From a young age, Tiems has been focused on becoming a performer. Beginning singing as a child, he made the decision that all he wanted to do is make music.
Inspired by some of the earliest artists to set foot in a recording studio, Tiems continues the legacy using old fashioned but highly technical recording techniques.
1. What caused you to pursue a career in music?
I have been making music, passionately since I was 14. Just made a decision one day all I wanted to do is make music. I was always singing as a kid though, I knew from a young age I wanted to be a performer or singer, because I was always singing. Everything inspires me, but I can’t really put a finger on it. Dorothy Parker, has been inspiring me a lot lately.
2. It’s unbelievably rare that anyone finds an artist recording to tape given the expense and technical ability required, but you do. What are the decisions behind this?
I like the character of it, the grit, and the temperamentality of it too. The random artefacts, the nostalgia of it, there’s a lot of things to love about it. It is a pain though sometimes! I love digital too and do most of my arranging on those platforms, but something about the process and the character makes me go to tape.
3. Judging by your Instagram profile, you like being outdoors. Given Covid-19 has restricted everyone’s ability to experience the outdoors in a pre-Covid sense, has the pandemic influenced your inspiration and ability to create music in any way?
I miss being out and about and hanging a lot. If anything, Covid has been a productive time. I draw a lot of energy internally, so lockdown is not the worst thing. Though inspiration has been elusive at times, I think it was just reframing what inspiration is. I do miss people and parties. Parties are such great things.
4. What motivates you to keep making music? Do you have any artists – big or small – that you’d like to collaborate with in the future?
The next song, sounds pretty passé, but I’m always trying to find different sounds, and concepts. Sophie was definitely a bucket list, but unfortunately thats not possible. Other than that I’ve been really into Charli XCX, and the whole PC Music vibe. All of her sound design, and concepts are forward thinking. I would love to do a song with her. Also FKA Twigs, for a lot of the same reason, both their music is tasteful and interesting.
5. Once Covid-19 is over and we’re living in a safer world, what’s at the top of your bucket list of things you want to do?
Sit at a bar, and have a conversation again, or the moving out of pods, and the random interactions. I miss life like that. Probably travel too, I want to live in another country for a while – pretty sick of the USA at the moment.
