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Tecoma (musician)

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This article is about the Australian musician. For other uses, see Tecoma (disambiguation).

Tecoma
Birth nameAmira Antonia M Pyliotis
Born (1980-04-24) 24 April 1980 (age 44)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
OriginAlice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia
GenresRoots, jazz
OccupationMusician
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, trumpet
Years active1994–present
LabelsPolaris/MGM
Websitetecomamusic.com

Amira Antonia M Pyliotis (born 24 April 1980) is an Australian independent Roots singer-songwriter and guitarist; who performs as Tecoma. Originally from Melbourne, in 2004, she relocated to Alice Springs, where the desert has given her much of her inspiration. Her style has been called "post trip-hop" by the Rolling Stone Australia (April 2007) and "alternative roots music" by Triple J radio network.

Tecoma is known for an eclectic mix of music, a distinctive voice, and a thoroughly engaging style when performing live. Since 2005 she has been touring nationally in Australia and internationally. Her most recent album has been receiving national airplay on Triple J and other Australian radio stations.

Biography

Amira Antonia M Pyliotis was born on 24 April 1980,[1][2] and grew up in Melbourne.[3][4] Her mother, Saliha Mezaache, was born in 1945 in Algeria,[1][5][6] and learned English in France; her father is Alexander "Alec" Pyliotis (born ca. 1943, Greece);[1][6][7] her paternal grandfather, Dimitri Pyliotis (died 1 May 1975),[8] was a Greek diplomat stationed in Canberra;[4][7] and her paternal grandmother was Russian.[6] Her oldest sister, Aryel, was born on 25 July 1976;[9] a second sister was born on 15 March 1978.[10] As a six-year-old Tecoma learned singing and dancing at a Johnny Young Talent School.[11] In primary school, at about eight-years-old, she heard a jazz trumpeter "literally blowing us kids away with the power of the instrument and his skill on it. It was exhilarating!"[12] While growing up she spent summers on the south coast of New South Wales.[6]

Originally trained as a jazz and classical trumpet player, Pyliotis performed in various secondary school-based ensembles.[12] Her early influences include Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone, John Lee Hooker, and Johnny Cash.[13] While still at secondary school, at the age of 14, Pyliotis joined a covers band providing "Pearl Jam, RHCP & Faith No More" material.[12] Upon completion of secondary education she entered a tertiary Bachelor of Music course;[12] she studied "western and Arabic classical music".[4] At the Australian Guild of Music and Jazz Theory she trained in classical singing, while at Melbourne Music Academy she studied guitar and composition.[14]

By 2001 Pyliotis was on guitar, acoustic guitar and backing vocals, as a session and touring member of alternative pop artist Emaline Delapaix' backing band.[15][16] They toured for six months a year both nationally and twice to North America and Europe.[15] She features on two extended plays, The Reins (2001) and Slowdown (2002).[16] Pyliotis and Delapaix co-wrote "Don't Say It", "Melting Down", and "Reins" for the band.[17] Sophie Gurley of The Ectophiles' Guide to Good Music felt that "Reins", which appears on both EPs, was "abstract but yearning and deepens the emotional tone through strong shifts between vocals and strings".[16]

During 2003 Pyliotis was on a working holiday in Alice Springs when she started writing tracks.[6][11] Upon return to Melbourne she finished work on four tracks and recorded them independently with a studio band; she was assisted by Ben Wheeler as audio engineer and on drums.[11] In 2004 she relocated to Alice Springs and started performing under the pseudonym, Tecoma.[3][6][12][18] She further developed her style playing smaller, local places. While she has played with other musicians, she found one of her strengths was singing and playing guitar without other accompaniment, engaging the audience as an integral part of the performance. In November 2004 Tecoma performed at the FUSE Festival.[12] Her track, "Fear of Heights", appeared on the Various Artists compilation album, Fuse Festival 2004 (2004).[19]

In March 2005 she performed a Dylanesque rendition of ABBA's 1977 single, "Knowing Me, Knowing You" at the National Folk Festival in Canberra.[20] On 9 May that year she released her four-track debut extended play, City Folk, on the Polaris Music label which was distributed by MGM Distribution.[11] For the release Tecoma provided lead vocals, guitar, trumpet, programming and was its producer.[21] It became "a favourite of community and alternative radio stations".[14] Comparing Melbourne with Alice Springs, she reflected "[t]hese two places are tied up in me with associations of my past versus the future, chaos versus calm, built up inner city vistas versus sky that never ends" and hence provided the EP's title.[11]

She toured Australia appearing at the 2005 Darwin Festival, and then Europe in September 2005, building up a fan base and earning wider recognition.[22] At Berlin's Popkomm festival she performed as one of two Australian acts – the other was Ben Lee.[14] Tecoma was also selected to appear at that year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe's The Famous Spiegeltent.[14] In November her song "Fear of Heights", was the featured track of Ausmusic Month by national radio network, Triple J.[2][3]

Early in 2006 she received a professional development award from Australian Performing Right Association (APRA) in the category Popular Contemporary to "further her career in the European market".[14][23] The award increased her national exposure on Australian pop-oriented ratio stations.[22] Also early that year she performed for the Swedish Royal Family and their entourage at an outback steakhouse in Alice Springs.[6] She made her debut TV appearance in March.[23] At the related APRA Music Awards ceremony in June, Tecoma performed "Catch My Disease",[24] which won Song of the Year for its original performer, and co-composer, Ben Lee.[25][26] Also that year she won a JB Seed Grant, which was sponsored by John Butler.[27]

Early in 2007 she returned to Melbourne to finalise her debut album, Home Brew, which had tracks recorded in Alice Springs, Darwin, Melbourne and Sydney.[23] She issued a single, "Air to Me", ahead of the album, in March and followed with a tour.[27] The Dwarf website's Elyse Stoupe felt that her "voice sounds close to that of Missy Higgins, if only a tad bit raspier, making it that much more interesting. It's a quite a bouncy song, with a strong bass line and use of imaginative sound effects".[28] In the following month Rolling Stone Australia described her style as "post trip-hop", and provided a give-away CD, Rolling Stone Supports JB Seed Artists, with tracks by Various Artists including "Air to Me" by Tecoma.[29] She was interviewed by Michael Mackenzie for Radio National's Bush Telegraph and played her single, live.[6][30]

During August–September she toured Australia promoting her album.[31] Produced by Tecoma, it was released as Home Brew Side One in September,[32] and included work by Wheeler and bass guitar by Lucas Taranto.[31] Her tour continued until October. In March 2008 she performed, and ran a songwriting session, at the Womadelaide festival in Adelaide.[33]

Discography

Extended plays

Singles

  • "Air to Me" - Polaris Music (TEC002) (10 March 2007)
  • "Home Brew Side One" - Polaris Music/MGM Distribution (TEC003) (17 September 2007)

References

  1. ^ a b c "Family Notices". The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). National Library of Australia. 25 April 1980. p. 11. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  2. ^ a b "'Fear of Heights' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 20 January 2014. Note: User may have to click 'Search again' and provide details at 'Enter a title:' e.g Fear of Heights; or at 'Performer:' Tecoma
  3. ^ a b c "Triple J Ausmusic Month - 16/11/2005: Tecoma". Triple J. ABC Online. 16 November 2005. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  4. ^ a b c Noonan, Kathleen (27 December 2006). "Shining on Despite Rain". The Courier-Mail. News Limited. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  5. ^ "Item details for: A2917, SD1974/1338". National Archives of Australia. 24 October 2007. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Mackenzie, Michael (interviewer); Tecoma (Pyliotis, Amira) (interviewee, performer) (2007). Studio Session: Tecoma. Bush Telegraph (MP3). DiG Music. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Retrieved 22 January 2014. Note: approximate time for information: a, b, and c 4:20–4:35, d 3:50, e 4:05, f 4:53, g 6:15–7:30, h 3:40 and 7:55–12:00.
  7. ^ a b "Canberra Diary". The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). National Library of Australia. 11 January 1956. p. 4. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  8. ^ "Family Notices". The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). National Library of Australia. 2 May 1975. p. 13. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  9. ^ "Family Notices". The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). National Library of Australia. 26 July 1976. p. 10. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  10. ^ "Family Notices". The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). National Library of Australia. 16 March 1978. p. 26. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  11. ^ a b c d e "Interviews :: Tecoma Gives the Lowdown on Her Debut EP (May 05)". Australian Music Online. 23 May 2005. Archived from the original on 5 August 2008. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  12. ^ a b c d e f "Interviews :: NT Artist Tecoma Comes to Adelaide for FUSE (Nov 04)". Australian Music Online. 29 November 2004. Archived from the original on 4 August 2008. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  13. ^ "Interviews :: Tecoma Gives Her Tips for Success..." Australian Music Online. 30 January 2006. Archived from the original on 4 August 2008. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  14. ^ a b c d e "Professional Development Awards: 2006 Winners". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  15. ^ a b "Artists :: Tecoma Biography". Australian Music Online. October 2005. Archived from the original on 22 November 2005. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  16. ^ a b c Gurley, Sophia. "Emmaline Delapaix". The Ectophiles' Guide to Good Music. Ecto (Neile Graham). Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  17. ^ "'Don't Say It' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 22 January 2014. Note: User may have to click 'Search again' and provide details at 'Enter a title:' e.g Dont Say It; or at 'Performer:' Emaline Delapaix
  18. ^ "Amira Pyliotis, the Musician Behind the Name Tecom". Northern Rivers Echo. Australian Regional Media. 29 August 2007. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  19. ^ "Releases :: Fuse Festival 04". Australian Music Online. 2004. Archived from the original on 22 November 2005. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  20. ^ "Musical Folk Inspired by ABBA's Swede Success". The Canberra Times. Financial Times Ltd. 29 March 2005.
  21. ^ "Releases :: City Folk". Australian Music Online. May 2005. Archived from the original on 22 November 2005. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  22. ^ a b Eliezer, Christie (6 May 2006). Smith, Danyel (ed.). "Cash Awards Make Music Dreams Reality". Billboard. 118 (18). Nielsen Business Media, Inc.: 12. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  23. ^ a b c Pyliotis, Amira (December 2006). Anthea Sarris (ed.). "PDA Postcards" (PDF). APRAP. Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA): 3. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  24. ^ "2006 APRA Award Winners Announced..." (PDF) (Press release). Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). 6 June 2006. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  25. ^ "Nominations - 2006". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  26. ^ "Previous Winners Song of the Year". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  27. ^ a b Bonus, Jade (14 March 2007). "Tecoma Dates Announced". The Dwarf. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  28. ^ Stoupe, Elyse (27 May 2007). "'Air to Me' by Tecoma Reviewed". The Dwarf. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  29. ^ "Rolling Stone Supports JB Seed Artists [sound recording]". Rolling Stone Australia. Jann Wenner. National Library of Australia. April 2007. Retrieved 21 January 2014. Performer: John Butler Trio; Missy Higgins; Waifs; Cat Empire; Blue King Brown; Tecoma; Jessica Paige; Dan Sultan; Illzilla; Drum Drum; San Lazaro; Jacknives; Red Eyes; re-mains; Kooii; Tomme ; Labjacd. Notes: Came gratis with Rolling Stone magazine, April 2007, no. 664.
  30. ^ "Studio Session: Tecoma". DiG Internet Radio. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). 2011. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  31. ^ a b "Touring: Tecoma on Tour". Indie Initiative (Neil Wedd). Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  32. ^ "New Australasian Releases – September 2007". Australian Recording Industry Association. September 2007. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  33. ^ "Womadelaide 2008 Artist Bios" (PDF). WOMADelaide. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
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