Meet Tomás Doncker, the bluesman whose honest sense of soulfulness has earned him a respected spot on the scene for over thirty years and running. Over the course of his seasoned career, Doncker has worked with some of the all-time greats, from Yoko Ono, Bonnie Raitt and Grammy Award-winning Bill Laswell to Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Yusef Komunyakaa. Doncker’s forthcoming album The Mess We Made details the pain engendered by racism still being alive and well in the world today.

“It all started on the day of the Charleston Massacre, the heinous events which occurred on June 17, 2015 pushed me over the edge. I was overwhelmed with rage, hatred, confusion and disillusionment. I had no place to put these feelings. I had no idea how to process them. So, in a selfish attempt to maintain my own sanity I did the only thing I could do, write about it. By Sunday, June 21, I had written 4 new songs. Within ten days I had recorded the 8 songs that would become, The Mess We Made”.

The first single lifted from The Mess We Made is ‘Church Is Burning Down’, a direct discussion on not only the Charleston shooting, but also on hate-crime in general. Opening with a fidgety beat which draws to mind retro drum machines, Tomás Doncker soon chimes in: “Misinformation, this information/So much speculation going round. Unholy fire in the house of God/Can’t turn away, can’t fair the ride, fourteen times in seven days”. The track is full of fire, drive and restlessness. Doncker’s indignation, which serves as a conduit for the anger of a persecuted group, is seething through funky guitars and thumping bass: “So damn sick and tired of being sick and tired”. 

‘Church Is Burning Down’ takes a firm stand against hatred. While Doncker could very well have gone with a solemn and saddened first single for the album, he has instead chosen a fiercely upbeat number that’s imbued with a powerful message and a poignant sense of solidarity. 

‘Church Is Burning Down’ is available from Amazon & iTunes.