The Looking is led by Todd Carter, a NYC-based singer, producer and composer. Both his music and voice blend British New Wave and American folk rock influences, creating something uniquely his. Most recently, Todd has been preparing for the release of the debut CD from his solo project, The Looking.As a teen growing up in Carmel, Indiana, Carter was drawn to the sounds of the Smiths, REM and the punks. While a student at Indiana University, he was exposed to Bloomington's fertile jazz and classical scene and the city's many local folk musicians. He played and sang in a number of bands, produced music and picked up the drums. Later, he attended the University of Chicago's Divinity School and playing music offered something real, immediate, outside of semesters spent delving into philosophers and critical theorists.
Todd Carter has always invested his restless intellect into studying music. Throughout school, he threw himself into a wide range of projects: from folk to improv; noise to punk. Later, in NYC, he enrolled in the Mannes School of Music and also studied with the Metropolitan Opera's Edna Lind. He specializes in Wagner, and has put on many recitals. Along the way, Carter worked with non-verbal autistic adults in a French psychiatric hospital and recently produced a world music album for Vanessa Katz on Astraea Records. Carter is also an accomplished electronic musician: under the moniker "Parmidian One," his music is featured on the compilation Chill Room, on Austin's We Records.
With The Looking, Todd Carter has found the perfect vehicle for his music. He leads this tight group through originals blending some of the best elements of new wave and folk rock. His voice -which sounds like Morrissey meets Roy Orbison- floats over rock numbers sprinkled with some tightly-voiced piano chords, occasional country twangs, a few driving double time tempos, and a guest female vocalist, whose soulful voice offsets Carter's nicely. All these sounds aren't for effect: they compliment the music and flow organically.
Another thing that sets Carter's music apart is his lyrics. They challenge the listener to imagine - without being cute. There aren't many who can write, "Cracked ice in sunshine, an oar out of season. Incantations singing stillness, elation colors the moon" and work them into a tune - without overwhelming it. Todd Carter has said, "I want to leave people with a little melody and a good song." From what we have seen so far, he is well on his way to doing just that.
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