By Peter Foldy
Forgive me for being cheeky and sneaking the name of my new single, “Toxic World” in the banner for this little article but self-promotion is important. I learned that many years ago when I quit film school in Toronto and landed head first in the music business.
I had been writing songs and playing in cover bands when a small indie label heard one of my tunes and quickly signed me to a record deal. In my mind it was like winning the lottery, and in a sense it was because within a few months I had a number one Canadian hit called “Bondi Junction.” The tune also penetrated the Billboard and Cashbox charts in the US and basically changed my life forever.
I eventually scored a contract on Capitol/EMI Canada where I enjoyed several other Top 10 hits before moving to L.A. in the early 80s after landing on a well funded label called Free Flight, distributed by RCA. They got me my Green Card and I really thought this was it. I was finally in the big leagues – but then suddenly it was over. Free Flight abruptly shut its doors and before long I had to figure out how to pay the rent.
Chocolate mints was the answer. Selling them over the phone for four hours a day. It was painful. Former pop star now waking up at 6:00 am to make calls in a room full of struggling actors and musicians. In the afternoons I did what everyone else does in L.A. I started writing a screenplay.
They say when one door closes another one opens.
Turns out one of my co-workers at the chocolate mint boiler room, (also a Canadian) recognized me from the music biz. We became friends and he told me that a producer he knew was looking for a teen comedy. I said I had just finished one. My new buddy read it, liked it and helped me sell it to the producer. The film, called “Hot Moves” got made and did extremely well, playing in theaters all across the US and Canada especially cleaning up on a new format called home video. I quit the chocolate mint business and became the Associate Producer of “Hot Moves,” learning more in three day than I did in three years attending film school. The success of that film led to more writing and producing gigs, and eventually to directing features with actors such as Beverly D’Angelo, Eugene Levy, Academy Award winner Louise Fletcher and even a young Paul Rudd. But this little story is about my time in the music business. Things often come full circle because I’m back in it–and I’ve got Facebook to thank.
When social media became a thing I started getting messages from former fans telling me how much my past recordings had touched them. What some of those songs meant to them. I was both flattered and flabbergasted- but also encouraged. For the first time in ages I went back to writing and recording new music. It took over five years but in 2016 my 10 track CD, “Nine Lives” was born and started receiving radio airplay as well as some really kind reviews. It felt rewarding – which brings us back to my current single, “Toxic World.”
I wrote the tune last year because I wanted to say something socially conscious but incorporate it in a love song. I hired a bunch of great musicians like Imre Czomba and Jamie Ward of the band Balcony to help me find just the right tone for it – but it was Miklos Malek, a producer who had worked with Jennifer Lopez and Arianna Grande, who finally brought it all together.
“Toxic World” became a new, modern direction for me musically and I was really excited. I guess some other folks were too because the track recently hit #1 at a station in Canada and is currently sitting at #27 on a Canadian Anglo Top 100 chart in Quebec. It’s getting some decent radio play at a time when that privilege is mostly reserved for the top music stars. But that’s not slowing me down. I’m pushing on with it because, if you listen, you’ll hear that is not only a fun tune, but also very timely.
So if you’ve managed to read this far, those are the broad strokes to my musical journey. They say luck is when opportunity meets preparation, so my advice is be prepared, do what you love and opportunities will come. As corny as it sounds, follow your dreams. That’s why we all came to L.A in the first place, right?
Despite the fact that we are living in a toxic world, there is always hope and there is always a solution. Make s**t happen.
Oh, and feel free to reach out and say hello via my website, www.peterfoldy.com
Instagram: @peterfoldy
