Artie Tobia

New York is home for singer/songwriter Artie Tobia. The Hudson Valley press said Artie’s musical style “fuses stories of real people with the musical influences of rock, blues, folk, and country.” His latest song, “Aberdeen,” was recently named a Top 10 song for the week by Alternate Root Magazine.

“Music is just in my DNA,” Artie told me. “My great, great grandfather played with John Philip Sousa. I had grandfathers and uncles and cousins who all had careers in music. So I got the gene and/or that bug,” he mused. “It just became what I do. I got started fronting a band, and here I am.”

Artie said he remembers vividly the first time he was the “front man,” and how terrified he was then. “We were playing out on a stage in a field in the middle of someone’s property, and I just remember at one point being very conscious of the fact that I hadn’t moved once the entire time.”

Fast forward to present day; he has written over  a hundred songs, and recorded four studio albums; the latest, Aberdeen. “I’ve always been a songwriter,” he said. “I think I wrote my first on when I was eight or nine. It wasn’t very good, but I’ve always gravitated towards that.” And it’s the songwriting that makes Artie’s music special. “Listen to my lyrics,” he said. “If you want to know who I am … I am right there, hiding in plain sight.”

Artie says he finds inspiration from events, phrases, or just observing the lives of friends. “I like grabbing onto a line and then spin off on that. There are so many great lines that haven’t been developed,” he said. “Sometimes, of course, it’s just a theme that I choose work with.”

Today Artie plays more than 200 shows a year; some solo, and some with a full band. He’s opened for national acts, performed at festivals, and even entertained intimate audiences at House concerts.

     To find out more, visit
www.ArtieTobia.com