Todd Alsup

Smart. Fresh. Colorful. Classic. These are just a few words that have been used to describe downtown-NYC pop/soul sensation Todd Alsup. With a potent, powerful voice, virtuosic keyboard skills and a songbook chock full of potential hits, Alsup is poised to make himself a household name. He is a singer/songwriter who weaves good old-fashioned pop songs and delivers them from the gut, rejecting gimmicks in favor of craft and authenticity. His new self-titled studio album is a bright, shiny collection of lovingly-crafted hook-driven songs that seamlessly blend pop, soul, Motown and rock.

Alsup first made a name for himself with the release of his 2008 debut EP “Facts and Figures.” The EP garnered steady radio rotation, rave reviews, a coveted Yamaha endorsement, and the attention of Billboard Magazine, where Alsup was featured as an up-and-coming artist to watch. Riding high on the momentum of his first outing, Alsup enlisted New York producers Steve Greenwell (Joss Stone, Diane Birch) and James Walsh and Jeremy Sklarksy (Freelance Whales) of Major Who Media to assemble his first full-length record. Work on the project began in late 2008 and continued for nearly 15 months. “We were careful to let things take shape organically. A conscious decision was made to create something timeless that would pay homage to the artists and styles of music I grew up listening to. As I wrote the material for the record, I took great inspiration from artists like Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, The Supremes, Elton John, and Marvin Gaye.”

The result is a truly remarkable debut that sparkles with elegant piano lines, quirky synths, doo-wop harmonies, lush strings, bright horns and, at the forefront, Alsup’s impressive vocals. Lead single “Let’s Have a Party” is a celebratory shout-out - a deliciously funky track with an old-school Stevie Wonder vibe. It features reggae-infused piano, Wonder-esque Moog synths, and brass-lines for days. “You Are” is a classic piano love ballad in the style of Elton John and Billy Joel and features an intimate, romantic and heartfelt lyric. There are nods to Motown (the joyous, horn-soaked “Funniest Thing”), disco (the infectiously funky “The Only Thing”), blues (heart-wrencher “How I’m Made”), epic classic rock (a politically-charged “Something Worth Believing”) and traditional piano-man balladry (“The Way It Goes” and “Getting Gone”). It’s an album that tips its hat to the landscape of classic American pop, without being bound to any genre or era. It is, simply, a collection of solid songs recorded by top-notch musicians. This is a playlist you will want to put on repeat.

Alsup grew up in Pontiac, MI, a suburb of Detroit, the eldest of two boys born to public school teachers. He spent his early years making lots of noise. “From as young as I can remember I had a desire - a compulsion actually - to sing and make music. As a kid, I drove all of my family nuts because my idea of singing was belting out everything at the top of my lungs and I simply would not shut up.” When his parents bought a piano for the house when he was eleven, things just got louder. Alsup felt an innate desire to put on a show and it was not uncommon to see him rounding up kids from the block for the latest Todd Alsup production – a parade through the neighborhood, a circus in the backyard, a music video in the basement. “I wanted to be the ringleader. I just really liked entertaining people.”

As a boy, Todd spent a lot of time listening to pop, and at a very early age became fascinated with his mother’s record collection from when she was a teenager. He steadily developed a taste for a variety of pop artists from different eras – including Motown (especially the Supremes), Carole King and Billy Joel. A wild obsession at age six for Donna Summer (“I spent hours and hours dancing my ass off in the living room to ‘She Works Hard for the Money’”) made way for a love affair with soulful vocalists like Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder. “Even as a child, I derived great pleasure from listening to great singers. I loved to study the ways different vocalists would interpret musical phrases. Everything I know about singing with nuance and guts and dynamic I learned from listening to the iconic soul singers.”

Adolescence brought about many unexpected changes in Todd’s life.
There was upheaval at home (his parents divorced when he was 12), new physical changes (difficult struggles with weight) and social awkwardness (coming into his own identity), which yielded much unwanted attention from classmates. “Those were some really difficult times. My whole world seemed to be turning upside down and I really felt alone most of the time. I didn’t want to be the center of attention anymore – because that had come to mean mocking and taunting from other kids. Music, thankfully, saw me through.” Todd found solace and an unjudging friend in his music. He spent endless hours at his piano and keyboard, composing and exploring harmonic possibilities. “Writing songs was my only emotional outlet. I learned then that I had a lifelong friend. Music has truly been my savior and source of comfort ever since.”

Even as a youngster, the allure of New York City was never lost on Todd, and he set his sights on living in the center of it all early in his teens. An opportunity to study vocal performance at NYU was just the one-way ticket he had been hoping for. He has called Manhattan his home since graduating high school. These days, Todd regularly thrills faithful crowds at popular downtown NYC clubs, and maintains a steady touring schedule. An out and proud artist, he’s also an active member of his community. He is a strong advocate for marriage equality, a volunteer artist for Lifebeat – The Music Industry Fights AIDS, and regularly contributes his time and talents to worthy organizations like GLAAD and various Pride groups.

So how does Todd Alsup view his place in the music industry? “I’d like to think I’m bringing a bit of classicism and authenticity back to pop. I was drawn to pop music because I don’t know any other art form that can excite or affect people the way a three-and-a-half minute song can. You’re given a short pocket of time to tell a memorable story and make people feel something. It’s about distilling an emotion and the challenge of doing that effectively is epic. No movie or novel ever made me feel as joyous as ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody’ or as cathartic as ‘Let It Be.’ Pop music gets a bad rap an awful lot, but it can be elegant and serious shit.”

For Todd, the journey is all about making a lasting connection with listeners. "I would love to bring back that era of well-crafted songs that tell meaningful and powerful stories about life and love. I think that's a lost art, and if I can make a living sharing that passion with an audience, then I'm happy."