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As a leather-clad gang rev the engines of their hogs at a Whitechapel motorcycle shop, Toby Hayes sits quietly on a chest of drawers in the bedroom of the flat above. Gaffa-taped, battered acoustic guitar in hand, tape recorder set, you might think that this is far from being the ideal setting to record a solo album, Hayes would disagree. With a shrug and a happy, care-free call of "fuck it," everything about this setting is completely appropriate.
Flippancy is a long-forgotten and much-missed comodity in todays bustling, overcrowded music industry. Whilst everyone fights it out for the 'next big thing' plaudits, Hayes doesn't concern himself which such petty issues. The heavily-bearded troubador is never more at home than when travelling between cities, making new friends and sleeping on sofa's. Nothing about his life is neat and tidy, it's a collection of seized moments and casual living, something which not only inspires the content of Shoes And Socks Off three albums to date, but is also perfectly encaptured in the recording of them, all released within the space of just 12 months. In itself, a perfect symbol of the anti-music industry thinking behind the scenes of this inspiring project.
'From The Muddy Banks Of Melitzer' is a collection of ten songs written since the demise of former band, Meet Me In St Louis. Gone are the spazzy dance moves, in comes the thoughtful reflection and touching honesty. One afternoon was all that it took to commit to tape. There's no such thing as imperfection when perfection was never the goal.
Acting as a two-part release, 'From The Muddy Banks...' was followed up in March with a second album, 'Hand-reared Suburban Piglet'. This second record featured exactly the same ten songs, this time bolstered by an army of friends and their musical influences as they bring a new imagination to the tracks and produced what turned out to be a thoroughly intriguing record.
Not content with just two album releases in one year, Hayes quickly set about writing and recording a third; 'Where The Skyline Is Fortified With Windows And Doors'. Featuring 10 brand new songs, delicate acoustic guitar, banjo and a backing band made up of members of Blakfish, Palehorse and more, this is yet another step forward for a songwriter blossoming with creativity and an unquenchable thirst to write, record and release music.
This is the new punk movement. Shoes And Socks Off isn't about simply putting the finger up at the establishment, it's about doing what you want, in any way you want, because conventional is boring and creativity rules this roost.
 From The Muddy Banks Of Melitzer |
 Hand-Reared Suburban Piglet |
 Where The Skyline Is Fortified With Windows And Doors |
MP3: Website / 9 free MP3 downloads (3 from each album)
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