An Act that – judging by the praise they have been receiving – is about to lose their status as an insider tip. We are talking about INNER TONGUE, a young Viennese solo musician who has been able to hide his true identity since 2014 and is about to take the international stage by storm. But things weren’t always looking up…
In 2013 Inner Tongue was struggling with a vocal chord complication that required an operation. One he had to finance himself. It also forced him into months of silence to help the healing process. Not an easy situation for a driven artist who saw his career at serious risk. Others in his situation might have felt resigned to their fate and given up. Not INNER TONGUE. He might not have been able to sing, but he was still able to write songs on the piano and synthesiser. Fortunately, it all worked out in the end. His voice, and his ability to sing, have returned.
SONGS BETWEEN PAIN, HOPE, AND DOUBT
Three of the songs that Inner Tongue wrote during these difficult times found their way onto the debut EP “TZ, KA”. But not without a little detour. One that took them through London and New York and into the hands of the producing giants Matt Boynton (MGMT, Kurt Vile) and John Catlin (Foals, Warpaint). The result was a musical and sonic polish that made waves in various music blogs. The Viennese artist soon found himself, and his song “Fallen Empire”, known far beyond the Austrian borders.
The slightly electronic and dreamily hypnotic “pop with depth” of Inner Tongue is that of a very reserved, reduced, and thus intimate character. There are no grand gestures here, although quite a lot happens between the synths, melancholy guitar lines and simple beats. Fine details that give the works a very individual vibe. But above all, InnerTongue’s music authentically conveys the frame of mind of the musician. One hears the pain, hope and doubt that were his constant companions for a certain period of his life.
Right now Inner Tongue is working on a full length debut album. One that – should it maintain the quality of his previous works – could easily become the next great international Austrian Pop Thing. The signs for that are looking very good indeed…
Michael Ternai (translation by David Dempsey)
Link:
Inner Tongue