In the case of Jamieson Tobey, the words "musician" or "singer-songwriter" just aren't enough to describe what it is that he does. In a small apartment in Arlington, Virginia, on a shoe-string budget, 30 year old Jamieson Tobey single-handedly recorded and produced one of the most densely layered, emotionally charged, and staggeringly creative pop albums of recent time. Kenneth L. Doroshow (RIAA - Recording Industry Association of America) said, "Totally amazing...wow. I love the tunes, as well as the almost baroque production. Reminds me a little of something that Jason Falkner or Brendan Benson would have done, only I like this better (and I'm a fan of the genre)." "He did this all himself on his Protools rig, in which case it's even more amazing. Not only are the songs and performances great, but the mastering sounds really professional too. Unbelievable."
In February of 2006, Jamieson independently released his first full length, ten song album entitled "Everybody Feels The Same." By playing every instrument, recording and producing the album by himself, Jamieson was able to see his ambitious vision come to fruition. Ever the perfectionist, Jamieson kept "Everybody Feels The Same" shielded from friends and family until its completion. In his own words, "during the nineteen months that it took to record the album I never let a single person hear what I had been doing. Not even my mother. Actually, the first person to hear a note was Stewart (the mixing engineer). My hands were shaking when I handed him the hard drive, I felt dizzy."
After being professionally mastered by Fred Kevorkian (White Stripes, Dave Matthews Band, Ryan Adams) and mixed by Stewart Myers (Wishlist Recording) Jamieson's cd was finally ready to be heard. Even by his mother. The immediate reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. Primarily through word of mouth and a growing internet presence, cd sales have been steadily increasing and reviews have been glowing. "Jamieson Tobey is a one of a kind talent: a gifted singer/songwriter, a visionary producer, and an adept multi-instrumentalist. His music is not to be missed. Listen for yourself and you'll see why 'everybody feels the same'."
"Everybody Feels The Same is a museum piece. An extraordinary excursion from deep within the fragile space of a human being which reaches further into the soul of those who allow it to enter. This album is love, spirituality, intensity, insanity, madness, joy, belief, and the purity of a musical landscape painted in broad, vast, encompassing strokes. It spills forth from one man’s mind and his ability to take the materials present to him and bend, shape, strum, pluck, pound, pick, caress, finagle, twist, turn, and tweak to create a piece of art. Art that is so intriguing, so rewarding, so amazingly complicated, yet instantly accessible to anyone willing to sit and absorb the haunting beauty of a mind at work in the medium of sound. Is the album format a lost art? A dying breed? Maybe in the mainstream or the broadband .mp3 stream, but for now we can count on independent artists like Jamieson Tobey to rescue us when needed." - Independisc
"Everybody Feels The Same is an album that captivates you from the outset, and yet still manages to get better after repeated listens. Jamieson's lyrics are both insightful and revealing, and are well-served by the sonic textures and tasteful arrangements that characterize his distinct songwriting style. The sound is eclectic, yet accessible... and somehow manages to feel radio-friendly, without losing its indie sensibility." - Ethan Goldman, MTV: Director of Development
"Jamieson Tobey was one of the 400,000 musicians that requested my friendship on MySpace last month, and one of the three that I actually added. Why? Because Everybody Feels The Same is a great record, plain and simple, one that is made even greater by the realization that Tobey, a drummer by profession, recorded it himself in his home. I have never heard a home production that sounds as fully realized as this. But at its core, this album succeeds not because of production, but because of great songs, like Love, Everybody Feels The Same, and Walls. Tobey has a unique percussive aspect to most of these tunes, and while they don't reinvent the wheel, they achieve his goal: heartfelt, intimate and beautifully arranged pop ballads." - ON TAP Magazine
“Sit back and soak up the gorgeous, luxuriously full music. The thick keyboard makes a soft cushion for his half-whispered baritone, while expert arrangements part clouds of sound to make room for a glittering glockenspiel or melodious melotron. Highlights include the title track, in which Tobey comforts listeners by assuring them that “Everybody lives a lie, and everybody is having doubts … We are all just as mad as you.” The atmospheric Where the Waves Begin conjures the same sounds as Sgt. Pepper’s-era Beatles as Tobey asks, “Did you know that you are the ocean? / Did you know that I’m sinking in?” A Perfect Rose features an electronic Latin beat superimposed over a music-box melody and Tobey’s baby nephew cooing away happily. If enigmatic lyrics and lush music are your cup of tea, then pour yourself a steaming mug of Everybody Feels the Same." – Performing Songwriter July/Aug 2006
"The packaging of this disc alone is attractive. It is simple, unique and intriguing. And then the music happens...wow. Everything on this record is nothing less than spectacular! It is a musical montage that is layered beyond belief and triumphant in all that it does. Your sound takes on some Pink Floyd and Radiohead while it gives the accessibility of Coldplay's vocals. It is unbelievable. From the sweetness and bells of Love to the darker side of things in Walls you cover it all, every emotion, thought, and frame of mind. I could probably listen to this album 20 times and still find things I missed the first 19 times. It is experimental and poppy all at the same time. Incredible. People need to hear it. Period. - Shut Eye Records and Agency
"Many intelligent listeners will find plenty to love in this lush soundscape that combines flavors of Wilco, Radiohead and Coldplay with melodies that are ruminative, unresolved, and highly impressionistic... Ultimately it's a beautiful sounding record." - Intelligent Pop
"Jamieson Tobey's music really connects with the listener... His lyrics are amusing and heartfelt. Jamieson is a multi-talented musician who sang, played all the instruments, recorded, and produced his first full-length album, Everybody Feels The Same, by himself. His sound is hard for us to sum up in a couple of words; so we'll just say he's a much-cooler John Mayer." - www.babbleandbeat.com
Jamieson Tobey's music has been compared to The Shins, Wilco, Elliott Smith, Death Cab For Cutie, U2, David Bowie, The Beatles, Spiritualized, Elbow, Ben Folds Five, Paul Simon.
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