Tom Ovans was born just outside of Boston, Massachusetts, on the
North Eastern seaboard of the USA. Whilst still in his teens, Ovans
left home and traveled and lived all over the 'lower forty-eight' States.
From Boston to Berkley, from Chicago to New Orleans, and lots more
places in between. Somewhere along the line, he wound up in lower
Manhattan's Greenwich Village for four years in the mid-1970's. Living
on and off the streets, crashing from place to place, in cheap hotels
where he could, h continued to write, and soak up the various
influences around him. There was Blues, Jazz, Folk, Punk, R&B,
other writers, poets, painters and musicians he would run into, all the
time riffing on them, and digging the energy.

After meeting a down and out Phil Ochs and seeing the likes of a
strung out Tim Hardin stumbling down the street, Ovans saw first
hand some of the tragic fallout from the 60's. Eventually wandering
away from New York, he found himself back up near Cambridge,
Massachusetts. "Cambridge was kind of weird place for me. I was
this kind street guy, working class guy and I just didn't fit in with the
music scene I found there at the time."

On a gut feeling Tom packed up again and headed south to Nashville
where he would live for the next 18 years. Immediately understanding
that he had nothing in common with the corporate music structure of
Nashville's Music Row - and to keep from starving - he took to more
odd jobs; more warehouses, factories, woodshops, machine shops,
construction, painting, roofing houses, digging ditches, and on and
on. "I've probably worked every job possible, but you know as a
musician, songwriter or whatever you want to call me, one thing I
know is that if you're not afraid to work, it kind of sets you free to do
what you want. Nobody's got nothing on you. Besides it's easier to
make a buck digging a ditch than from the music business."

Throughout the eighties, Tom would play to mostly half empty clubs
around Nashville, and venture occasionally into studios to record
when he had enough money. In 1991, at the suggestion of a local
distributor Tom release his first album "Industrial Days" on NSR
Sound Recording. A label he formed with musician/painter Lou Ann
Bardash. The album was a success in Europe, especially in Italy. In the
states the album went on to receive airplay on over 100 stations.

In 1993 NSR released Tom's second album "Unreal City", which
brought Tom's music to the attention of legendary BBC Radio 1 DJ
Johnnie Walker in the UK. Also in 1993 he made his first trip to Europe,
touring Italy. Bringing further acclaim, "Tales From The Underground"
the third album was released in 1995, once again by NSR in the USA, and
by Survival Records in Europe, with the song "Let It Rain" breaking into
the top forty on the rock charts in France. The album also brought Tom's
music to the attention of another famous UK DJ Bob Harris. During the
year Tom made his second trip to Europe to play a tour of cafes and bars
around Paris and some radio shows before slipping over to London to do
a gig at the 12 Bar club and a live appearance on Johnnie Walker's radio
show.

In 1996, Demon Records released "Nuclear Sky"; a compilation of some
songs from Tom's first two albums, plus some out takes from "Tales". In
the winter of 1997, working in a wood shop during the day and not knowing
if he had a record deal, Tom picked up a bottle of Jack Daniels, a case of
beer and retreated to the back room of his apartment. Over a series of nights
he recorded the incredibly raw and uncompromising album "Dead South".
Luckily Demon picked it up and released it, to much critical praise. In March
of '98 Tom did a month long successful tour of the UK with fellow Demon
label mate Martin Stephenson. Soon after, a large retail conglomerate
acquired Demon Records and once again Tom found himself without a
European deal.

After moving to Austin in early spring of 1999, Tom was immediately invited
by legendary DJ Larry Monroe of KUT to do the prestigious "Live Set", an
hour long live music radio show, broadcast all over Texas and via the internet
throughout the world. During this time Tom was also approached by Floating
World, a small independent UK label to record a new album. The result was
"The Beat Trade" released in November '99. Recorded in Austin at the
Congress House in a couple of days the album has a rich acoustic stripped
down folk/blues feel and sound. It has brought Tom's music to the attention
of more critics and music fans throughout the UK and Europe. In the past
year alone Tom has been back to the UK four times on various tours playing
wherever he can. During his last tour, this past November, he was literally the house-opening act for The Borderline blues festival in London.

"Still In This World" is Tom Ovans' seventh album and the first for Evangeline
Records. It was recorded, mastered and mixed by Mark Hallman at the Congress
House, Austin, TX, over the course of 5 days.