New Music & Studio Updates

I’ve been out of sorts for a while, as it’s been about 7 months since I tore my studio down in preparation of moving to a new house. After several delays, we’ll be ready to start moving later this month, and start the construction of a brand new studio space in our shed. I’m pumped.

In the meantime, I’m working on a new EP which I’m recording in different places around the new house, based on the rooms in which I wrote each song. It’s a drastic change from how I’m used to recording, as I have to set aside big chunks of time to move the studio equipment around the house and make sure I’m getting decent sounds, which leads to more time spent setting up than actually recording. As frustrating and disruptive as that can be, you put more care into something when you have to go out of your way to plan time for it; I’m realizing now that I had gotten into a bad habit of trying to get recording done in short bursts between other things, which makes it feel more like an obligation or inconvenience. When you plan ahead and set the expectation with yourself that you’ll spend a half day doing something like tracking one drum track, you feel more dedicated to it and learn to love the process again.

Other Projects

Back in November, The Han Solo Project had the privilege of playing at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines to support the Iowa Wild’s Star Wars night. We had a great time, and even debuted a new song. Once the new studio is built, I’ll finish writing the new Han Solo Project album, and hopefully that will be out later this year.

YouTube Channel

I haven’t been able to post any cover videos since July, but last month I posted a video discussing my favorite albums of 2023. I plan on doing more random music discussion videos like this as ideas come up–if there’s ever anything you’d like to hear my thoughts on, let me know. Please subscribe to the channel if you haven’t!

I also released the music video for “Wringer”:

I’m working on shows for later this year, but for this spring I just have a couple of acoustic shows lined up. I’ll post more about those when I have the details sorted out.

Welcome to my new website! You can now buy merch and music directly from my site, and sign up for my mailing list. I'll be sure to keep the Shop updated with my latest inventory.

 A few months ago I had the pleasure of playing at xBk Live in Des Moines, opening for Ax and the Hatchetmen. xBk is a terrific venue, and thankfully I got video of the whole show (thanks to Ramsey Boeckholt for filming and editing):

I've also finished some more cover videos from Pixies, Nirvana, Pavement, and Radiohead:

I'm currently setting up shows for the summer and fall, working on some more cover videos, and writing a new EP that I expect to release this fall. Be sure to sign up for my mailing list if you haven't, and hopefully I'll see you at a show later this year!

This Friday, September 9, I'm releasing a new EP titled Crescendo. It will feature 6 new songs, and you can order it on vinyl via my Bandcamp page.

To announce the album's release, I made an infomercial-style video:

I also have a few shows coming up to support the new EP:

• Saturday, September 10 - xBk Live in Des Moines w/ Ax and the Hatchetmen
• Friday, September 16 - The Down Under Lounge in Omaha
• Saturday, September 17 - London Underground in Ames for Maximum Ames Music Festival

On June 3rd I released a new single, Wish You Would. I created a video for it similar to the ones I've been doing for cover songs, so that you can see more of the recording process for my original songs. It was fun and challenging to do--generally, my writing and recording process is very non-linear, and I tend to go back and add and remove and re-record things several times before landing on a final mix. This approach forced me to think ahead more, record each track in one take, and really decide what each layer would be in advance instead of figuring it out as I record it.

Here's the video and a link to the track on Spotify:

Whew, the last year has certainly been a whirlwind. On one hand, it feels insensitive to want to get out and play music for people again when there are so many more dire things going on in the world; on the other hand, a little relief and normalcy may be just what people need (when it can be provided in a safe and mindful environment).

And like many other musicians, being cooped up for the last year and a half has given me plenty of opportunity to create, and I'm eager to get out, see everyone again, and bring some of my recent projects to the stage. Here's a recap of what I've done since early 2020:

• Ambient collaboration with Bryon Dudley
• 4 new singles
• Live From the Studio video series
• Cover videos
• An entry to the NPR Tiny Desk Contest
• Live From the Studio videos with Sell the Future
• iVoted Festival with The Han Solo Project
• New Han Solo Project Album
• Shagstock 2021 - Performances with Sell the Future & The Masterplan (Oasis cover band)

I've also got two shows coming up, where I'll finally be able to debut the new live setup I used in my Live From the Studio videos:

• Oct 8 - Gas Lamp, Des Moines (w/ Hill and Vale, Sell the Future)
• Oct 15 - The Angry Irishmen, Ames (w/ Casey Joe Collins)

I've also got more videos on the way, and a new EP that I'm hoping to release by the end of the year, so stay tuned!

2020-2021 Singles

Tom Hummer - Live From the Studio

The Han Solo Project - Live From the Studio (for iVoted Music Festival)

Sell the Future - Live From the Studio

Cover Videos

Two Words (New song for NPR Tiny Desk Contest)

New Han Solo Project Album

Hi everyone, it's been a long time since I posted an update, and a lot has been going on. I hope all of you are staying safe and healthy during this crazy situation--I've been lucky enough to have stayed at home for most of the last two months, and will continue to do so until things are safer.

I'm sure it's no surprise that, while stuck at home, I've been working on a lot of musical projects. The new Han Solo Project (which has been delayed due to the pandemic) is getting wrapped up, I have a couple EPs in the works (more information about those in an upcoming post), and I've had the opportunity to collaborate on a track with my friend and fellow Iowa musician Bryon Dudley.

Bryon is a member of Strong Like Bear and also does some solo work. During this quarantine situation, Bryon has taken the initiative to create a variety of noise/ambient collaborations with other Iowa musicians and has been compiling them into a covid album. I love getting to work with other musicians, and I've known Bryon for several years but have never had the opportunity to work with him on something creative like this, so I jumped at the chance.

The story of this particular track is that Bryon sent me a raw kick drum track and a track of guitar noise, and essentially gave me free rein to do whatever I wanted with it. I added a couple piano layers, some vocals, and a distorted electric organ, and this is how it turned out:

It was great to collaborate with Bryon on this and help make a track that I certainly never would have made on my own. Be sure to check out the rest of his covid collaborations if you enjoyed this one!

Tomorrow, June 7, my new album Real Life will be available for streaming.

This album features a lot of local musicians and family members who have never appeared on an album of mine, and it means a lot to me that they were able to contribute to it. I'm eager to hear what you all think of it!

Along with the new album, I've been playing more shows and have a couple more scheduled for June:

• Tuesday, June 18 - Wheatsfield @ 4:30 (Ames)
• Saturday, June 29 - Shagstock @ 5:00 (Boone)

I hope to set up some more solo shows later in the summer out in eastern Iowa.

Earlier this year I had the privilege of playing at the Ames Music Walk, a 3-hr set that spanned a little bit from my entire discography, some new songs, some new covers, and some songs from other bands I play in.

Speaking of other bands I play in, back in March the fourth Han Solo Project album was released:

To top it off, for May the 4th we played the first ever Han Solo Project show at the Maintenance Shop in Ames. It was a great time, and we got some video of the whole show (although quality is a bit rough):

On January 10, 2019, I played a set at London Underground in Ames. That full video is now available on YouTube.

Enjoy!

My two new EPs, Dedications (Originals) and Dedications (Covers) are now available on major online stores and streaming services. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this project!

On November 23, I'll be releasing two EPs: Dedications (Originals) and Dedications (Covers), which will be available on all major streaming services and online stores.

The 11 songs on these EPs are the result of the Kickstarter campaign I ran a while back, and while the people who paid for the songs have had them for a while, I'm excited for the rest of the world to hear them.

Here is the track list for the two EPs:

Dedications (Originals)

1. Trite Riddles in E Minor (for Jake Jackson)
2. Giraffe Girl (for Ria the Giraffe Girl Supreme)
3. Second Thoughts at St. Peter's (for Brett Hubert)
4. Countdown (for Heather Hosch)

Dedications (Covers)

1. All Night (for Ian Fredericks) [Originally by The Dodos]
2. Cretin Hop (for Jeff Thieleke) [Originally by Ramones]
3. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (for Rick Maples) [Originally by The Smashing Pumpkins]
4. Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town (for Amy Bowlin) [Originally by Pearl Jam]
5. Big Bird (for Drew Allen) [Originally by AJJ]
6. Slob (for Jeremy Nifras) [Originally by Weezer]
7. You Make My Dreams (for Brandon Beem) [Originally by Hall & Oates]

Each cover was chosen by the person it's dedicated to, and the originals were written for the people they're dedicated to with some thematic input from that individual. I had a lot of fun making these songs--it was a unique project from a writing and recording perspective, and having all of the Kickstarter backers involved in the process made it even more rewarding for me.

Sadly, stores and streaming services would not accept the cover songs with the dedications included in the title. I will maintain them in the titles when I post them to my website, YouTube, and Bandcamp, but unfortunately there was no way around that.

It's very fitting to me that these songs will be released the day after Thanksgiving--I'm very grateful for all of you who have supported me and helped make this project a success. Thank you all!

Wow, it's been far too long since I've posted here, and a lot has happened in the last eight months.

To start, on December 23, 2016, Mike and I released another Han Solo Project album, titled The Darth Album. Listen here:

In January, 30 backers and I successfully funded a Kickstarter campaign to get Dystopian Blues pressed to vinyl. I'm currently finalizing the artwork, getting the album mastered for vinyl, and working on the other rewards (art prints, original songs, and cover songs). For those of you who didn't catch the pre-order, I'll be selling copies from my Bandcamp page once I get them.

Last summer I also released the music video for Desert Life. Watch it here:

I was also interviewed by Mark at the Mad Sounds Podcast about the nature of being a DIY musician and sometimes one-man band:

Currently, aside from the Kickstarter rewards, I am recording my fifth LP, which will be out in early 2018. I'm also working on albums with a few other bands, and you can likely expect another Han Solo Project album by the end of the year.

Tom Hummer

My new album, Dystopian Blues, will be available on Friday, May 6th for streaming and purchasing online. You can listen to the album in advance over at the Deep Fried, Certified blog. 

This week, my long-time friend/drummer/collaborator/partner-in-crime Mike Bal and I released a new album as The Han Solo Project, titled The Force Hits Snooze. All the songs are about Star Wars.

Feel free to listen to it on Spotify, or purchase it on iTunes, Amazon, or wherever else you prefer to listen to music.

Thanks!

You can now listen to Pairs and Sexism Sells in their entirety on YouTube. Here are links to the playlists:

• Pairs
• Sexism Sells

I've got a couple projects I'll be wrapping up soon, so expect a lot of new music in 2016.

Thanks!

Tom

I recently did an interview for the blog over at Iris Records. We talk about some background on the new album, influences, lyrics, etc. Take a look and go buy some records!

Interview with Tom Hummer

Hi Everyone,

My new album, Sexism Sells, is now available for purchasing and streaming.

Streaming:

• Spotify
• Rdio

Download:

• iTunes
• Amazon
• Google Play

Feel free to give it a listen and give me and let me know what you think about it by sending a message to my Facebook page, or leaving a comment below.

Happy listening!

Hi everyone,

My new album will be released digitally on Monday, May 18th. The album is called Sexism Sells, and you'll be able to find it on iTunes, Spotify, Rdio, Google Play, Beats Music, Amazon, and Tidal. You will also be able to stream it for free from my website. I'll be seeing about a physical release later in the year, so I'll be sure to post with any updates on that as they come.

Here's some info about the album:

Tracks:

1. I Want You To Die
2. Traitors
3. She Is Utter Silence
4. Reminds Me of the Chain
5. Everyday Evil
6. Sexism Sells
7. Ode
8. Desert Life
9. Nature Is a Suicide Bomber
10. I See Rivers Forming
11. I Still Want You To Die

All tracks written, performed, produced, mixed, and mastered by Tom Hummer, except:

• Drums on tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, and 10 performed by Mike Bal

Artwork by Tim Bolar and Tom Hummer

Special Thanks:
Kelsey Hummer, Frank Hummer, Catherine Olsem, John Hummer, Pat Hummer, Dan Hummer, Sandra Hummer, Craig Groehn, Mike Bal, Jake Jackson, Abbie Jackson, David Cox, Tom Keinert, Darren Hushak, Quinn Eggink, John Van Roekel, Ryan Martin, Tim Bolar, Ian Anderson, Coleman Jackson, Sam Jackson, Chris Covell, Wes Fuhrman, Jeremy Nifras, Rachel Johnson, Bryon Dudley

I've been working a lot lately on the follow-up to Pairs, and recently finished tracking some cello and alto saxophone for it. Apparently my alto sax is totaled, for all practical purposes, and I sure as hell don't own a cello, so I ended up renting both of them for a month. I hadn't played much cello before, but found that a lot of the technique from my string bass playing days came in handy.

Tracking for the new album is probably about 80% done, with mostly vocals and some guitar, bass, and drum spots here and there. Nothing that's left is quite as interesting as the cello and sax, and so I say to them "Adios fellas-- it was a glorious month."

My new album, "Pairs", is now available for streaming on Spotify and digital download via iTunes.

Listen on Spotify below, or click here for iTunes.