Name That Album: A Conversation with Singer/Songwriter Tofer Brown

I recently chatted with up-and-coming singer/songwriter Tofer Brown. We babbled all the typical music banter: his recently released self-titled EP, his music style, his inspirations, etc., etc. I thoroughly enjoyed talking with Tofer and found him to be an interesting character, so I thought I’d do him a favor and give him a few options for the title of his soon-to-be-released full length album.

Local Honey; or, Fear of the Pollen Count
It's a record high pollen count in 2007 for Nashville, TN, the city which Tofer currently calls home. Tofer started out with piano lessons at an early age, but at the time he decided to write his own songs, his concern for his performance now included his vocal ability. “It’s frustrating when you’re in the studio trying to record vocals, and your voice is off because you’ve got all these allergy symptoms.” Tofer’s had a long struggle with allergies since his childhood: “Even when I was little, my eyes would swell up and I couldn’t perform in piano recitals because I couldn’t see.” He’s tried all the natural remedies – including teaspoons of local honey – but has finally resorted to weekly allergy shots to get his immune system in check and his voice sounding perfect.

How Am I Not Myself?
Tofer Brown was formerly known as Chris Brown, the name he's gone by since he was a child. However, when an up-and-coming rapper by the name of Chris Brown hit it big in 2006, Tofer's identity was under siege. The first assault? Tofer’s seemingly innocent Myspace profile. “I had my Myspace profile for years, and all of a sudden I started getting hate mail, like ‘You’re not the real Chris Brown! You’re white!’ I have so many letters and messages that I kept because they really made me laugh.” Cut to a later day, when Tofer tries to log into his Myspace profile to find that it has been deleted; he had been accused of copyright infringement. Tofer placed a call with the California Better Business Bureau. “I felt like my whole identity had been wiped out.” His Myspace profile and URL were returned, only later to have them changed and deleted yet again. Chris decided that the latter half of his first name was just as appealing, and he’s been Tofer Brown ever since.

A Sense of Sensibility
Tofer studied philosophy and religion in college. When I asked him why he was so interested in two fields which don’t necessarily agree with each other, Tofer spoke of his childhood. Although he grew up in a Christian home, his family celebrated and appreciated diversity. Tofer has always been drawn to learn more about other people rather than disregarding them due to their difference. “I want to know other people’s hearts, and who they are, and what they believe. I want to love people in a greater way.” I found Tofer to be a very genuine individual, and he spoke of offering people hope; he admits that some of his songs deal with frustrating dilemmas, but he hopes to never leave his audience “high and dry.”

Persistence
Tofer admits that one of his greatest strengths is his tenacity. A persistent email strategy got him in touch with Pete Kipley, a producer in downtown Nashville. Tofer eventually landed a job with Pete almost two years ago, and what started out as going on coffee runs led to providing back-up vocals and planning string arrangements. “I was like his apprentice, but I think he was just testing me.” It might be Pete’s wife who deserves a little credit – she had a copy of one of Tofer’s early independent releases that she often played around the house. It was that exposure to Tofer’s music that eventually encouraged Pete to record Tofer’s album himself.

Candy Hearts
Okay, this one is a little easy - "Candy Hearts" is the name of a song that appears on his album. But the first time I heard this song, I was amazed at the beautiful complexity of the song which incorporates a string arrangement along with Tofer's soft vocals and his preferred form of musical expression, the piano. “This song came out of all the failed relationships I’ve had. I’m a hopeless romantic; I fall really hard. Sometimes you find that 98% of the relationship is you and the other person just doesn’t feel the same. You can try, but it doesn’t always work. I would do things like write songs for girls and buy them necklaces… but if the feeling isn’t there, then it isn’t there.”

But that sounds too sad, doesn’t it? I ask Tofer, “Where’s the hope in that?” He calmly and assuredly responds, “I’m one of those people who believes that there is someone for everyone. When relationships end, we can get overdramatic and think we’re never gonna find anyone again. But we will.”

How can I argue with that?

toferbrown.com

Tofer wears the aa1605 Lil' Boy stripe tee in Louis Blue.


-von jones