Tempo Talks: A Conversation with Tim Qualls
THE RELEASE
Tim Qualls, a Houston-based Alt-Pop phenomenon, is making waves with his current single "Forever," which serves as an exciting preview of his impending debut album. Tim's music captivates listeners with its feel-good feelings and enticing combination of organic voices and lively instrumentals. The song "Forever" brilliantly describes the heady emotion of meeting your soulmate and falling in love, generating exhilaration and the desire to treasure life's precious moments. Tim Qualls aims as an artist to produce emotionally honest and transforming music, drawing his listeners into a world of passionate narrative and musical harmony. Tim's music has been compared to Adele's lyrical crooning and Sam Smith's emotional depth, with influences spanning from Ray Charles to John Mayer.
In "Forever," Tim Qualls takes us on a musical trip that depicts two sides of himself: one young and innocent, and the other mature and sophisticated. Tim says of the song, "This track represents the type of music I wish I was mature enough to write when I was younger." Tim is now ready to reveal his upcoming debut album, which will signal a landmark point in his musical career, after a decade of studio devotion, life events, and personal growth. "Forever" establishes the tone for this new period, displaying a more seasoned and conscientious musician anxious to leave a lasting impression via his sincere songs. Tim Qualls urges the world to accompany him on this transforming journey with each note.
THE INTERVIEW
What song or moment in time sparked your passion for music?
I don’t have a big AHA moment, I was just always singing, and it was what I was good at. But a moment that shifted my trajectory a bit was in 7th grade. By that time I had been singing forever and had been in choirs, done solos, you name it. But for some reason I decided I wanted to try something else, and that turned out to be saxophone. Only problem was, my family never bought me one, or couldn’t afford one, or whatever, I’m not really sure what was going on. But after about 2-4 weeks of me sitting in saxophone class NOT playing an instrument, that made me switch to something else, which was of course CHOIR. And as I look back, I am thankful for whatever reason that that sax never got into my hands. Honestly, I was probably going to suck anyways, cause to this day I really am pretty poor as an instrumentalist.
If you had to create a Mount Rushmore of inspiration, what four individuals molded the artist you are today?
Oh this is a great question. Mount Rushmore, is definitely different than what I am vibing to at the moment. Lets see: John Mayer- I was raised on him at the time he was blowing up. He is always an inspiration, and a reference. He is also probably the reason I have so many guitar solos in my music and live shows. Adele- Her music, her maturity, the tone, and production speak to a side of me that wants to continue to make timeless music. Jamie Cullum- INCREDIBLE Jazz pop artist. A few of his albums are my favorite albums of all time, and he is one of the reasons piano is such a big part of my music. For the 4th spot, I would have to give it to Ryan Tedder or Jon Bellion. Both are artists and producers, and I love the pop influence they have in the industry. For the literal, production aspect alone, these guys are on it for me. You can def hear an influence in my music from these two guys.
How does your creative process work from the moment you develop the idea to the completion of the record?
My typical writing process is me writing through my DAW, LOGIC, and coming up with concepts, progressions, vibes, and building entire demos around each small idea. Forever started in that very same way, on a very simple unassuming day, in between shuttling my kids back and forth to school. There were a few months where I didn’t have much on my plate, and so I spent a lot of time in front of my computer just banging out idea after idea. Forever started on the piano where I came up with the progression, that quickly developed into the melody. Within a few short hours, I had the concept down, a full demo and I would say maybe 75% of the lyrics done. WIth each demo I did that made it to the album, we would take the demo as a base line, and build around it. So a lot of what is on the actual record, was made within that time period by myself in my home studio.
As for this release, who is the producer and what about the production moved you?
I can’t gush enough about my dear friend Ty Robins. For this album, I really would say for the first time that we co produced it. Mainly because by the time I brought the songs/productions to him, they were so developed and fleshed out. Ty really though brings any of my music to the next level, and we are compliment each well when we are in the studio together. He also is a really gifted mixing engineer, so he mixed the album, which we are really happy with.
When it comes to the songwriting on this record, what is the message you want to get across to your listeners?
Nostalgia. Memories. Thankfulness. Blessings. Love. All of those things. Being so dang grateful for what is going on around you, and understanding that the time and moment is always momentary and fleeting. Doing my best to absolutely live in the moment( even though that continues to be a journey for me). Also for me as an artist, I hope it resets the bar for me and the listener. It should give everyone a pallet cleanse of what came before, and move my sound, tone, and vibe forward. It’s the adult me, that I just happen to stumble on to. From the moment the sample starts, to the moment the bridge hits, I really hope it changes the way people see and hear my music.
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