Tom Chaplin, known to many as the lead singer of Keane, follows up the success of his debut solo album, ‘The Wave’, with a seasonal offering, ‘Twelve Tales Of Christmas’.
‘The Wave’ debuted at number 3 in the UK album charts when it was released last year, and his latest album, ‘Twelve Tales Of Christmas’, released on Island Records on 17 November, is also charting well.
The album is stunning and features eight original songs co-written by Tom, as well as inventive takes on four wonderful, and very familiar, Christmas tracks.
We’ve already covered ‘Walking In The Air’ earlier in our Essential Advent Calendar, but the other songs he’s covered on the album are Joni Mitchell’s ‘River’, ‘200o Miles’ from The Pretenders, and ‘Stay Another Day’, by East 17.
Tom says,
“Christmas is my favourite time of year,” says Tom who has fond memories from his childhood. “The passing years have conspired to erode that magic but I still feel it’s presence when I gather together with my family.
“The four covers I chose are personal favourites and all very distinct from one another,” Tom says. “I found Christmas a great source of inspiration for writing my own songs. There’s a bittersweet quality to this time of year that made me want to explore the themes of love, lost love and remembering those we have lost.”
Produced by David Kosten and recorded at Abbey Road, Muttley Ranch, and Snap Studios, Tom has been determined to capture the wonderful side of Christmas music, and this is evident in the tracks he’s written, which seem destined to become modern Christmas classics.
“I’ve wanted to work with David for a long time now,” Tom says, “I knew he’d bring a dark beauty to the record, that could easily have fallen into a world of schmaltz.”
You can find out more about Tom Chaplin from his official website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. ‘Twelve Tales Of Christmas’ is available to stream and download from Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon, where it’s also available on CD.
