Over the last five years Carter’s musical output has been as diverse
as his influences. In addition to his prolific songwriting, Carter
has performed in many operatic recitals in New York City, including
his recent appearance singing the role of Siegmund in Wagner’s The
Walkyrie at the prestigious CAMI Hall. Also a producer and composer,
Carter is known for his electronic compositions—recently featured on
the Chill Room compilation released by Austin’s We Records —under the
name Parmidian One. His new electronic album, Can I Read You?, was
released on Carter’s Astraea label in June.

Under his solo pop moniker, The Looking, Carter’s many influences gel into
a coherent artistic logic. Though his music and voice evoke the
British New Wave and American folk rock of his past, the
philosophical poetry on Tin Can Head is difficult to trace, and
impossible to define.

Carter has called the album “a series of love songs,” but they are
not love songs in any typical

Bio

Todd Carter is a NYC-based singer, producer and composer. Both his music and voice blend British New Wave and American folk rock influences, creating something uniquely his.

As a teen growing up in Carmel, Indiana, Carter was drawn to the sounds of the Smiths, REM and the punks. While a student at Indiana University, he was exposed to Bloomington’s fertile jazz and classical scene and the city’s many local folk musicians. He played and sang in a number of bands, produced music and picked up the drums.

Later, in NYC, he enrolled in the Mannes School of Music . Recently he produced a world music album for Vanessa Katz on Astraea Records. Carter is also an accomplished electronic musician: under the moniker “Parmidian One,” his music is featured on the compilation Chill Room, on Austin’s We Records.

With The Looking, Todd Carter has found the perfect vehicle for his music. He leads this tight group through originals blending some of the best elements of new wave and folk rock. His voice –which sounds like Morrissey meets Roy Orbison- floats over rock numbers sprinkled with some tightly-voiced piano chords, occasional country twangs, a few driving double time tempos, and a guest female vocalist, whose soulful voice offsets Carter’s nicely.
Another thing that sets Carter’s music apart is his lyrics. They challenge the listener to imagine – without being cute. There aren’t many who can write, “Cracked ice in sunshine, an oar out of season. Incantations singing stillness, elation colors the moon” and work them into a tune - without overwhelming it. From what we have seen so far, he is well on his way to doing just that.