#ComingUp: Alan Garmonsway Gives The Unspoken A Voice On "An Elephant In The Room"
Written By: Big C
Silence has a funny way of filling a room, especially when everyone knows exactly what isn't being said. Alan Garmonsway gives those lingering thoughts a musical voice on An Elephant In The Room. It's a ten-track collection where life's contradictions become opportunities for reflection, imagination, and some particularly inventive songwriting. Working as his own instrumental ensemble, Garmonsway builds the record around keyboards and acoustic guitar, introducing bass, percussion, and carefully placed electric guitar. One of the album's most intriguing compositions, Countdown To Life, began with a songwriting-circle prompt and developed into a first-person account of a child awaiting birth. Initially written on mandolin, its heartbeat-inspired pulse gives the narrative a rhythmic identity, while the lyric "I'm a blank sheet of paper, a roll of film, a canvas waiting for the paint" turns the uncertainty of existence into a beautiful collection of possibilities. The title track approaches life's uncomfortable truths from another direction, originating from a difficult workday when the most important issue remained unspoken. Together, these contrasting ideas reveal Garmonsway exploring how perspective, arrangement, and metaphor can make the familiar feel entirely new.
The musical foundation behind Garmonsway reaches back to a childhood surrounded by accomplished musicians and classical instruments, eventually expanding into decades of performances across international stages. From sharing bills with Julie Felix, Martin Carthy, The Nashville Teens, and The Tremeloes to appearances at Buddy Guy's & The House of Blues in Chicago, his experience reflects an artist comfortable moving between musical communities. His appreciation for Steve Winwood, Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers, and Gerry Rafferty provides a useful musical reference, particularly in the balance between melodic sophistication and approachable storytelling. Still, the most compelling quality of "An Elephant in the Room" is its willingness to entertain difficult questions without insisting on simple answers. Connect with Alan Garmonsway on Instagram, Spotify, and YouTube.
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