Theo Tams, 2008 Canadian Idol winner, said he’s “excited” to play at St. Andrew’s Place Sept. 12.
“I heard the church we’re playing in is supposed to be pretty beautiful,” the 25-year-old singer and pianist said.
Tams just completed a four-week tour of eastern Canada, and said he is looking forward to some downtime before he gets started on his second album.
He said his first album, Give it All Away, gave him the opportunity to “tackle a wide spread of genres and styles” of music and display his range of capabilities. He said he hopes his second album takes a more definite tone.
“I (wanted) to choose songs that would open doors to be a little bit more vulnerable and serious with the forthcoming record,” Tams said. “That’s definitely where the second record is headed. It’s just a little more stripped down. It’s a little more serious and darker. It’s just a little bit edgier, which I’m very, very excited for.”
I already knew in my head and my heart the kind of music I wanted to make.
Theo Tams,
2008 Canadian Idol winner
He said his sophomore album is expected out next summer, but he doesn’t want to rush the process.
“If it takes longer than that, I’m totally open to it,” he said. “I want to make sure that this record is the closest definition of me. I just want to make sure it’s done right.”
Tams, who is originally from a small town in southern Alberta, said competing on Canadian Idol was “a double-edged sword.”
“If you come from (Canadian) Idol, I think there’s always going to be a certain stigma attached to you and you’re always going to have to wear that ‘idol badge’ a little bit,” he said. But he said he’s learning to wear that badge the best way he can by keeping his music a priority.
“I think I had a distinct style before I even went on the show, and I think that’s one of the reasons why it turned out the way that it did,” he said. “I already knew in my head and my heart the kind of music I wanted to make.”
He said being on Canadian Idol taught him to trust his “instincts as a writer and a performer,” and reaffirmed his belief to “do what comes naturally.”
Tams said his upcoming show in Sudbury will be “a good mix of everything.” He plans to play music from all parts of his career, from pre-Idol until now.
Tams is scheduled to perform with Adam Crossley at 7 p.m. Advanced tickets are available at Black Cat and Jett Landry Music. Adult tickets cost $20 and student and senior tickets cost $18. Tickets are also available at the door for $25 and $23 respectively. For more information, phone 705-523-6200.
