Deeply Unusual: Tushka – “The Program”
Tuskha
“The Program”
Tuskha
An unusual voice, an unusual song, an unusual video. I didn’t think anything was going to surprise me, but wow, Tuskha certainly did. When I saw his picture, I thought, ‘another Bright Eyes or Father John Misty’, (not that that is bad, but so many people go that route anymore), but when I started hearing and watching “The Program”, I was surprised by how inventive and beautifully original his voice is. The video, directed by Elise Tyler, is extremely innovative and matches the pace and lyrics of the song. According to Tuskha, the song came about after the wanderings around the country, taking in the sights.
“I was feeling stifled by living as this caricature of a songwriter who seemed to have many similarities to me, but was lacking the actual nuance of being a human. I wanted to ignore that guy for a while and figure out what else was inside, and so I spent countless hours with headphones, in the dark, lit by a screen, staying up later than everyone. It took me three years to figure out what I was supposed to be doing, working piecemeal in only the stolen moments of my increasingly busy, scattered days. Coming home and having this music consume me became a way to escape the guts of my daily life.”
I identify with that whole concept. What a tremendous artist. He’s on tour this summer. Check him out.
Upcoming Dates
07.07 – Albuquerque, NM – Low Spirits*
07.08 – Denver, CO – Bluebird*
07.09 – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge*
07.10 – Boise, ID – The Olympic*
07.11 – Spokane, WA – The Bartlett*
07.12 – Seattle, WA – Neumos*
07.13 – Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge*
07.15 – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall*
07.16 – Los Angeles, CA – Teragram*
07.17 – San Diego, CA – Irenic*
07.18 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom*
07.29 – Norman, OK – The Opolis*
07.30 – Kansas City, MO – Record Bar*
07.31 – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line Music Café*
08.02 – Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall*
08.03 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall*
08.04 – Detroit, MI – Loving Touch*
08.05 – Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace*
08.06 – Pittsburgh, PA – Club Café*
08.07 – Cincinnati, OH – Southgate Revival*
08.12-13 – Eau Claire, WI – Eaux Claires Music Festival
09.08-10 – Raleigh, NC – Hopscotch Music Festival
* w/ Wye Oak
