"Timmy Curran"
"Timmy Curran"
Some musicians have the opportunity to discover musical success at an astoundingly young age. Timmy Curran wasn't one of them. In fact, it wasn't until he was in late twenties did he fully realize the gifts of songwriting and vocal talent that had been tucked away, deep inside him. However, due to his persistence and perseverance, Curran has been able to not only share such gifts with the world - via his recordings and touring - he's been able to fully embrace his seemingly newfound passion with a serious dose of self-confidence.
Curran hails from a musical family, as his grandparents and uncles are musically inclined. Growing up, he attended large family parties, particularly every Thanksgiving or Christmas, which often became a self-described "hootenanny" of songs and performances.
Curran knew that he too was a musician. However, unlike his professional surfing endeavors, this talent took several years to fully cultivate. "I tried for many years and I couldn't get it," he says. "When I was about 14, my dad bought me an acoustic guitar. And once I started playing, I got addicted to playing. I played for quite a few years."
Coupled with the fact that one of his favorite high school subject was English, Curran slowly began to enjoy the time he spent writing potential songs. "From 16 to 27, I wrote all these songs and tried to sing them, but it was horrible. I remember showing my brothers and friends songs over the years, and they would often tell me to maybe try and sell my songs to someone else to sing, in a nice way of saying it."
The years as a struggling songwriter and performer finally paid off with one fateful trip across the Pacific a few years ago. Curran was in Japan and wrote a song called "If I Only Had A Way." He was in his hotel room and had recorded it on his MiniDisc recorder. "I listened to it and didn't bother me too much," he recalls. "I showed my wife and my brothers, and they enjoyed it. I feel it was for me, a surprise and a blessing to overnight sing a song that didn't turn people away."
Armed with this fresh sense of accomplishment, Curran began to ramp up his writing process, in hopes that others would be as agreeable with his musical prowess. Shortly after his Japan jaunt, Curran was in Brazil for a surfing competition. However, he was sidelined with a ten-day waiting period, due to inclement weather. To pass the time, he began writing, and ended up penning two songs, "Horses on the Range" and "Joan." He returned home and found his friends and family taking a strong liking to these latest compositions. For Curran, something had definitely clicked.
One of Curran's friends, Rob Machado, submitted a song for compilation assembled by a Japanese record label and encouraged Curran to submit his MiniDisc recording. Two weeks later, Curran received the news that he would be included on the compilation. "I was so excited! I couldn't believe someone's going to use one of my songs," he says. A month later, Curran was offered to have "Horses on the Range" placed in documentary on legendary surfboard shaper Al Merrick. Curran subsequently performed at the premiere in front of 1,700 people at the Arlington Theatre. "I was so honored that one of my songs was going to be used in such an anticipated documentary. And I couldn't believe this was happening," Curran recalls.
"Once it started going, it started going fast," he continues. "Next thing you know I'm opening for Switchfoot and Eisley." And then the Foo Fighters came calling, which had Curran - and his quickly-formed backing band - opening 11 dates for the band's acoustic tour, including THREE NIGHTS at the famed Sydney Opera House. "I was so petrified playing in front of all their fans. I called my buddies in another band and told them, 'I AM NOT going to play for the Foo Fighters fans by myself,'" he says. "We practiced for one month, about six to eight times before we went out with the Foo Fighters."