After years backing other artists on the keys, Louis TM is out to make his own mark on the musical world as a soloist. The resulting track, Mercedes Car, is a biting track directed at wasted wealth, carefully crafted with the help of Tiny Triumph Recordings, JJ Golden and Diver Records. It is an impressive debut single, dripping in soul and sass which clearly come naturally to Louis.
Mercedes Car is structurally and melodically clean cut, adhering strongly to traditional genre conventions of soul and R&B. But this is most certainly to its benefit. Warm brass instruments, crisp, upbeat percussion and quirky female backing vocals work to create a full, exciting soundscape, balancing perfectly with Louis' powerful vocals to uplift but not outshine. His lyrics are clever without being overly complex. His tone is comforting and his pitch perfected in effortless fashion. Moreover, Louis leaves plenty of space for the track’s extensive instrumentation to also shine. Majestic guitars and subtle, sparkling glockenspiels take Mercedes Car from simple goodness to absolute glory.
Louis TM's musical experience and confidence is abundantly apparent in this impassioned debut. Mercedes Car is a groovy track with an underlying snark, shaping Louis as a force to be reckoned with on Aotearoa's incredible soul scene.
With his soulful vocals and inspired take on the modern soul resurgence and R&B, Louis TM emanates sounds from another time while often challenging that notion with unexpected nods from hip-hop and contemporary pop. For the best part of the last10 years you may have seen Louis backing other artists or sessions as a piano/keyboardist, but he has now struck out on his own in 2021 with his first ever solo release, Mercedes Car.
Raised in Newcastle, Australia there were constant travels to New Zealand growing up to visit family which is where he discovered the amazing music scene and culture that comes from the capital city Wellington, which is where he made the move to live. Since then his love of soul, funk and R&B music grew and still inspires to this day, with his artistry reflecting both the old and new.
Louis has most recently backed Aotearoa artists such as Ria Hall and Tama Waipara along with playing with many renowned musicians from across Aotearoa and around the world.