Canadian singer-songwriter Tim Baker unveils a beautifully cinematic video for his new single – plus full tour dates for Jan and Feb 2020
“Nostalgic and nuanced, with a chorus that nods to Jackson Browne and a buoyant, bubbling verse worthy of Feist.” Rolling Stone
“It captures complex feelings in a big-hearted way…I think he’s such a special songwriter and performer” NPR (World Café)
Tim Baker from renowned Canadian band Hey Rosetta! has released solo material this year and is currently touring the UK & Europe with solo tour dates. His debut critically acclaimed solo album ‘Forever Overhead’ released earlier this year, was followed by a solo single and EP ‘The Eighteenth Hole’.
Tim Baker recently released a beautifully cinematic and stunning video for The Eighteenth Hole – Forever Overhead‘s (Arts & Crafts) heartbreak track.
Shot in Newfoundland by both Adrian Vieni and Amos Le Blanc, the video outlines the fractures that can happen in love-torn relationships. The director duo arrived in Newfoundland (having never been there before) and shot completely unscripted until they found their narrative, using photographic inspiration from Terrence Malick and some of Baker’s own sketches.
The Eighteenth Hole is a study of emotion and connection
Adrian describes the video’s ethos, “The Eighteenth Hole is an intimate study of human emotion and connection. It acts as a time capsule, capturing the profound impact others have on us throughout our lives, and the shared experiences that connect us. With each moment, we’re reminded of the choices we’ve made, the trajectory we’ve taken, and people we’ve met that have shaped us into who we are today.”
Tim says “It was the first video I’ve ever been a part of where I was almost completely hands-off with the production. My manager Jase reached out to Amos, who we’ve been a fan of for quite some time, and shared a series of scenes that I’d dreamt up. It was decided that he would fly to Newfoundland with his producer, cinematographer and crew and use pretty much the entire budget just slowly shooting as many beautiful, sad, interesting scenes as they could in a week. I never saw anything until the first assembly about a month later. I love it so much. It’s very fitting but open, nostalgic but new and I hope you like it.
Tim released The Eighteenth Hole Variations EP on October 18, which featured a gorgeous vocal trio reconfiguration of the album track, as well as the song performed as solo piano.
Forever Overhead is Top 10 Folk Album 2019
Forever Overhead just claimed the Top 10 Folk Album of 2019 via Canadian Music Monthly, Exclaim magazine, who noted: “The record draws deep from the past with both exaltations and mournful reveries…’ All Hands’ bows gratefully to the past while ‘The Eighteenth Hole’ lingers on ‘what-ifs’…Forever Overhead is a resounding act of preservation in an age of unprecedented destruction.”
And, CBCMusic has also lofted the album on to its Year-End round-up noting, “it’s these hushed, vulnerable moments that highlight Baker’s songwriting mastery best.” (The Best 19 Albums of 2019).
He will tour in the U.K.(London show is already SOLD OUT) and Europe, beginning with dates in Portugal, and also play Ireland, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands over January and February of 2020 (with Nico Paulo). All dates are noted below.
Tim Baker releases The Side Door Sessions EP
Now Tim releases The Side Door Sessions EP (previously released on YouTube). Recorded live in intimate, non-venue spaces during the winter of 2018. The recording began shortly after his former band of 10 years, Hey Rosetta!, played their final notes.
Tim set off alone with some new songs he’d been performing in songwriters circles around Newfoundland. His first stop was his manager’s living room outside of Toronto during a snowstorm to 60 strangers. Then 4000 km away to Nanaimo, BC in another living room. He travelled across the country performing in a closed up vinyl shop, a curling rink, an abandoned folk club, an abandoned loft, a recording studio, a hotel room. Each space was transformed into a small venue and live recording studio for a night. Tim worked alongside label-mate Dan Mangan through his “Side Door” bookings for many of the dates. Others were just found through friends in rural towns. All of the shows were filmed and edited into the “Side Door Sessions”. What came of it was the sketching of “Forever Overhead” and a video project that Tim independently released on his YouTube.
The intimate performances will be available on all platforms on January 17th.
Tim Baker – Tour Dates 2020
January Tour Dates
2nd: Casa da Música – Porto, Portugal*
15th: Musicbox Lisboa – Lisbon, Portugal*
16th: Atlas Hostel – Leiria, Portugal*
17th: Cine-Teatro of Estarreja – Estarreja, Portugal*
19th: Sofar Sounds Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal*
22nd: Servant Jazz Quarters – London, UK – SOLD OUT*
24th: Henry Tudor House – Shrewsbury, UK*
26th: Upstairs at Whelans – Dublin, Ireland*
29th: Acapella, Cardiff, UK*
31st: Hare on the Hill – Bristol, UK*
February Tour Dates
2nd: Prince Albert, Brighton, UK*
4th: Sofar Paris, Paris, France
7th: Più Piano, Neuburg an der Donau, Germany*
9th: Chelsea – Vienna, Austria*
12th: Mojo Jazz Cafe – Hamburg Germany*
13th: Prachtwerk – Berlin, Germany*
15th: Lutherse Kirk – Groningen, Netherlands^
16th: Trivoli Vrendenburg – Utrecht, Netherlands^
*w/ Nico Paulo
^ supporting Kacy & Clayton