Small Time Hero, Top of the Tree (LP | 2009)

by Tom Iansek

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1.	Today, Tomorrow, Forever 01:54	lyrics	buy track
[Instrumental]
2.	The Night Time 04:08	lyrics	buy track
The night time takes me out to sea, with you And the waves break on you and me But I knew that we could never stay for long But please just let us stay until The waves are nearly gone The night time takes us to unknown lands Where we play explorers And leave our prints in the sand A beauty to which we could only surrender ‘Til morning stole us from this place I can barely remember And the rain just kept falling all around And we cried That we couldn’t be more alone If we tried And the wind cried to the sea Sent a message in the breeze And the sands awoke And the sunlight spoke And you told us then That we still had then
3.	Dear Friend 03:17	lyrics	buy track
Dear friend Are you ever going to know That I have thought about you For so long But in my head We spend our days in bed Limbs entwined And dear friend Are you ever going to see That you and I were meant to be At least for a few years We would fall in love See the world Laugh, cry, dance, sing Ooh You are a force that I fear Yet a force that I’ve always known You are the wind coming Coming to drive me back home And dear friend Is that all you will ever be? Need I ask when already know That what you want the most What you seek at last Is always just out of your grasp Ooh You are a force that I fear Yet a force that I’ve always known You are the wind coming Coming to drive me back home
4.	Billy's Last Stand 01:06	lyrics	buy track
[Instrumental]
5.	We Should Be Working 03:23	lyrics	buy track
We should be working Not just strumming guitars We should be running Not just chasing the stars I always want what’s only just out of my reach I should be thinking about how I’m going to eat It’s all just words we’re yet to say It’s all just chords we’re yet to play It’s all just words we’re yet to say It’s all just chords we’re yet to play We should be working not strumming We should be working not strumming (It’s all just words we’re yet to say) We should be working not strumming (It’s all just chords we’re yet to play) We should be working not strumming (It’s melodies we’re yet to sing) We should be working not strumming (It’s choruses yet to begin) We should be working not strumming I always want what’s only just out of my reach I should be thinking about how I’m going to eat
6.	Secret Garden 03:37	lyrics	buy track
Again I find myself by the water’s edge Down where the ibis come to feed I feel the city lights dancing on your windowsill With you wondering how you’re ever going to leave Somewhere among the leafy streets With your books, your sandboxes and your seashells Caged by your body Your mind still runs free You’re exactly where you want yourself to be Ooh Ooh And when you find yourself alone Peering through the curtains from above At the shadowy figure Standing on your lawn A secret garden lies inside the ones you love Ooh Ooh
7.	Night Time Over the City 00:52	lyrics	buy track
[Instrumental]
8.	False Gods 05:19	lyrics	buy track
Since you’ve been gone I am sure That since we last walked on these shores I’ve felt older than I’ve ever known And new youth once again in my bones And since you’ve been gone I have seen That this body I once craved has been No more than a fleeting desire No more than a flame in the wind I just want to feel that we’re getting warmer I just want to know that we’re somehow getting closer I just to push you from my mind And cut you from my side ‘Cos this gig is getting old And my body’s getting tired And since you’ve been gone I have found Myself all alone with my eyes to the ground And I know your eyes still fill with tears But I’m just trying to keep from falling back down I wanna feel that we’re somehow getting closer I just want to feel that we’re all getting stronger I just want to fly to the stars Don’t wanna know who you are ‘Cos it can all go to the dogs If we keep praying to false gods I just want to fly to the stars I don’t wanna know who you are ‘Cos it can all go to the dogs And we can all pray to false gods But this gig is getting old And my body’s getting tired
9.	Sarah 02:43	lyrics	buy track
Sarah’s on the grass Eating chips and talking shit About getting drunk last night Snow skin and eyes so blue You’re an angel But you still make me want to take you home And roll around with you Oh Sarah I don’t even know you Oh Sarah What to do All the boys you know Are in love with you I think I might be too I’m not too sure Oh Sarah Oh Sarah
10.	Toast 01:14	lyrics	buy track
As I break from deep sleep’s hold Move my hands to feel the cold Of your not being there Kiss goodbye to catch the train Eating toast I let you walk there in the rain Simultaneous desire And it is nice that I can’t help but feel the fire inside me
11.	Cold Hands 02:02	lyrics	buy track
Ooh Open up your eyes We’re not just in your mind We are lost You are blind Please just know that are here Our presence you do fear For the touch of this cold hand You will never understand

about

TOM IANSEK WAS (also) SMALL TIME HERO - A RARE RECORD STORE DAY 2017 RELEASE

Small Time Hero, Top Of The Tree - a 2017 Release From The Archives of 2009

Arguably Australia’s most prolific, engaging and intimate songwriter/producer in recent memory, Tom Iansek will release the first LP he ever wrote and recorded, under the moniker of Small Time Hero, titled "Top Of The Tree". Available now digitally via Pieater and on 12” Vinyl for Record Store Day, April 22, 2017.

Back in 2009, before the world caught on to the musing of this bedroom artist via Big Scary and #1 Dads, a young Iansek was learning the craft of writing songs and recording them himself. Armed with a 4 track mixer and one microphone, he wrote/produced/mixed and then self-released Small Time Hero Top of the Tree LP to zero fanfare, zero acclaim but all for personal growth.

“This is the first album I ever made.” explains Tom Iansek “There was great joy and excitement for me making it. It was the beginning of my love for the entire music making process, from song writing and arranging to capturing the performance, I present it now to unashamedly show the beginnings of my journey into making music.”

Small Time Hero, Top of the Tree also frames the beginnings of one of Australia’s new crop independent labels, Pieater with manager Tom Fraser’s first introduction to Iansek via the LP that sound tracked their first summer as friends, who together with Joanna Syme started Pieater and launched Big Scary into the resonance that it is now.

Tom Fraser explains, “I had only recently met Tom and certainly wasn’t into the path of music management or record labels. However I do remember this LP being a catalyst to learning more about this intriguing young guy Tom Iansek, becoming friends and then discovering the music world together on either side of the fence (artistic & business) for the following years.”

"Small Time Hero, Top of the Tree" is an insight into the artistic journey for Tom Iansek who over the next eight years since has released an inspiring catalogue of music, as well as co-writing/producing with many upcoming artists, including: a brand new collab project with Tom Snowdon; a debut album for Airling “Hard to Sleep, Easy to Dream”; Slum Sociable, Banff, Art of Sleeping, Step-Panther, Jonti, LANKS, Emma Louise, Hockey Dad. Establishing himself as one of our most treasured songwriters, producers, and artists. Song writing breadth and scope rarely seen in current music industry, a catalogue we’ll cherish for years to come.

Discography to date (end 2021):
Small Time Hero “Top of the Tree” (LP | 2009)
Big Scary “The Apple Song” (Single | 2009)
Big Scary “The Mini” (EP | 2009)
Big Scary “At the Mercy of the Elements” (EP | 2010)
Big Scary “The Big Scary Four Seasons” (EP’s | 2010)
#1 Dads “Man of Leisure” (LP | 2011)
Big Scary “Vacation” (LP | 2011)
Big Scary “Not Art” (LP | 2013)
#1 Dads “About Face” (LP | 2014)
Big Scary “Animal” (LP | 2016)
No Mono "Islands part 1" (LP | 2018)
No Mono "Islands part 2" (LP | 2019)
#1 Dads "Golden Repair" (LP | 2020)
Big Scary "Daisy" (LP | 2021)

credits

released January 1, 2009

Tom Iansek // 2009 // written, recorded, produced, mixed

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Tom Iansek Melbourne, Australia

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About Face (LP | 2014)
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Not Art (LP | 2013)
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Airling EP
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I heard this album was coming out and since About Face, I was really excited for more #1Dads, and this album truly delivers! Kay
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Mind blown - amazing album . Tough call between Double Darkness and Lamina for favourite track , especially as the rest of the album is so solid . Cam
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