A great piece of experimental Folktronica: "Counting backwards" by Tony Volker

Tony Volker

... is a South London songwriter whose music is an unique blend of indie-folk, trip-hop and electronica. Volker's songs are produced using a mix of classic audio recording and subtle, sparse electronics. He  delivers vivid imagery courtesy of both experimental, textured sounds and symbolic lyrics delivered with emotion and character.

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Tony Volker is ...?

... a singer/songwriter and producer from South London. Tony's songs are produced using a mix of both analogue and digital audio recording and subtle, sparse electronics. Volker delivers vivid imagery courtesy of both experimental, textured sounds and symbolic lyrics delivered with emotion and character.

How did you get into music, what were your first steps?

Other than playing bass in a teenage indie band, my first steps to getting into making my own music were when my parents brought me a piece of software called Cakewalk aged 19. Up until that point I'd never imagined writing a whole piece of music or song, but playing and experimenting with the software opened up a whole world for me and I was completely hooked. 

From there I gave an extremely rough demo to some friends whose positive reaction really surprised me so it felt it was something I should keep doing. It kind of grew from there really.

I would call "Counting backwards" a great piece of experimental Folktronica, what or who was your inspiration?

Ah thanks! This song was inspired by a period of time where I wasn't sleeping. I would get 2-3 hours a night for a couple of nights in a row before taking a prescription pill on the 3rd night. The lyrics were written to reflect some of the thoughts I went through lying in bed for hours at a time then. Musically I was loving the distorted ambient landscapes of Tim Hecker at the time and wanted to bring that into a singer-songwriter context

What was the most difficult part to get this release done?

The drums were the hardest part. We recorded them in the studio and Adam, the drummer came up with a fantastic and complex groove but once I came to edit and mix the track I couldn't get the drums to sit right so had to chop up what he'd done which took a long time to get right

What can we and our readers expect from your upcoming album?

The upcoming album is called The Black Vault and details a very dark time in my life last year when I lost my father and was struggling with Long Covid which had a very limiting affect on my life at the time. 

It is my most personal and honest work yet but also my most collaborative; I worked with 3 string players who play on the majority of the tracks, so there is a cinematic feel to much of the album. I'm very proud of it and I hope it resonates with other people going through similar challenges.

How important are Social media channels in your opinion for an Indie artist?

I think social media channels are very important for independent artists. Each platform has it's own identity and not every platform is going to suit every artist so I would say that artists don't have to be on every platform. 

I still believe that mailing lists are the most direct way to engage with fans though so gigging and focusing on growing a mailing list is a way to build organically without social media. However used well the platforms can be a powerful tool for connection with a fanbase

Any chance to see you somewhere live on stage?

I will be playing at the Shacklewell Arms in London on 14 Jan 2023 and do keep an eye on my instagram for future gigs

Let us know a former favorite song you can't listen to anymore now?

That's a great question! I'm going to say Between the Bars by Elliott Smith

What’s next for you?

Other than releasing singles from the album and gigging I am training as a film composer so I will be looking to complete the final year of my masters in that