BIOGRAPHY
A native Oregonian, Tonya Gilmore began performing at a young age as a vocalist, and later as guitarist and vocalist in folk duo, The Penelopes, with Michael Snider on string bass, harmonica, and banjo. The two played locally at community events, festivals, and frequently at a small chapel turned folk venue in LaGrande, Oregon. While the two played mostly covers from a variety of genres, Gilmore was busy behind the scenes writing and recording her first collection of original material. The album was self-released in 2004 as Trip the Light Fantastic, and featured eight minimalist guitar/vocal tracks.
In 2005, Gilmore moved to the opposite end of the state to attend Southern Oregon University. The experience transformed her into a despondent recluse--and a better songwriter. She began recording her second album, Light Fixtures & Telephones, while attending SOU, and later finished the album in her hometown after cutting her college days short. After the move, Gilmore began performing again, this time around as a solo singer/songwriter. She found a community of indie music enthusiasts in a makeshift venue--a small stage in the hallway of a plaza called Ye Olde Towne Mercantile that housed pawn shops, beauty salons, and the like--and started performing there frequently. In 2006, Gilmore played a 'sold out' show at The Merc as the opener for Seattle band Some By Sea of SideCho Records. The stage eventually relocated to its own space, becoming The Gadfly, which attracted a variety of touring and local acts, and a bigger audience. Gilmore headlined regularly at the Gadfly, and continued to build her already extensive original material.
Following the worst of a series of financial and emotional calamities, Gilmore packed her guitar and cat and headed East to St Louis, Missouri in the summer of 2006. Making the open mic rounds, she quickly collected a network of supportive musicians and fans that created many opportunities to further her career in music. One opportunity led to the release of her third album Life Science recorded by Jim McKinney in 2007. The album was a step up from the last two, both in sound quality and songwriting. While most tracks on the album were strictly guitar and vocals, Gilmore decided to test the waters, and started adding more interesting parts to the mix including glockenspiel and string arrangements. To promote the album, she worked her way into regular bookings at several venues around town.
A desire to add depth to the mix led Gilmore to cellist, Tyler Davis. The two recorded a rough E.P with six songs and started performing under the name Little Anodyne and the Red Wallpaper, booking several shows a month at an array of venues including coffee and gelato shops, clubs, festivals, and art museums. The collaborative project ended at the end of 2008 when Davis moved away from the St Louis area. But the taste for variety was still strong, and Gilmore began using unorthodox methods of making music by utilizing a collection of toy instruments, household items, pets, and other miscellaneous noise makers. The result was her most creative and complex album to date entitled Feed the Sea. She recruited her friends and musicians Abi Robins and Sean Renner to assist her in translating the new and interesting sound to the live performances. They performed together under the name Tonya Gilmore and the Antifolks for a handful of shows, including the release party of Feed the Sea at the well known St Louis venue, the Focal Point. The release was a success, and the first batch of the album was sold out within two weeks. Gilmore continued to perform solo and with the Antifolks until July of 2009, at which point she moved back to her home state of Oregon. Gilmore currently lives and performs in the Salem/Portland area and is planning to begin recording a new album in April of 2010.
Buy Physical
August 6 Great Idea! Music Festival
1-2pm _ Big Timber
3-4pm _ Western Town
Enchanted Forest Theme Park
Salem, OR
August 26 Pat Hull w/ Tonya Gilmore
The Space
1132 Broadway St NE
New Album Coming!
Recording has commenced, and new tracks will be uploaded within the next two weeks. Stay tuned!
