You can grab tissues and press play, but first get the inside scoop on Theo\u2019s inspirations, growing up gay and the song that made him cry in a coffee shop bathroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Happy release day! How does it feel to have \u2018Call the Doctor\u2019 out?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s such a weight lifted and I\u2019ll sleep easier from now on! I just hope that listeners get out of it what I got out of it, which is being heard and being understood. I feel like, especially when it comes to relationships, there\u2019s a lot that we\u2019re not supposed to talk about. Growing up I remember listening to songs by Sarah McLachlan and Bryan Adams and thinking for one second like oh sh-t<\/em>, they\u2019ve been there and they get it. I want to pass that on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018Call the Doctor\u2019 is a very bold title. What inspired it?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s a lyric from \u201cLast the Rain,\u201d a song on the record \u2013 \u201cCall the doctor, I don\u2019t think we\u2019re okay.\u201d Every single song on the album is written from this space of pain and panic and heartbreak, so it just kind of fit. It is bold, but it makes sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRomeo and James\u201d will likely catch many listeners\u2019 attention based on the title alone. Can you share the story behind that song?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I grew up in a super strict, conservative Christian family where being gay was not a thing, and if it was a thing you didn\u2019t talk about it. My partner as well, we kind of came from the same story. It\u2019s kind of becoming more accepted, which is a beautiful thing, but it\u2019s accepted more in big city centres. I\u2019ll still go to small town Alberta and get called all kinds of names when we hold hands. I wanted to do this take on the most<\/em> classic love story. [Same-sex love] is everywhere whether people recognize it or not, and love isn\u2019t the same thing for everyone, so it should be known, and it should be celebrated, and it should be shouted from the rooftop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How would you say you have grown musically since winning Canadian Idol<\/em>?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve learned to stand up for myself and my music. I remember right after the show I went into this writing camp and they were like, OK, we want to make a Maroon 5 record, or we want to make a Bryan Adams record, and I was just like, how about we make a Theo Tams record? This is kind of the first time in my career that I\u2019ve really been able to do that and thank God for the people that I worked with that not only understood the vision that I was going for but championed it.<\/p>\n\n\n That show was all about showcasing Canadian talent, and right now Canadian artists are some of the biggest in the world. How does it feel to be part of that roster?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I think Canadian music is the best in the world right now because our market is so small that we have to fight to be heard. The way that you really fight to be heard is by being 100% true to your sound and voice. When I think of Alessia Cara, Shawn Mendes, The Weeknd, Drake<\/a>\u2026even Avril Lavigne\u2019s new record is going to be massive and it\u2019s because every single one of those artists knows exactly what they want to say and I think that\u2019s incredible. If I can even be slightly associated with those names then I\u2019m very excited!<\/p>\n\n\n\n What was the most challenging song to write or record?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Last Song\u201d broke me into a million pieces. It\u2019s about a relationship from almost a decade ago that continues to haunt me. I found myself going into the studio and still drawing inspiration from that and I had to let it go. We wrote that song quick, probably in 25 minutes, and I literally walked out of that studio and went down the street for a coffee, went into the bathroom and broke down. It just felt like I had finally released something huge. Even now when I listen to it, I don\u2019t know if I want people to hear it, and I certainly don\u2019t want that individual to still feel like they have a hold on me 10 years later, but they\u2019re going to find out now!<\/p>\n\n\n\n What does music mean to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Music has always been therapy for me. Growing up in southern Alberta there were two ways to get aggression out of your body and it was either through hockey or through football and I did not fit either of those norms, so I sat on the sideline writing super emo poetry at the age of 12. That\u2019s kind of translated into this record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having seen the up\u2019s and down\u2019s of the music industry, what is one piece of advice you would tell \u201cEmerging Artist Theo\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Stop being a brat and stop thinking that you know everything when you don\u2019t. Listen more, talk less and work harder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What are your future plans with this EP? Can fans expect a tour announcement soon?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The next single should probably be released in a month. I\u2019ll also have more Christmas music out \u2013 Christmas music is my jam! We\u2019re working towards this either late February or early March tour. That\u2019s the ultimate goal \u2013 to share this music across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Theo](\"https:\/\/rutvnews1.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/10\/theo-tams-top-6-ctv.jpg\")
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