Amanda Bloom returns to the FCC Phnom Penh on Saturday to celebrate the release of her second album, Atlas: Journey of Truth. Bloom is an Australian composer and classically trained pianist whose songs contain elements of pop music inspired by artists such as Tori Amos and Alanis Morrisette, along with Indian, Asian and French influences. Atlas was written over a period of 3 years at a donated piano in the bare-bones room of the Music Arts School.
Bloom is an experienced performer and a life-long musician. Having been classically trained from the age of 3, she wrote her first piano solo at the age of 6 and made her debut at the Sydney Opera House by age 18. In a city where amateurism in music remains very much the order of the day, Bloom is one of a very small number of professionals who are creating original music.
Her global outlook is reflected in the diverse locales in which she worked on this album over the past three years: Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and even Nashville, Tennessee. Bloom wrote, performed, and produced every track for the album, a work that she says was inspired by themes such as travelling, loneliness, and notions about where home actually is. As an expat herself, she writes lyrical material that many expats can relate to, no doubt.
Fans of Bloom’s past work will recognize the FCC as the backdrop in the music video for her song Pleats of Fortuny.
This concert will mark the return to the stage for the first time in nearly a year for Bloom’s usual Phnom Penh performing trio, with Tara Marr on cello and Michele Bowen on bassoon. According to Bloom, the break from performing was due partly to her being in Nashville for several months working on her album and partly due to her attention being focused on projects like music videos. Bloom was recently in India shooting footage for a video for her song Eyes of Galena, which she wrote as a “tribute to the chaos and beauty of India.”
After such a busy year, Bloom now looks forward to “returning to the simple joy of playing these songs in the place that they were written: Phnom Penh.” Bloom didn’t want to give away any surprises planned for the evening but mentioned that guest musicians from countries as diverse as Malaysia and Canada might possibly be making an appearance during her set.
Also performing on the night: Conrad Keely of the Austin, Texas, band …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. Conrad will play an acoustic piano set of original material that probably won’t be anywhere near as loud as the band for which he’s best known, but it will almost certainly be worth sticking around for. In addition to Mr. Keely, newcomer Clayton England will be performing. England is someone who Ms. Bloom describes as having an “incredible, raw voice,” and who will be performing a set of blues originals.
WHO: Amanda Bloom, Conrad Keely and Clayton England
WHAT: Original live music
WHERE: The FCC Mansion, #363 Sisowath Quay
WHEN: January 24, 8:30pm
WHY: Hometown musicians practicing their craft