TOUCHING (AKA, MICHAEL FALK) SHARES NEW VIDEO FOR “TONY CALLED THE MUSCLE” FROM UPCOMING ALBUM, littleworlds, OUT OCTOBER 29 VIA HEAD IN THE SAND
WATCH AND SHARE “TONY CALLED THE MUSCLE” HERE
BUY / STREAM “TONY CALLED THE MUSCLE” (OUT EVERYWHERE TOMORROW) HERE
Photo Credit : Samanta Katz // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES
Touching, the artistic alias of songwriter and producer Michael Falk, is sharing the first new music since the project’s debut album, Isolation Blues. In late Spring of 2020, Touching began sharing 10 songs over 10 weeks, a project that was unveiled serially with a one-shot video for each track filmed and released every seven days. With its relatable lyrical themes of loneliness, depression, and disconnection, Exclaim! described the collection as “a greatest hits of pandemic moods.”
Hot on its heels now comes littleworlds, a new album aiming to disinfect the darkness with sunlight. The sophomore release from Touching is built on feelings of hope, simple joys found amidst conflict, and the anticipation and fear of becoming a parent. Its 12 songs were written during the same period as Isolation Blues as Falk stepped away from touring and various other collaborative projects. Using this opportunity to build a studio in his basement, he centered his efforts on writing and recording.
“I bottomed out last year and had a desire to reconnect with my own path of self-fulfilment,” Falk explains. “The only way to become a role model for my son was to show him that I know how to walk the walk by living the life that I want to live. You can tell kids whatever you want, but in the end they’ll look up to what you actually do.”
Today, Touching is sharing the new video for littleworlds lead track, “Tony Called The Muscle”, a song which explores the dramatic end of a close creative partnership. “Losing a client? It happens,” says Falk. “Losing someone you connect deeply with artistically and personally? That's tough. ‘Tony Called The Muscle’ speaks to universal themes of rupture and repair that populate the new album.”
The video for “Tony Called The Muscle” marks Michael Falk's debut as a director. “What better way to kick things off than by installing a boxing ring into centre stage at the historic Burton Cummings Theatre.”
WATCH AND SHARE “TONY CALLED THE MUSCLE” HERE
BUY / STREAM “TONY CALLED THE MUSCLE” (OUT EVERYWHERE TOMORROW) HERE
MORE ABOUT littleworlds
At the heart of littleworlds is Falk’s rich baritone. His striking voice soars with the passion of Frightened Rabbit’s Scott Hutchison, coasts with the coolness of Marker Starling’s Chris A. Cummings, and plumbs the emotional depths of Richard Dawson. Musically, the album injects the downtempo electronic ambience of Massive Attack (“I’m inspired by their late career stuff that no one thinks about,” laughs Falk) into the high drama indie-rock of Editors, Manchester Orchestra, or We Were Promised Jetpacks.
Driven by thunderous drums, squelching synths, and massive choruses, first single “Tony Called The Muscle” digs into the turmoil of separating from a former creative collaborator. “Caught In The Middle” swoons with slow-paced reverence, exploring the complex feelings that emerge with the coming of a first child. “All I Need”, set on the last day of work at a manufacturing plant, questions the worth of a life spent working on things that people don’t seem to value, while trying to connect to what really matters. The cycling synth arpeggios of “Spark” create a feeling of propulsion as Falk meditates on the intentions to become his best self. Taken as a whole, these songs point to a lighter, warmer, more connected future than Isolation Blues’ view from the muck.
“I had to turn inwards to refocus on my songwriting, becoming a dad, and getting my mental health back in relative order,” says Falk. “I wanted my relationship with my kid in the first few years to be really grounded. I want him to grow up seeing his dad doing what he loves meaningfully and successfully. If you really value something, I want to show him that you can figure out the path to make it work.”
From his home in Winnipeg, the multi-hyphenate musician has organized festivals, run a studio, and operated a record label, juggling countless roles within the local scene. As a performer, he has toured with acclaimed acts including Les Jupes, The Liptonians, and rapper/CBC host Ismaila Alfa. Yet since becoming a father, Falk has consolidated his lifelong pursuit into a renewed, singular focus: Get back to making music. And lots of it.
littleworlds TRACKLIST
01 Still Slow
02 Tony Called The Muscle
03 The Same Way
04 Nothing Can Change Your Mind
05 All I Need
06 Spark
07 Diamond In The Light
08 Two Solitudes
00 Caught In The Middle
10 Unbelievable