Dweller of the Fringe

Yardley, Pa., singer-songwriter Tom Detrik is happy out on his own.

By: Megan Sullivan

TIMEOFF/MEGAN SULLIVAN

Yardley resident Tom Detrik mixes eclectic rock with a fundamental fusion feel in his latest independent album.

   Singer-songwriter Tom Detrik may never become a big star and that’s all right with him. Striking it rich is nice for some, but this Yardley, Pa., resident is happy as long as he can perform.
   Mr. Detrik released his second independent album, Songs From The Window, earlier this year, proving he can make a name for himself without the help of a major label. By launching his own label, goofystuff music, Mr. Detrik has found a way to get his music out there and sell CDs. "It’s the current trend," he says. "The music business has become so pre-manufactured and cookie cutter-ed that anyone with a real interest pretty much records their own music and they’ll release it themselves until a label decides to pick them up.
   "You don’t really need the big labels anymore," Mr. Detrik continues. "They advance the money for the recording and then take everything away from you once it’s said and done. That’s why at least you expense yourself, take your chances, put your money into it and if you make it back, great. If you don’t, at least you don’t owe it to anybody."
   Mr. Detrik signed up with CD Baby, an online record store that sells CDs for independent musicians and submits their music to digital outlets. On the Web site, the Philadelphia native describes Songs From The Window as "eclectic rock with a fundamental fusion feel. Music for the outcast, disillusioned and alienated. Welcome dwellers of the fringe."
   The description might sound a bit out there, but Mr. Detrik’s unique creations, complete with heavy drum beats, guitar riffs, ’80s sounds and seductively smooth vocals, have attracted a following. "That’s what I want," he says of his desire to have a great fan base rather than stardom. "I always listened to people who weren’t necessarily mainstream. OK, yeah, Elvis, the Beatles, a big influence on my life, I listened to them a lot, but people like Lou Reed — big Lou Reed listener, big Lou Reed fan — was he mainstream? No, not really. Did he appeal to everyone? No, not really. Did he have a good following? He had a great following."
   Perhaps Mr. Detrik’s eclectic sound can be attributed to having such a wide variety of influences, which is apparent after looking through his odd assortment of records and CDs. He explains how he grew up listening to what his mother listened to, which included Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra.
   "If you look through my MP3 player, you’ll find them, you’ll find Tom Jones, Queen, T.Rex, David Bowie, Lou Reed, George Gershwin… everything," he insists. "I just like music." Because Mr. Detrik enjoys playing around with a variety of sounds, fans hear a lot of different artists’ sounds within his work, from David Bowie to Billy Joel. People have even told him they can hear an Elvis influence on the track "I Am A Man" from his recent album.
   "Everyone hears what they want to hear," he explains. "Do I think I sound like Elvis? No way, but hey I’ll take it."
   Since he was 15, Mr. Detrik has been in and out of bands, teaching himself guitar and fiddling around with piano and keyboards. He recalls how he originally started out as a saxophone player before his bandmates discovered he could actually sing. "They realized you can’t sing with a sax in your mouth," he says, laughing.
   Mr. Detrik moved to Yardley nearly two years ago with his wife, Bonnie Loev, an actor/comedian, after living in New York City where his former band, New York Invasion, played clubs like CBGB’s and the Elbow Room.
   Although he’s had bands in Philadelphia, he says he’s more well-known in New York because he also worked as an actor in commercials and Off-Broadway shows. "I was actually getting to the point where I would walk down the street and people would say, ‘Hey, I know who you are!’"
   From smaller independent films to Hollywood movies, Mr. Detrik has found a variety of ways to pop up and make people remember his face.
   "If you ever watch ‘Philadelphia,’ there’s a scene where the court doors open before Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks come out and you see all these reporters out front," he says. "I’m the reporter right in the front."
   He was even mistaken for Al Pacino while doing extra work for the film Two Bits in a South Philadelphia neighborhood. "They had me dressed up in this 1940s, all-white summer suit with a hat," he recalls. "This kid’s sitting on a step and you hear him scream, ‘He’s here!!!’ and these people start coming out of their houses and I’m like, ‘No, he’s not!’ I almost got thrashed for almost being Al Pacino."
   Mr. Detrik is working on expanding his Pennsylvania fan base and hopes to perform at Triumph Brewing Co. in New Hope on its singer-songwriter night in the future. He also has been trying to get airplay on Philadelphia’s non-commercial WXPN and will perform June 27 during the competition Philly Rising Open Stage at World Café Live.
   Although Mr. Detrik admits that he doesn’t think he appeals to the masses, he’s not worried.
   "I always saw myself as a kitschy, sort of underground artist, and I’m real happy with that," he says. "That’s actually what I do want to be."
Tom Detrik will perform at the Philly Rising Open Stage, World Café Live’s Upstairs Live, 3025 Walnut St., Philadelphia, June 27, 7:30 p.m. Free admission. For information, call (215) 222-1400. On the Web: www.worldcafelive.com. Songs From The Window is available on the Web: www.cdbaby.com. Tom Detrik on the Web: www.detrik.com