The General Store is a melodic alt-country pop project fronted by multi-instrumentalist, producer and songwriter, Tam Johnstone.
Tam began his musical career as a runner at London’s legendary AIR Studios going on to play drums with several London-based bands in the '90s including Green Tambourines, Paint and Jaguar. In 2000 he moved to Brighton and began recording material as The General Store releasing the albums, Local Honey (2002, Not Lame) and Mountain Rescue (2008, Brewery Records) to widespread critical acclaim. Moving to the United States in 2009 to work with Detroit covers band, Fifty Amp Fuse, The General Store was put on hold indefinitely. Now back in the UK, Tam has reopened the doors at The General Store to mark the band's 25th Anniversary. The Great Indoors is a 10 track compilation featuring new and unreleased material by the band that Fierce Panda described as "a one-man melody war machine making swooning,'70s-scented noises to colossal effect."
The two most recently recorded songs from the album, the elegiac ‘Sailing Away’, inspired by and in tribute to Tam’s late friend and mentor David Morrison, and the contrastingly, up-tempo, classic ‘70s Elton John-inspired ‘Makes No Difference’, will be released prior to the album on September 26 and October 24 respectively, each with an accompanying video.
For further information please contact Geraint or Deb Jones at G Promo PR
• Email: gpromo@btinternet.com • Web: www.gpromopr.com
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The General Store’s biography
by David Morrison, 2002
Not “mummy” or “doggy” but “tape recorder" were the very first words spoken by Tam Johnstone a.k.a. The General Store. How apt. Born to singer Diana and stringed-thing master, Davey - full-time guitarist with Elton John since Honky Château - Tam was born into music, grew up on music, and now continues as seemingly destined from the off – by making his own. And how.
After school George Martin’s AIR Studios offered the wide eyed Tam gainful employment, where he passed the days making tea for Pete Townsend, and discovering that £200 in sushi is best not heated in a microwave. By age 17, he was on the road for the first time in support to Norwegian popstrels A-ha, realising most definitely that this was the life for him.
Skin-pounding for a succession of pure pop outfits followed, including mini cult, the Green Tambourines. This culminated in a taste of the little big time with the London-based Jaguar, signing to Warner Brothers, and undertaking UK and Japanese tours with acts as diverse as Natalie Imbruglia and The Charlatans. There came radio and TV appearances, Tam most notably displaying his Moon-esque sticks prowess during a blistering performance on Channel 4’s TFI Friday.
But, it was not enough. Having amassed a mountain of his own material, the urge to step from behind the kit to front his own combo became strong indeed. Then, in the aftermath of a heartbreaking relationship meltdown, the doors opened at The General Store. Seeking to express his despondency in a heart-ripping country record, Tam rattled off the incredible Local Honey, the basic recording of which took only a week. Inspired by Neil Young, The Byrds, The Beatles and the deeply absorbed early ‘70’s West Coast pop of his youth, the album was recorded at home with Tam playing everything, and creating banks of glorious vocal harmonies, all on a four track machine – a tape recorder.
Since completion of Local Honey, Tam has worked with Vancouver alt country/pop sweethearts Flophouse Jr, power-pop outfit The Orgone Box, Mojave 3’s Neil Halstead, and had tracks released on the Fierce Panda Vet Sounds EP and Comes With A Smile cover-mount. In short, sleep is not an option for Tam Johnstone.
Tam Johnstone’s 2025 addendum:
In 2008, American label Brewery Records released the second General Store album, Mountain Rescue to critical acclaim but, by this time the band was no longer active. In 2009 I moved to the United States for five years to work with another band and accidentally stumbled into a new career as a videographer. I still made music but it had become more of a hobby.
Then, in 2023 my friend David Morrison (who wrote the first part of this biography and played a major part in The General Store’s beginnings) passed away. I felt moved to write a song for him – ‘Sailing Away’ - as a thank you. The experience was so rewarding that I felt it might be good to bring everything full circle. This year marks 25 years since I started making music as The General Store and a compilation seemed appropriate. The Great Indoors - released November 21st - features music from the first two General Store albums along with unreleased material from the last 25 years.
Since 2023, a new album has been in the works (ETA unknown) and more unreleased material - Mountain Honey: demos, outtakes, etc. 2000-2003 - is also in the pipeline. I guess sleep is still not an option for Tam Johnstone.
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