Singer-songwriter Cam Twyford (Little Pharmer) has released his third album, Mainstream Jailbreak.
Twyford, a talented multi-instrumental musician, is a pianist, guitarist, vocalist and drummer. He completed grade six of the Royal Conservatory of Music in piano, theory from which his well-rounded musical style emerged.
The album was produced and recorded at The Music Room studio in Powell River, by producer and recording engineer Tom Dowding. “He’s a brilliant lyricist,” Dowding said. “It was an involved process, largely because the songwriting style and lyrical integration is fairly complex. We worked hard to get the studio dialed in for Cam’s particular sound and style.”
Calibrating the studio to capture a musician’s unique style is a skill set that Dowding brings to the table. It’s something that has put the studio on the western music scene’s radar. Equipped with a state-of-the-art recording system, the studio’s full bank of microphones, preamps and processing equipment has allowed him to specialize in projects that other studios may not be equipped to do.
Mainstream Jailbreak, Twyford’s third EP under the name Little Pharmer, represents the early studio experiments of the band. It features seven well-produced, interesting tracks with great vocals and professional arrangements. “The lyrical theme of the album explores the resolution and triumph of nature,” Twyford said. “The end result is a seductive transition that works through conflict and collision of man and nature and evolves into what is an eventually peaceful composition.”
Little Pharmer’s sharp lyrics cartwheel over a fat, tight groove reminiscent of John Spencer Blues Explosion, Frank Zappa and James Brown, describes Twyford’s website http://cameron
twyford.wordpress.com. Twyford manages to “settle into our psyche, beyond apathy and ignorance, conjuring perspective and humour. He bathes the darkness, tattoos the scapegoat, and shows us to ourselves.”
“I’m planning an upcoming show here in Powell River to take place late in May,” he said. “After that I’m working on a tour of the East Coast in June. If all goes well, by next winter there will be dates in Australia.”
