Tanner Cundy (BMI) is a Cornish-born singer/songwriter, recording engineer, multi-instrumentalist and longtime resident of the Portland Oregon area. 

Since launching his professional career in 2009, Cundy has garnered an impressive list of accomplishments in short order.  His first original music release (King & Queen, 2010) was self-written, recorded and produced and featured a cast of notable local players.  The initial pressing of the five-track EP sold out only a year later, thanks to three successful tours, a helping of TV and radio attention and a rush of support from Northwest listeners and concert-goers.

The 26-year-old describes his music as 'uniquely acoustic', built upon a rock-solid rhythmic foundation and shaped by his original guitar playing style - which is fueled by his upside-down left-handed approach to the instrument.  "It started out as a complete mistake thanks to a total ignorance of how to play correctly," he says.  "Though I think it's given me a lot of color, options within chords, that perhaps I wouldn't have if I played properly."

His British rock influences, a la Floyd and Dire Straits, are offset with a heavy interest in classical music and a history of classical piano performance.  There's a tinge of Celtic music there, too; no surprise considering Cundy was the acoustic guitarist for Pangur Bán, a popular Northwest-based Irish act.  "That was my first real band," he says.  "You never forget those rhythms, since they're so instantly danceable."

He has shared the stage with local artists Will West, Skip Vonkuske, The Sale, Amanda Breese and many more, thanks to his one-off approach to the acoustic guitar and an extremely positive energy when it comes to live shows.  The experience of having played over a thousand live performances helps, too - "I really had to get over being a nervous wreck onstage before the music became right, real genuine.  I'd hit every open mic I could, played with different bands on different instruments, just getting comfortable expressing musical ideas in a live setting...even if the idea was to play nothing at all!"

Despite the full-time commitment of driving a burgeoning musical career, Cundy has found plenty of space in which he can flex his engineering and producing skills.  He's earned a respected position on the house engineer list at KBC Records (credits include The Hugs, Adventures!With Might, Minus Pluto).  He's been a scoring engineer for film (under the auspices of Frank Stearns), and has co-written commercially published music through a partnership with local production house Suite Music. 

So what's in store for the backwards, upside-down musical talent? "Next album is hot on the mind, for sure," he laughs.  "A good portion of the tunes I play live are in desperate need of an album to call home - I like to play the ones I'm really looking forward to recording, and if the crowd's digging it, they get the pass to be on the record.  There's about 12 'definites' that are ready to go!"