning reviews in national magazines, including 5 star ratings in ‘Acoustic’ and ‘Maverick’ magazines and a covermount feature in June’s edition of Rock ‘N Reel’s ‘R2′.  In November the duo travel to Spain to collect a ‘Best European Newcomer 2010′ award at the Premios Pop-Eye festival but more about that later.

Upcoming gigs include a long awaited headline at the famous ‘Whelans’ in Dublin, Ireland next March.  Whelans has been host to an awesome variety of talent including Damien Rice, Jeff Buckley, Nick Cave, Christy Moore, David Gray, Artic Monkeys, The Magic Numbers and Peter Buck and Mike Mills from REM amongst many, many more.  This will be the duo’s first official Dublin show since 1999 and promises to be one to remember!

Gigs a little closer (in both location and time) include an extended support set for Diana Jones at Centre Stage in Bournemouth.  Brilliant US singer-songwriter Diana is lucky enough to count Joan Baez, Gretchen Peters, Nanci Griffith, Richard Thompson, Mary Gauthier and Betty Elders as fans!

For Tinderbox the summer continues forward with appearances at the Purbeck and Wadebridge Festivals; an evening with the formidable ‘Stompin’ Dave Allen at the Electric Palace in Bridport and a return to the amazing Gloss Club in Hammersmith, London.

For information on all upcoming shows please check out the gigs section on this site.

Enjoy the sunshine ;o)

Over a three week period Tinderbox played nine dates over five different states including Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri and Colorado, also passing through New Mexico along the way. The tour clocked up a total of 4267 road miles, approximately 14 hours of live music and countless album sales.

The shows were wonderfully received with standing ovations and awesome feedback. Some audience members even travelled long distances between shows to watch again and again. Please check out the News & Links section of this website (right) for full details about the tour. These blogs also include links to photo galleries. Thanks to everyone who kept up to date with the tour and stayed in touch throughout.