Tino Coury spruces up pop music with classical charm, impressive vocals, and R&B swagger.
It's been a while since pop had a leading man, and Coury is well-suited for the job. His forthcoming album, This One's For, illuminates the numerous facets of this dynamic, diverse, and debonaire performer. It's instantly clear after just one listen to the single "Drink My Love Away". He's so good it's intoxicating…
In this exclusive interview with ARTISTdirect.com editor in chief Rick Florino, Tino Coury tells us all about This One's For, "Drink My Love Away", and so much more.
What's the story behind "Drink My Love Away"?
My best songs come from my own experiences. I'd gone through this situation before. "Drink My Love Away" [iTunes link]has an emotional lyric, but it's also a feel-good party record. If your relationship isn't going right, it's rough, and things aren't clicking, the best way I know how to deal with that is to go out with my friends, have a great time, and clear my head. That's the real message of the song and what I love so much about it.
How did the track come together?
I was in the studio with the producers Kadis & Sean. They were playing me a bunch of tracks, and I already had the concept in my head for "Drink My Love Away". When I heard this particular track, I thought it was perfect to marry to the concept. I didn't want it to be a sad song or a slow record. I wanted it to be a party record, but I also wanted an emotional lyric. I thought the track was perfect with the guitar loop, the tempo, the drums, and all of the little hooks. We started jotting down the words and piecing it all together quickly. There are a lot of little secret hooks from the chants to the percussion. There's so much for people to remember.
What's your take on This One's For as a whole?
I started out the album making a lot of R&B and urban records. Then, I got into more pop stuff like "Diary" and "Drink My Love Away". There's a good mix of soul and pop.
Is it important for you to tell stories lyrically?
That's my main thing. Every song has a story that people can connect or relate to. They're things I've gone through. I don't have any dance records that are just about going out and dancing. I stay away from that as a songwriter. I keep everything lyrical and relatable and try to tell a story with every record.
What influences that storytelling?
It's everything. It's life experience. It's seeing my friends go through something or watching a movie. Anything can spark a concept. I think about things to write about all day whether I'm in the shower or driving. It can be anything that inspires me.
What artists shaped you?
When I first got into music, I got my first guitar in seventh grade. My favorite bands were blink-182, Green Day, and New Found Glory. I'd also listen to U2. I'm a huge Coldplay fan. I listen to a lot of today's music like Usher, Chris Brown, and Justin Timberlake. I watch those DVDs and study their performances and how they entertain in the arenas. It's a mix of many different genres. I'll listen to Robin Thicke and study his vocal performance and dynamic. I'll bring that to my material. My iPod is filled with a lot of different things.
What's your approach to doing covers?
I'll change up the track or perform it acoustically. I leave my own touch, but I still preserve what people love about the original record. I definitely mix it up. It's cool for my fans to see a different side of me.
What ties the album together for you?
The cool thing about this album is it's about pushing no matter how long it takes or how hard it is. You've got to keep going and never give up. This One's For is for all of those people who didn't believe in me or said "No" to me. There are a lot of cool records like "Take Another Shot". They're inspiring. It's about the grind I'm going through as an artist trying to get out there and pushing myself. That's theme of this record.
—Rick Florino
09.05.12
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Tags: Tino Coury, blink-182, Green Day, Coldplay, New Found Glory, Robin Thicke, Usher, Chris Brown, Justin Timberlake
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