Jeff Tuohy is a Billboard Award-winning songwriter and rock musician based in New York City. Hailed by Writer’s Bone as “one of the best up-and-coming songwriters in North America,” Tuohy brings a style of music known as Hudson Delta to produce “a high level of musicianship and pop songwriting expertise” (Amplifier Magazine) with “a little bit of grit and a whole lot of soul” (Newport Mercury). His special flavor of New Orleans funk and Brooklyn attitude is absolutely intoxicating.

This song was born from Tuohy’s experience as a bartender at Cowgirl Seahorse, where Latin music flowed from speakers. Tuohy’s wife, Carmen, was heavily influenced by her father, a Mariachi band member, and the personal connection to such vibrant music and culture is clear in this eclectic single.

Hudson Delta is a smooth blend of country, folk, rock, and multicultural influences. With Tuohy’s unique voice and incredible storytelling. From the underbelly of New Orleans to the sidewalks of New York City, Tuohy deftly takes listeners on a cross-country trip that is palpably loaded with the experiences of a high-profile industry professional by day and long-time touring artist by night.

TELL US ABOUT THE STORY OF YOUR ACT. 

I grew up raiding record and cassette collections and devouring MTV. 

My first “real song” was written at age 12. By eighth grade, I convinced the Memorial Middle  School faculty to let my band play monthly during lunch waves (which got us out of two  academic blocks). 

I scored my first professional gig with my band, Little Rich Boys at The Brass Horse in  Waterbury, CT during my senior year at Pomperaug High School. We’d play rock n’ roll, drink  with twenty-somethings, and “get paid.” We thought we’d hit the jackpot! 

I followed this passion through Emerson College as a theater/marketing major and into New  York City where I played late night gigs on Bleecker Street until 4am and periodically performed  in Off-Broadway shows. 

WHAT IS THE MESSAGE BEHIND YOUR ART? 

You’re not alone. We’re in this together. There are real people behind every song and story,  whether they’re about slamming whiskey or the birth of a new child.  

WHAT ARE SOURCES OF INSPIRATION FOR YOUR LYRICS/STORYTELLING? 

What I read and experience are the source. I want to tell our collective story, not just mine, so  input is necessary for output. 

There are three ways my lyrics arrive:  

• Inspiration hits with a built-in lyrical hook or theme and I follow the rabbit down the hole.  • The melody and chords have a definitive vibe and they’re written to enhance it.  • I have something to say and pair it with a musical idea that’s floating around. 

Oddly enough, I have a notepad of song titles to write. Just themes. My next chapter will see  me seeking more melodies than usual, which is nerve racking because 90% of my composition  catalysts are musical, not lyrical. It’s also exciting because history’s greatest songwriting  collaborators have used this process.  

WHO ARE ARTISTS YOU LOOK UP TO TODAY? 

I relate to artists who follow their internal compass.  

Jason Isbell’s output is consistent. He’s a humanitarian, outspoken about his values, and  candid about his checkered past. I’m a fan of the man and the music. 

Sturgill Simpson’s unpredictability is also admirable. He released an eclectic country album of  the year, a hard rock banger, and three excellent bluegrass records in the span of five years.  

ALL TIME FAVORITE RECORDS?

A few that stand out as we speak: 

Prince- Purple Rain 

Tom Petty- Full Moon Fever 

Tom Waits- Mule Variations and Closing Time  

Guns N’ Roses- Appetite For Destruction  

Michael Jackson- Thriller  

Tribe Called Quest- The Low End Theory  

Bob Dylan- Blood On The Tracks  

My favorite live record is Bill Withers- Live At Carnegie Hall 

I could talk favorite records from brunch through after-hours.  

TELL US ABOUT YOUR LATEST RELEASE AND HOW IT CAME ABOUT. 

Hudson Delta is a conglomeration of demos dating back to 2013 and fresh tracks recorded in  Brooklyn from August 2019 through March 2020.  

Songs are like wine- some are ready to drink in a year, others take a decade to mature.  

I’m not someone who says, “That’s ‘good enough.’” I try to see a vision through to its highest  potential. Fortunately, when you have high caliber players and engineers like Brian Forbes and  John Roper, nothing sounds like a “demo.” It sounds like a record in the making.  

YOU SEEM TO FUSE SEVERAL MUSICAL GENRES. WHAT INSPIRES YOUR SOUND? 

Possibilities. Music can transport you to other worlds. 

Most of this record was written in NYC where there’s no shortage of diverse inspiration.  

“Murder In A Dancehall” was two separate ideas. There was the “stranger rides into town on  horseback” southern riff you hear in the intro and verses, and a reggae hook I wrote years later.  I combined them in a Greenwich Village apartment hours before the band’s last recording  session. When horn arranger, Nick Biello heard the final product he said something like, “It  feels like I’m on a sidewalk smoking a joint outside of a Mexican restaurant in cowboy boots.”  Creating that aesthetic excites me. (Now that we talked about it, I kind of want to do what Nick  described.) 

The records I mentioned (and the hundreds I didn’t) all shaped my musical palate.  Music is communication. We instinctively learn to communicate through emulation. Musicians  begin imitating something they heard just as humans learn to speak. As time goes by, we’re  exposed to multiple genres which become part of our vocabulary; similar to culinary recipes,  painting, algorithms, martial arts, religion and philosophy, etc. Then, there’s inspiration- sounds  you believe to be unique. I keep an open mind when it comes to blending these influences.  Create first, refine after.  

WHAT EXCITES YOU MOST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO?

Connection to musicians in the band, fans in the audience, and people in places we visit. My  job is to help people feel connected. 

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN FIVE YEARS? 

Talking to you about my fifth album and upcoming world tour from The Maldives (laughs). 

YOUR STYLE IS VERY ORIGINAL AND ELABORATE. HOW DO YOU TAKE CARE OF YOUR  AESTHETICS? 

As authentically as possible, so I don’t have to play a character in the public eye.  

I use my theater experience to inform performance aesthetics more than costumes or a  schtick. 

Staying in as best of shape as possible and the band “dressing like we give a shit” is enough  for me. The former remains a challenge.  

WHAT WAS THE MOST DAUNTING MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER SO FAR? 

The collapse of indie label where I signed my first deal out of college. It was a defining moment  where I chose to continue the path of an artist in New York City despite financial and logistical  uncertainties.  

WHAT’S THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER GOTTEN? 

Most of my father’s advice is solid. His telling me to pursue theater at Emerson College comes  to mind because he was telling me to follow my heart and talent.  

In terms of reading, The Tao Te Ching, The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, and The Artists Way  by Julia Cameron. 

WHERE DO YOU THINK THE NEXT GAME-CHANGER WILL BE IN THE INDUSTRY AND  ENTERTAINMENT SCENE? 

In the interpersonal world. The Internet and social media are great for discovery, but living in  there chips away at our humanity. The next gamer changer will find balance.