TOM
GOSS
He's both a soulful storyteller, and the guy who blew up the internet with an uplifting song about Bears.
He has just finished recording a new album and been cast in a new feature film. In the midst of editing
his new music video, he found time to chat about his journey so far. He also revealed his favorite curse
word. Photography by Venfield 8 and Austin Wondo Photography (courtesy of Tom Goss). Interview by Kimmo Matias.
First of all, thank you for doing this interview. Can you tell
me something about your background?
I grew up in Kenosha, WI and spent most of my childhood
running around outside and playing some sort of sport. I
loved it! After high-school I moved to rural Missouri to go
to college but wrestling was my main focus. I graduated
with a degree in education and decided I wanted to be a
Catholic priest and moved to Washington, DC to study.
That proved to be a bad idea and I left seminary. Almost
immediately I met my husband Mike, got to work on my
first record 'Naked Without' 2006 and lived happily ever
after. (smiles)
What made you decide to start doing music?
I was obsessed with Dave Matthews for my senior year of
high school through college. Really, my main goal, was to
be able to play every Dave Matthews song while tailgating
before his shows. I nailed it!
I'm sure you still remember the first song you wrote and
how it made you feel. What was that song? Can you tell us
a bit about it, and how it came together?
I started writing almost immediately after getting a guitar.
I remember writing a song called 'Under the Covers' in my
freshman dorm. I took a boom box into the bathroom and
recorded it onto a cassette tape because I believed the
room to be the most acoustically sound room in the dorm.
Hahahahaha, I'm sure I have a copy of that song hidden
somewhere. It was pretty horrible.
What would you say is the biggest difference between the
first album you recorded and the upcoming one, and how
things have changed for you?
How have things changed? That's hard to answer. It's like
asking how have things changed for you since you were in
second grade. Everything has changed. At that point I had
no idea what I was doing. I didn't know what I wanted, how
to communicate for myself or how to work with other
people to draw the best out of everyone. I could barely
sing or play an instrument. In the subsequent 8 years I've
released 4 more full albums and several EPs and singles
and performed over 1,000 shows in 100 cities and 5
countries. I've learned what it means to be an artist, a
musician, a storyteller. As much as I've grown and
matured in those years, I've become even more acutely
aware of how much I have to learn, how much I can grow