Jimmy Turner and the Tear is the musical vehicle of multi-disciplinary artist, Jimmy Acunto. The New York native has been creating art in its many forms. He is a painter, an architect, a designer and songwriter. In recent years he has focused his creative energies on music.
The band, Jimmy Turner and the Tear made their debut full length album The Luckiest Guy earlier this year. The 14-song set takes a ride through the classic sounds of yesteryear. Inspired by the music of classic rock icons like the Beatles and Led Zeppelin, the band creates an authentic organic sound, performed and recorded with vintage analog gear.
“High Above the Hills’ ‘ is the current single from The Luckiest Guy. The track rides a classic Americana mountain music vibe. The sound brings to mind the bluegrass and psychedelic folk of American Beauty-era Grateful Dead. Acoustic and tremolo electric guitars meet a hippie orchestra of fiddle bass drums and banjo. Meanwhile, Jimmy and a choir of backing vocals sings a dreamy tale about slowing down, chilling out and connecting with those we love.
Check out “High Above The Hills” below. You can also hear the track on the Deep Indie Songwriters playlist, or listen on your favorite streaming service. We had the chance to chat with the singer about Jimmy Tuner and the Tear. Check out his answers to our 8 questions below. Follow the links below to connect with Jimmy Turner and the Tear. Get on their socials and dig into their timeless groove.
8 Questions with Jimmy Turner and the Tear
Where are you from?
Locust Valley New York, small town in northern Nassau County, Long Island.
How long have you been making music?
I’ve been playing music from 12 years old and on. I’ve been writing and recording music for the past 10 years.
Who are the musicians involved in your project?
The core band is Myself ( Guitar, drums) Nick Post ( guitar, bass and engineer) and Kristen Ingegno ( Sax, vocals). We love inviting other musicians to record: Will Mignon, Ray Matuza, Billy Lucano and Joe Loshovio.
Who are your biggest musical influences?
Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull and King Crimson but not limited, really love all music; blues , show tunes. Great music is great music for a reason.
What is your greatest non-musical influence?
My parents, Frank Lloyd Wright, Marcel Breuer, Helmont Jacoby, Christen Herter, William Paxton McGregor, Rembrandt and so many others.
What inspired you to create this project?
I have a fine arts background in oil painting, attended architecture school, and work in the design world with my own company. Everything to me is creating. Creating art, architecture, music. I’m always after the next idea. We don’t play cover music, we just like writing and producing original music. Just came out.. Hope others like it.
What are your plans for the future (musically)?
My band Jimmy and the Tear have previously recorded an EP and currently have our full studio debut The Luckiest Guy out. As we speak we are also working on a new EP, and Covid has side lined performing live but that’s in the works.
Is there anything else you would like to say?
Yes. Over the years I’ve built a recording studio in my house. We record on 2” 24 track tape machines (Tascam ATR 80), 1” 24 track machine (Tascam MSR 24)and 1/2” Otrai MTR- 12 mix down machines. Mixed in Pro Tools with analog outboard gear.
We have a great selection of mics and a vintage amplifier amp collection ( 2 Marshall Stacks, 2 Sound City Stacks, Orange half stack, vintage Fenders and Ampegs and a very loud Laney combo). The studio has two vintage drum sets ( 1967 Gretsch double bass drum kit & 1969 26” bass drum maple Ludwig kit) Keyboards: Hammond organ w/ Leslie, Mellotron, Kurzweil PC2 and Korg SP-200. Monitors:Vintage Yamaha NS-10’s, 10” KRK, Avantone Active Cubes, monster vintage 2x15in playback cabs powered by Carver PM-900 amp. Note Loud.
The studio was built for the sole purpose of recording Jimmy Turner and Tear. I mention the above because the process of creating and recording music is a magical process.