CDs + media
Music Bio
Playing the 2011 North Carolina Potato Festival.
Trying out the new drum set in 2009.
Toby first began showing a love for music by playing beats on his high chair and pounding out tunes on any available piano. That evolved into a cheap plastic drum set, purchased by his adoring grandmother, and eventually into drum lessons and a real drum set.
By the age of nine, Toby was playing in clubs with his singer/guitarist father and making tips. By the age of 14, he was playing in a band as a singing drummer and learning to play guitar. At 17, he picked up the bass guitar, as well.
In his early 20s, Toby learned the art of studio recording and, in his 30s, opened his own studio. He produced and recorded several projects from rock, rap and country to radio commercials and everything in between. He also wrote and recorded hundreds of his own tunes and put out several CDs. Two of those CDs are available for sale here, under the stage name Thomas Rose. Toby wrote, performed, recorded, produced and did the artwork for both CDs.
Thomas Rose, aka Toby Tate, has performed throughout Northeastern North Carolina and Southeastern Virginia in various bands and as a solo artist for the past several years. It wasn't until he began playing as a soloist, in fact, that he started gaining recognition.
Thomas' country-flavored rock song, 'See You Tonight,' off his last CD, 'King for a Day,' received airplay on the internet radio station New Artist Radio and reached number three on the charts, which is no mean feat.
That same song, plus a couple of others off 'King for a Day,' also ranked in the top ten among listeners on mp3.com and Sounclick.com.
Thomas' music has been described by record producer Frank Tedesco as 'something like the Beatles meets Jim Croce,' which is not far from the truth. His songs incorporate sounds from different genres including bluegrass, country, rock and pop and puts it all together in a spicy, bold mix of music unlike anything else out there.
With the advent of the internet and retail outlets like CDBaby.com, Thomas, along with thousands of other musicians, has had the opportunity to make available his music to fans worldwide in places like Japan and Germany where people are starved for original, American rock music.
Thomas' latest project, 'Kitty,' is a ten song wonder that tested his abilities as a producer/performer and forced him to reach beyond even what he believed himself capable of, stretching his songwriting, performing and engineering skills to the max and resulting in a sound that is eclectic yet focused. You will hear the influences of his favorite bands such as Led Zeppelin, Creedence Clearwater Revival, R.E.M., and the Beatles.
This project is the result of years of performing live and is the one of which he is most proud. About this CD, Thomas said, "I made the CD I wanted to make, not just the one I thought people would want to hear."
'Kitty' is full of guitars, mandolins, pianos and vocal harmonies featuring funky rhythms and melodic hooks with lyrics about love, loss and longing. It's reminiscent of acoustic Zeppelin, R.E.M., Pure Prairie League, and Creedence.
Toby thinks you will agree - 'Kitty' is happy and sometimes melancholy, but always satisfying.
By the age of nine, Toby was playing in clubs with his singer/guitarist father and making tips. By the age of 14, he was playing in a band as a singing drummer and learning to play guitar. At 17, he picked up the bass guitar, as well.
In his early 20s, Toby learned the art of studio recording and, in his 30s, opened his own studio. He produced and recorded several projects from rock, rap and country to radio commercials and everything in between. He also wrote and recorded hundreds of his own tunes and put out several CDs. Two of those CDs are available for sale here, under the stage name Thomas Rose. Toby wrote, performed, recorded, produced and did the artwork for both CDs.
Thomas Rose, aka Toby Tate, has performed throughout Northeastern North Carolina and Southeastern Virginia in various bands and as a solo artist for the past several years. It wasn't until he began playing as a soloist, in fact, that he started gaining recognition.
Thomas' country-flavored rock song, 'See You Tonight,' off his last CD, 'King for a Day,' received airplay on the internet radio station New Artist Radio and reached number three on the charts, which is no mean feat.
That same song, plus a couple of others off 'King for a Day,' also ranked in the top ten among listeners on mp3.com and Sounclick.com.
Thomas' music has been described by record producer Frank Tedesco as 'something like the Beatles meets Jim Croce,' which is not far from the truth. His songs incorporate sounds from different genres including bluegrass, country, rock and pop and puts it all together in a spicy, bold mix of music unlike anything else out there.
With the advent of the internet and retail outlets like CDBaby.com, Thomas, along with thousands of other musicians, has had the opportunity to make available his music to fans worldwide in places like Japan and Germany where people are starved for original, American rock music.
Thomas' latest project, 'Kitty,' is a ten song wonder that tested his abilities as a producer/performer and forced him to reach beyond even what he believed himself capable of, stretching his songwriting, performing and engineering skills to the max and resulting in a sound that is eclectic yet focused. You will hear the influences of his favorite bands such as Led Zeppelin, Creedence Clearwater Revival, R.E.M., and the Beatles.
This project is the result of years of performing live and is the one of which he is most proud. About this CD, Thomas said, "I made the CD I wanted to make, not just the one I thought people would want to hear."
'Kitty' is full of guitars, mandolins, pianos and vocal harmonies featuring funky rhythms and melodic hooks with lyrics about love, loss and longing. It's reminiscent of acoustic Zeppelin, R.E.M., Pure Prairie League, and Creedence.
Toby thinks you will agree - 'Kitty' is happy and sometimes melancholy, but always satisfying.
Playing drums with Little Dickie and the Misfits, Nov. 2015 at the Rhythm & Brews Festival, Elizabeth City, NC.
Hear my original tunes on NUMBER ONE MUSIC!