Tex Crick

From the small coastal town of Coledale on the south coast of Australia comes Tex Crick. Since appearing on the scene in 2013, Crick’s versatility as a keyboardist led him far and wide, making a name for himself as a cult figure amongst alt-music fanatics. With a modest reputation for performing alongside a diverse array of international artists, Crick has played with Kirin J. Callinan, Weyes Blood, Connan Mockasin, and Iggy Pop. While Tex Crick is best known as an adaptable collaborator, his full-length debut, ​Live In… New York City​, presents his own fleshed-out, piano-driven sound. It’s also the first time Crick introduces his own voice, a signifying turn in his music.

Crick’s involvement in the Australian music scene began in high school, when he’d take a 2 hour train ride to sneak into music venues. After meeting at a show, Kirin J. Callinan offered him a spot in his band despite never hearing Crick’s music. Shortly after, Crick embarked on nearly 4 years of global touring with Callinan, plus a handful of others. This led to an incidental introduction to Mac DeMarco in New York during a US tour with Connan Mockasin. “We were in Greenpoint and Connan and I had just bought these faux silk pajamas for a few dollars that looked like business suits,” explains Crick. “We were wearing them out for a walk when Mac and Keira pulled up in a car and rolled down the window. Mac invited us to his birthday party the following night and ended up joining us on stage at our NYC show.”

After Crick emailed his record out to friends, DeMarco asked if he could have a go at mixing it and running the tracks though his own gear. As a result, Crick’s debut found a home on Mac’s Record Label. “I’ve known Tex for maybe seven years now,” says Mac. “I’ve always loved the music he’s sent me and released over those years, and now I’m able to lend a hand in sharing his newest joint. I helped mix this record, and have heard it probably one thousand times at this point, and still love it.”

In between tours, Crick settled down in New York City to write and record the aptly-named ​Live In…New York City​. During this Time, Crick was learning to tune and repair pianos from an old Steinway technician. While honing his skills as a piano repairman, Crick hauled a junk piano off the streets in Queens, NY back to his third-floor apartment where he turned and repaired the piano back to playable condition. With the addition of a microphone and a metronome, Crick began sketching out a string of ambitious love songs. The recordings were filled with background noises, clicks of Crick’s metronome, and organic sounds of bustling New York City streets. Crick embraced these raw sounds, adding background noises on purpose. “During that time I was also visiting a lot of jazz bars,” says Crick. “Some of the background noise and chit chat on the album was recorded while sitting at the bar using my handheld recorder under my jacket.”

Much like the business suit pajamas that played a role in his introduction to Mac DeMarco, Crick has found unique ways to put his sense of humor on display with his debut record. Contrary to what the name implies, ​Live In… New York City​ is not a live album; it was self-recorded in Crick’s apartment. Even more surprising is the story behind the album’s unassuming cover. “I had an idea to email a private investigator pretending I was a woman with a cheating spouse,” says Crick. “I arranged for him to follow and photograph my cheating husband (which would actually be me). I had the P.I. follow me around Manhattan all day taking pictures of me. I ended up using one of the private investigator’s pictures as the album cover. I still don’t know who the guy was that took the photo. All I know is that his name is Ed.”

Taking a leaf from piano-driven pop records of a bygone era, Tex Crick’s ​Live In… New York City​ is a homage to sentimentality, merging classic songcraft with a naturally delicate approach on instrumentation. From misty-eyed love ballads to janky-edged rock spectacles. ​Live In… New York City unfolds a cloyingly sweet campaign of softhearted classics.