aaamusic | On 15, Feb 2011

Trans-Atlantic Welsh duo Toy Horses release debut single.

Single & album produced by Wilco’s Ken Coomer

“A delightful discovery at SXSW”

– Nic Harcourt, Music & Culture Editor (LA Times) and Music Director (KCRW)

“I genuinely love Toy Horses’ music and overall style! The chorus of my favorite track, ‘Interrupt’, instantly grabbed me in on first listen”
– T. Rotem, Beluga Heights Records (Rihanna, Jason Derulo)

And It Was You’ out 21^st February (Albino Sparrow Records)

Toy Horses are set to take their rightful place alongside the almighty preceding talent spawned from Welsh turf as this step-father/step-son duo release their début single, ‘And It Was You’, on February 14 2011, with a début album, ‘Toy Horses’, arriving in April.  ‘And It Was You’ introduces a band which spans the spectrum of knock-out live performance to perfectly packaged radio play in equal dimensions.

The Toy Horses story is a fantastical whirlwind indie-tale quite literally based on chance happenings, lucky coincidences and internet ‘word-of-mouth’.

After posting demo versions of their songs online last year, the reaction was instantaneous. Tracks were picked up by Radio 1, 6 Music and XFM, and gained repeated ‘Demo of the Week’ accolades on BBC Wales. Within a short space of time, they were flying to the US to record their debut album with ex-Wilco member, Ken Coomer, who stumbled across their Myspace page and fell in love with the songs.

The 2010 SXSW was the ultimate platform for the band to impress the global stage, most notably picking up support from radio KCRW’s Nic Harcourt – arguably America’s most influential DJ, credited for spring-boarding the careers of the likes of Coldplay and Dido in the states – who later invited them to LA to record a live session for his KCRW show. They were also approached by J. R. Rotem’s ‘Beluga Heights’ in L.A. who were so impressed that they have invited Toy Horses to write for some of the worlds biggest selling artists including Jason Derulo, Sean Kingston etc. Incredible when you take into consideration that this all came about without a hint of any self-promotion.

Toy Horses are Adam D Franklin and Tom Williams – an unconventional indie duo book-ending a generation that jigsaw perfectly together to create an inspired songwriting partnership. Their affinity for 60s sounds is evident in their melodic, playful tunes, which hide the melancholy of Adam’s often tragic, poetic lyrics.

2011 sees the band launch their debut single in February, swiftly followed by their self-titled album, ‘Toy Horses’, in April.  ‘Toy Horses’, is an energetic, eclectic collection of extraordinary musicianship, dueling vocals and gorgeous harmonies.  The band present x10 original tracks (recorded over 10 days on Music Row, Nashville TN) recalling hints of the British 60s sound but with a stunning modern slant, making the album exciting, highly accessible and relevant to today’s audiences.  From heart-rending ballads such as ‘Last Chance’ and ‘Interrupt’ through to the highly charged ‘Play What You Want’ and rawer indie-rock tracks such as ‘No One’s Gonna Leave You’, ‘Toy Horses’ is testament to the fact that the force of word-of-mouth never gets it wrong.

If that’s not enough to convince any doubters of the blinding talent of this band, then maybe the judgment of one of the biggest industry critics will tip the balance: in 2010 Toy Horses were chosen as a highlight of the Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg (beating over 1200 bands) and invited to play the prestigious showpiece ‘Reeperbahn Revue’.

This is a band that must be given a listen – again and again and again!

The debut single ‘And It Was You’ is released on Albino Sparrow Records on 21 February 2011

The debut album ‘Toy Horses’ is released on Albino Sparrow Records in April 2011