Today, I had the pleasure of chatting with Theo Tams on the phone. The 2008 Canadian Idol winner has been busy, and despite, or maybe because of, the current situation, we had lots to talk about.
Theo has come a long way from the Canadian Idol days, but Idol did bring him to our fair city. The singer-songwriter, originally from Coaldale, AB now calls Toronto home. He lives here with his partner and nine-year-old daughter. Following the show he released his debut album, Give It All Away, on Sony, and after the initial whirlwind of about two years he made a conscious choice to take a step back. Tams took time to reconnect with who was before the show.
He worked as a butcher and a bartender. The singer took his time, and got his hands on as many things as he could manage. In 2014 he released his second album, Back Pocket, also making the moving from Sony to Slaight Music. It was a good move for the artist, a move that allowed him to build trust and forge forward with music that felt more authentic.
Enter 2018's Call The Doctor, Theo's third album, released by Slaight, was a project with zero compromises for Tams. That's a tall order in today's music industry. It's a great album with a range of songs that has been doing very well for the artist. However, there's something epic happening with the final track, The Last Song. This song is speaking to people, and speaking to their hearts. The song is about the ending of a relationship. Things that start so wonderfully can end so terribly. We talked about the writing and recording process, and Tams said it was funny, he'd been thinking about the song for a very long time, and when it came time to sit down and get it done, it happened quickly and easily.
"You know that's a song that I've been trying to write, no word of a lie, for the past ten years. And I just remember walking into the studio with my friend Ari. He's the guy that I co-wrote it with, and he was the original producer of the track. And I think we had it written and recorded in, probably, maybe 40 minutes, which was so strange just considering how, like I said it was almost a decade of trying to figure out how to do it, and how to write it, and what words to use and, and then I think this time the song literally just wrote itself." - Theo Tams
When you're ready, you're ready. He talked about how the song just came out, a stream of consciousness, with no shits given if it rhymed or sounded poetic.
The Last Song - Theo Tams
He knew as soon as he wrote the song that there needed to be a visual to go along with the music. The video project is simple and yet monumental. Tams said when his first thought was, "Okay well, you're going to need probably at least a year to grow that beard." Soft, quiet, focusing on the singer, costume, makeup and hair changes, it's mesmerizing. And then, at the chorus, the visual gets real. Bruised, bloodied and broken, it's raw and palpable.
The video was shot in February, and after the first edit, he sent it to Derek Ross, the president of Slaight music. Five minutes later he was on the phone and Ross was telling him this is magic, really special. He's 100% right. This is magical and special. It's a message that doesn't just have to speak to broken-hearted lovers. Tams told me he'd heard from a fan who'd been abandoned by her mom and it spoke to her too. It's a message for everyone needing to move forward.
The video team includes videographer - Ramona, editor, Jason Sharman, hair by Jesse Calleya, and the makeup artistry was done by Shawn Laven. Together with Tams, they've created an exquisite masterpiece. Despite The Last Song being an obviously sad song, there's a joy that shines through. It's about being able to move past, and get on with your life. Putting things to bed, and not letting them have power over you.
As we wrapped up our conversation about the video, I inquired about how things were going in real life. Theo's partner is a cop in York Region and very much out in the thick of things. Being home Tams thought he'd be able to dive into music and creativity, but that hasn't happened. Instead, he's been enjoying being able to do things that he'd never have time for.
Like many of you, he's been spending time in the kitchen. "My apartment has literally become like fermentation station. I have like kombucha on the go, and kimchi on the go, and sourdough on the go, just like every other gay man in Toronto." He's been doing that reading some good books thing, hanging out with his kid and a dog, a seven-month-old Great Dane who is a little bit of a handful.
On the creative side, still music-related, but not for his projects, he's started to put together the bones of a musical. Tams said, "This is something which is so strange and not something that I'd never thought I would do, but I have a really good friend (Amy Timberlake) who's a really strong writer, and she and I have kind of been tossing the idea around for a year." When the quarantine started they were able to dive into it and try to put some pieces together and see if it made sense. They've got about ten songs written for it, some characters, and some subplots. We can hardly wait to see how it turns out.
Before letting the singer go, I asked him, what's the best way for his fans to support him during this weird time. His response was, "Sometimes I think people underestimate just the smallest thing, like if I post the video to share it on your wall. Those are those things are huge. You know, I think people don't understand the power."
While he doesn't have any current live-streaming plans, stay tuned, they may come up soon!
Before our phone call, I sent Theo 5 Quick Questions to answer. Let's find out, all the details, including who he thinks you should be paying more attention to.
5 Quick Questions with Theo Tams
