Steve Towson: Smooth Criminal.

Steve Towson launches1 Shot At Freedom at the Gabba Hotel on Friday, the National Hotel, Toowoomba on Saturday and the Winsome Hotel, Lismore on March 6.

One-man show stopper, Steve Towson is about to release his second CD, a socially minded punk-folk-blues infusion titled One Shot At Freedom.

“It's being released through another record label of mine. I'm trying to create two different things, Caucasian Fall was something that I created a while ago to organise shows for people and myself and to get a bit of promotion out for the local bands and fanzines and just stuff in general that do a good job and that are really highly talented. My new record label is called Criminal Records, which will mainly just concentrate on music,” Towson informs.

The new 15-track album lyrically incorporates social, emotional and personal issues.

“All the songs are personal to me. I find it hard to distinguish between my perception and other people's perception of me because I am so close to what I write. I think though that there are a few songs on the album that people will find more lovey-dovey. I put everything into each song.”

Over the last year Towson has played over 50 gigs locally, in his native Toowoomba, a few fly-by shows in Melbourne and Sydney and most recently a stint abroad in Malaysia.

“The first show I played (in Malaysia) was on a hardcore show and the other was an Islamic wedding reception, they were both completely different shows to play at but it went over really well. At each show there were over 250 people. I was blown away,” Towson enthuses.

Touring abroad was not without it's awkward moments though.

“I felt a bit uncomfortable with the fact that being an International artist at times a lot of the people look at you in awe. I felt a bit uncomfortable for a while but once you to talk to people for a while they relax and drop the awe and after a while they start to relate to you as a human being not as some rock star.”

One thing that can't be denied is that Towson is one of the hardest-working musicians around with his belief that 'music is a device for change' and playing anytime and anywhere to get his message across including driving an hour-and-a-half from Brisbane to play for the regional centre's all-age crowds makes Towson easily accessible to a wide and varied audience. By way of his DIY ethic, social commentary, bravado and dedication Steve Towson is a force to be reckoned with. For Towson the sky's the limit.