Born in Northern, NJ, Tom Kafafian grew up in music. With both of his brothers in bands, and guitars always around him, he almost had no choice but to pick it up and play. Tom got his debut in a ska band called Sideswiped. With Tom on guitar and background vocals, this full 12 piece band toured extensively in the tri-state area to much acclaim. Tom's next venture came at the hands of his second band, Concept Zero in which he sang lead vocals and played bass. A rock band at heart, they received critical acclaim for a song he wrote called "In Loving Memory" talking about the loss of the band's mother in the horrible attacks of 9-11. This song got them on the pages of Rolling Stone and one step closer to what they've always wanted.
In the Winter of 2003, Tom just up and decided to drive 45 minutes from his house, and play an open mic he had never heard of before. It was here, after 2 minutes of one song, that Tom was discovered. Two phone calls, and a month later, Tom was in the studio recording his first album with the help of Rob Fusari ( music producer of #1 hit singles, Destiny's Child, Bootylicious; Will Smith, Wild, Wild West, Jessica Simpson double-platinum, title track, In this Skin).
Writing, singing, playing guitar, bass, and helping in production seemed to be second nature as he laid down the tracks for "In Through the Outside". His debut CD with independent record label, Great Escape Records,due out August 2004.
If it's still not too much of a cliché to use the term "old soul" to describe a young rock performer wise and talented beyond his chronological years, Tom Kafafian is it. At the tender age of 19, he writes and sings (and often plays every instrument himself) with equal doses of wit, insight, and a splendid sense of the need for pop hookiness. To cope with a lack of true life experience, he draws from a swirl of cutting-edge influences like Nirvana, the Cure, Led Zeppelin, and blends those with the melodic magic of others like the Beach Boys and Weezer (the urgency of his voice reminds some of Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo). Complementing the darker depths of songs like "Stuck in a Hole" and "Breathe You In" is a lighthearted energy on others that comes from a unique fact from his official bio -- he writes nearly all of his material while driving! And he's not afraid to show a more restrained, heartfelt side on later tracks like the piano-driven "The Station." Kafafian is clearly out to take charge and gain a vast indie following by following his own muse rather than the commercial dictations of the music business. And have a helluva lot of fun doing it. ~ Jonathan Widran
Personnel: Tom Kafafian (vocals, various instruments); Dave Holmes, Nick Moroch (guitar); Stu Brooks, Calvin Gaines (bass guitar); Rob Fusari, Joe Tomino (drums).
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