NEW TOUCHSTONE FORUM LAUNCHED!
Touchstone have just launched a brand new band forum, courtesy of Hippy Dave, forum-designer extraordinaire.
The forum covers news, announcements, discussions about the band's music, gig talk, questions for the band, an area to discuss music gear,as well as areas to discuss other bands and indeed anything else you fancy!
See: touchstone.darkbb.com/forum
Hippy Dave and the band are always open to ideas, so comments are welcomed via the forum on how it can be improved.
Please join up and be part of Touchstone's discordantly dreamy world!
STUNNING 8/8 REVIEW of Discordant Dreams in POWERPLAY Magazine. Click Here
Touchstone track on cover CD and feature in August Classic Rock Magazine.
The August edition of Classic Rock is due out in the shops from 23rd July and will feature the track 'Shadow' on the cover CD, as well as a write-up with photo.
Following our recent fantastic album review in the magazine, this is yet more great exposure for the band. Click Here
HMV - Oxford Street, London - Touchstone CD section next to Toto. Click Here
RoSfest announces Touchstone for 2009
Touchstone are delighted to announce that we have been invited to play at the most splendid RoSfest on Sunday morning 3rd May 2009. www.rosfest.com
Coming on top of the excellent review of our album by Geoff Barton in the recently published Classic Rock magazine, this really is the icing on the cake. This is yet another first for the band, and we are all very excited to get our music listened to Stateside! We are planning to release our next album in Spring 2009, so the timing could not be better. We will be playing a great mix of old and brand new material, and we also have a surprise up our sleeve for the gig which we will announce closer to the time.
The band would like to thank George Roldan very much for his support, and look forward to making more friends in the US."
RoSfest is looking forward to this performance by this up and coming brilliant band.
Discordant Dreams onsale in HMV - album in HMV stores around London also see the online store here
Discordant Dreams onsale at TESCO online - see the online store here
Touchstone's label sign new major UK distribution deal
TOUCHSTONE are proud to announce a new major UK distribution agreement between the band's own independent label, Heavy Right Foot Records, and Proper Music – see http://www.properdistribution.com
Proper Music is the the largest independent distributor in the UK - providing top quality distribution services to over 400 labels from around the world supplying UK retailers and export accounts. They were nominated in Feb 2008 for "Best Distributor" in the 2008 Music Week Awards – amongst the likes of EMI and Universal Records – see http://www.musicweekawards.com
This agreement will open up distribution across the whole of the UK including such stores as HMV and Virgin.
Rob said: "I have been in discussions with Mik Gaffney, the Rock Label Manager, since Mad Hatters was released. Proper thought it was a great EP, but – from a business perspective - the opportunity to agree terms was always going to have to wait until our first album was out. Thankfully, Mik and all at Proper loved Discordant Dreams - and indeed felt it was a 'step up'. I'm pleased we have reached agreement, and would like to thank Mik and all at Proper Music for their continued interest, patience and support. We all look forward to working with Mik and the crew to spread the Touchstone gospel around the UK retailers, UK exporters and, of course, the UK rock press. This is a great springboard to broaden the band's distribution of Discordant Dreams, as well as a solid foundation upon which to release our up and coming studio album which will be out, all being well, around late Spring 2009. Work is coming along on that thick and fast, with all band members contributing in a major way to what we hope will be our best work yet.
Thanks must also go to someone we regard as part of the Touchstone family now - Ralph Rea of Lycan Media for his continued professional advice and support, during this process.
Thanks also to Susan Clark for the initial introduction to Proper, which came about as a result of her passion and enthusiasm for our music."
UK TOUR ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!
TOUCHSTONE are pleased, proud and delighted to announce that they will be supporting the mighty IT BITES for the whole of their 2008 UK tour!
TOUCHSTONE is in the process of writing their next album with recording due in February next year. These gigs will be the first opportunity to hear the band showcasing brand new Touchstone material - as well as, of course, material from their Discordant Dreams album and the Mad Hatters EP
Book your tickets now! Dates and venues are listed on the LIVE page
Touchstone meet Asia & Chris Squire
Paul and Adam were invited to the recent Asia concert at Shepherds Bush Empire and later at the after show party where they met with all the members of Asia and Chris Squire of Yes. A great night was had by all . Big thanks to John Wetton, Martin Darvill and of course John Mitchell. Great night...!!!
USA AWARD, Touchstone are delighted to announce that they have won the prestigious title of Best New Progressive Rock Indie Artist in the Progressive Hall of Fame 2008 Awards! Please see www.progressiverockhalloffame.com
There is a lot of superb competition out there for this award, so Rob, Adam, Moo, Al and Elkie are very grateful indeed and would again like to thank their fans in the USA for all their wonderful support.
TOUCHSTONE BASSIST ENDORSED BY WARWICK!
The band are delighted to announce that Paul Moorghen has been endorsed by Warwick - the famous manufacturer of Warwick bass guitars.
On 30th January 2008 Paul was invited to the HQ of Warwick in Markneukirchen in the east of Germany and was given a tour of the state of the art Warwick/Framus factory and treated to a tour of the historic Framus museum. Click Here for Paul's page @ Warwick.
Paul said: "I would just like re-iterate how proud I am to be associated with Warwick - if you listen to our album or see us live, you will hear at first hand 'the sound of wood'! Thanks again for your support of Touchstone as without you, none of these great things would be happening."
CRS' Best Guitarist 2007 to guest with CRS' Best New Band 2007!!
We are delighted to annnounce that John Mitchell (It Bites, Kino, Arena) will be guesting with Touchstone on Saturday 2nd February at the Peel, Kingston-Upon-Thames - not to be missed! The Peel Link
BEST NEW BAND OF THE YEAR 2007!
On the 12th January 2008 at the Classic Rock Society 'Best Of The Year' Awards in Wath Upon Dearne, nr Rotherham - Touchstone won 'Best New Band' in 2007 Award! The band accepted the award from John Wetton (Asia).
Discordant Dreams was also nominated for Best Album, 2nd from top.
Paul (Moo) Moorghen was nominated as Best Bass Player, 2nd from top
Adam was in the top 10 for Best Guitarist
Kim was in the top 10 for Best Female Vocalist
Discordant Dreams and the Mad Hatters Song were both in the top 10 for Best Track
The band would like to thank the CRS members that voted, as well as all the wonderful Touchstone fans for all their support. Click Here To See Picture.
Free Desktop wallpaper with artwork featured in Discordant Dreams,
Main Cover design, click here to open image and then copy to your desktop
Blacktide design, click here to open image and then copy to your desktop
Being Hannah design, click here to open image and then copy to your desktop
Discordant Texture, click here to open image and then copy to your desktop
Band Image, click here to open image and then copy to your desktop
BRAND NEW SET UNLEASHED FOR 2008!
On Thursday 10th January, Touchstone played to a well-attended Horn in St Albans, and this was the first outing of a brand new set - as well as Rob's brand new Virus keyboard.
The set was well-received and the band also enjoyed watching their mates The Scratch and The Harringtons perform, also.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2007!
Discordant Dreams wins album of the year 2007 at Sonicbond. Thanks to all who voted for us
NUMBER 1!
Touchstone Discordant Dreams reaches number 1 best seller for 3 weeks @ Sonic Bond - November 2007. Check it out here.
NEW WEBSITE!
After some delays due to busy schedules all round - we are proud to at last announce our new improved web-site in readiness for 2008! Please write to us and tell us what you think – and how you would like us to improve it going forward! A lot of hard work has gone into the site, so we just want to say a massive thank you to Adem for all his hard work!
ALBUM BEST SELLER!
Discordant Dreams has been Sonicbond's best seller for many weeks – see http://www.sonicbond.com – and if you don't have the album – please buy it and keep Touchstone at the top of that list!
SOLD OUT HERTS GIG!
After some months enforced sabbatical due to band house moves, Touchstone were delighted to play to a sold out audience at The Horn, St Albans on the 23 November 2007, with some fans travelling from far as wide as Birmingham, Nottingham and even Turin! The Horn have asked the band to come back in January and play again after such great feedback!
PARTY TIME!
At the next gigs on 10th January in St Albans and 19th January in Southend, there will be very much a party atmosphere as both dates are around Rob and Adam's birthdays!
NEW SET!
The band have been in rehearsals on a brand new set with some twists – come along and see what we mean! Adam commented: "This new set even blew me away – I cannot wait to get out there and blow people's socks off!"
MAGAZINE NEWS!
In the recently released December 2007 Classic Rock Society magazine the band is mentioned in six different articles –see especially the review of the album and the review of Touchstone's headliner at Montgomery Hall, which you an see in the Press page.
POLISH AIRPLAY!
The album has now been played on the famous Polish station MLWZ, and reviewed by well know Metal Hammer reviewer extraordinaire, Artur Chachlowski. A translation of the review will be added soon to this website! (And we have no idea what he said yet!) See http://www.mlwz.ceti.pl.
BAND HAS A SERIOUS VIRUS …
After upping sticks and moving house and studio to Milton Keynes, Rob has added a new exciting addition to his live keyboard rig – an addition which even surprised him! He commented: "I was looking for a one keyboard live solution, and having tried this out with a well known workstation - reverted back to the trusty Kurzweil PC2 and Korg Triton Studio combo as we were just not getting the 'oomph' that the band needed, sound-wise. I was also after an 'unslaved' keyboard to satisfy some of the lead solos, and having tried several out, literally stumbled across the Access Virus TI by accident. It was not on my shortlist, but there it was blinking away in the store and I thought I'd give it some stick – and it blew me away! So I've now ended up with a three-keyboard live solution! Which means more stage space (sorry fellow band-mates). Not quite the idea, but – what the hey!"
…ANTIDOTE FOUND!
In response, and not wishing to be outgunned on the gear front by his partner-in-melodic-crime, Adam had the impulsive urge to go out and buy himself yet another superb Music Man guitar to keep up. In a revealing conversation Adam said: 'Don't tell the wife – she'll kill me…'. Rumours that he has gone missing recently and that the remains of his guitar case were washed up on a beach in Seaton Carew are wildly exaggerated…rumours that he suffers selective amnesia are however entirely correct.
CYMBAL OF OUR TIMES
In a totally unrelated gear lust incident – wonder-boy and power-drummer Al has replaced a cymbal in his gear with a shiny new Zildjian. Al commented: 'I love it – it's splashing'.
PHOTOSHOOT!
Elkie is due to have a photoshoot very soon, so we are looking forward to seeing the results and placing some examples on the website for all you Elkie fans
MOO!
In a recent development Moo (bassist, Paul Moorghen) said (and we quote) : " Moo…" – this is to be investigated further…
FUTURE NEWS!
Has not happened yet - however, plans are afoot to tour in 2008, video to be filmed, live album to be made and as soon as we have more, we'll let you know…watch this space…