The Trouble With Templeton
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | INDIE
Music
Press
"Tonight’s performance is nothing short of jaw-dropping, to the point of almost stealing the limelight from the headliner (Mat Corby) all together. Songs like Please Don’t Ask Me, single I Wrote A Novel and the title track from album Bleeders absolutely kill while Calder’s presence captivates entirely." www.themusic.com.au
"Justin Vernon, Elliott Smith, Sufjan Stevens, and most recently, a certain Mr. Matt Corby – really, it’s enough to give you an attack of the vapours. The Trouble With Templeton, aka Brisbane native Thomas Calder, has insinuated himself into the genre with his gorgeous debut album Bleeders. But if you’ve been experiencing Angus Stone Fatigue (don’t worry, it happens to the best of us), fear not – Calder’s voice is capable of more – much more – than the huksy, folky, sigh favoured by indie singer-songwriters." www.vulturemagazine.com
“For me, the music of The Trouble With Templeton is like one big red emotional button: I press it and from the sound of the music comes all these feelings... There is a beautiful simplicity and purity to The Trouble With Templeton. His songs have an emotional resonance which very few singer/songwriters can channel. Maybe he'll be your big red emotional button too.”? 4/5, Dom Alessio, Triple J
“The Trouble With Templeton's single "I Wrote A Novel" has been sitting pretty on our independent radio charts for the past four weeks. It's a cute radio-friendly song, showing off Thomas Calder's (yes, his name isn't Templeton) songwriting chops and unique voice. But if you really want to see what this artist is capable of doing, take some time to watch his brand new clip for the song "Someday Soon". Stunning. In contrast to his whistle-happy first single, "Someday Soon" is a dirge. Slow and sparse, wallowing in its own glorious sadness but occasionally breaking free of its shackles, accompanied by mourning choir, spare acoustic instrumentation and a beautifully shot but morbid clip. Cheerful it ain't, wonderfully conceived, restrained and compelling from start to finish it is.” Nick O'Byrne, MD of AIR (Australian Independent Records Association) www.ausindies.com
“We hear a lot about talented youngsters these days, and while many of them can indeed be scientifically proven to be young, it’s in the talent department that we are often left wanting. This is not the case here… The Trouble With Templeton is special.” Clem Bastow (RRR Melbourne, The Big Issue, The Vine)
"I Wrote a Novel is an internally anguished melody cleverly written, both the lyrics and music. The song is dangerously pop-esque as it flirts with the ambitious creative genius of Thomas Calder (aka The Trouble With Templeton). Calder’s ability to maintain control over the song is reminiscent of many singer/songwriter greats who take years to capture the complexity that is found in I Wrote a Novel." www.volumecity.co.uk
“Armed with only an acoustic guitar, Calder managed to the pull on the heartstrings of his enraptured audience, belting out well-constructed tunes that were not only solid musically, but held extremely powerful story-telling lyrics…" Xpress, Perth (Supporting Sparkadia @ The Astor, Perth)
“Channeling the beautiful acoustic melodies of Laura Marling…THE TROUBLE WITH TEMPLETON filled the room with booming guitar (which was surprising for a one man act) and captivating, passionate lyrics… the audience was hugely receptive...Calder (then) turned to an electric guitar and serenaded us with his amazing single Bleeders – a stunning piece..." www.sludgefactory.com.au (Supporting Sparkadia @ The Metro, Sydney)
“Stirringly beautiful new single 'Bleeders'… most certainly doesn't fall into the pop categories that you might ordinarily find on the pages of auspOp, but it's truly gorgeous. There's something most raw and honest about Thomas' voice.” www.auspop.blogspot.com
“The Trouble With Templeton's single "I Wrote A Novel" has been sitting pretty on our Independent Radio Charts for the past four - Varied
“Critics of the younger generation's work ethic need look no farther than brisbane's Thomas Calder for comfort. The multi-talented 21 year old recorded this entire album from scratch using any instrument he could get his hands on, but his best asset is also his most obvious. Calder's voice, unsullied by influence or expectation, is an adaptive, curious and wonderful thing. It leads songs such as "I Wrote A Novel" and "Someday Soon" out of what could have been middling pop-folk territory with rip-snorting crescendos, reedy whispers and an almost Tom-Waits-ian darkness, at once warm and chimerical. The arrangements are as creative as the vocals that guide them and it's sustained across each of these nine pieces”. 4/5 Stars, The Sydney Morning Herald
“…(Calder’s) penchant for ornate arrangements, icy ambience and Broadway-esque upper-register vocal flourishes makes Bleeders a nocely dressed and lateral minded folk spinoff.” 7/10 Triple J Magazine
“…the album has an incredibly raw and disarmingly honest quality to it… This recalls singers such as the late Elliot Smith in that, as a listener, one almost feels guilty to listen in that on both a sonic and lyrical level, you feel like you have inadvertently stumbled into Calder’s bedroom and are listening to him perform these tracks for the first time.” Tonedeaf.com
“‘This is a flawless work of folk.” DB Magazine, Adelaide
“Some days you just get floored by the marvellous talent some people seem to possess. For people like me, one of those days was Tuesday and one of those people was Thomas Calder. In his official capacity as instrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter and everything else for his project The Trouble With Templeton, Calder is an absolute aural knockout. I’ve had his debut on repeat since it landed in my rained-out mailbox and it is beguiling, beautiful and bemusing in equal amounts. With the kind of command over his voice that you’re more likely to hear from Tom Waits than a twenty-one year old, Calder’s songs grow and grow with intensity until you’re utterly transfixed and lose track of where you are.” Jonno Seidler, One Song A Day. www.1songday.com
“All too often I get excited about an album on the strength of its single, before discovering the long player doesn’t live up to the hype. It’s much rarer to find a disc that makes me appreciate the artist even more than I did before, but I found it with The Trouble with Templeton’s Bleeders.” www.soundsofoz.com
“‘Bleeders’ (is) one of this year’s most beautifully dramatic, melancholic and hauntingly delicate debut records.” www.acuvi.com
“Bleeders is (an) often impressive, occasionally brilliant debut” Beat Magazine, Melbourne
“How many can you name who, at the ripe age of twenty one, are delivering chilling troubadour ruminations worthy of the UK’s rich folk heritage?... Definitely one to watch.” Alsmusicrant.blogspot.com - Varied
Discography
US:
"I Wrote A Novel" 5 track EP released in the US on 4th September 2012. #18 Most Added at College Radio & national airplay
"Six Months In A Cast" going to College Radio in Dec 2012 & to be released in Jan 2013
AUSTRALIA:
LP 1
"Bleeders" - November 2012
SINGLES
"Bleeders" - July 2011
"I Wrote A Novel" - October 2011
"Someday Soon" - March 2012
"Six Months In A Cast" - August 2012
RADIO PLAY
"Six Months In A Cast" on High rotation on Triple J, ITunes SIngle of the Week in Aus & NZ, #4 on the Independent Radio Chart in Oct 2012
"I Wrote A Novel" reached #8 on the AIR Independent Radio Chart - May 2012 (Australian Independent Records Association - official chart)
"I Wrote A Novel" on high rotation on Triple J - national community radio - TWICE - for 3 months each time (Oct-Dec 2011, April-June 2012)
"I Wrote A Novel" Top 5 on the AIRIT Community Radio Chart and extensive play across community radio nationally
"Someday Soon" Top 5 on the AIRIT Community Radio Chart
All other singles - spot play on Triple J & lots of play on other community radio stations across Australia - including FBI (Sydney), RRR (Melb), PBS (Melb), ZZZ (Brisbane), 2ser (Sydney), RTR (Perth) etc.
"I Wrote A Novel" added to rotation on commercial networks WAFM & RedFM in WA - "Redwave Media’s regional radio network is geographically the largest radio network in Australia, servicing not only regional WA towns but also broadcasting mining radio to FIFO (fly in, fly out) workers at remote mine sites."
VIDEO PLAY
"Bleeders" - Video of the Week on Rage - ABC TV
"Bleeders" in Rage's top 50 videos of 2011
All 3 videos rotation on "Rage" - ABC TV
"Bleeders" & "I Wrote A Novel" - spot play on Channel V & Max TV (Foxtel)
"Six Months In A Cast" added to rotation on Channel V & Rage PLay
Photos
Bio
In March 2011 Thomas Calder (aka The Trouble With Templeton), at age 20, gathered all the gear he could find and recorded a mini-album in his Brisbane home. It took all of 2 ½ weeks.
Even the most cursory airing of the striking debut will leave the listener with no doubt: The Trouble with Templeton is special.
It has been a massive 12 months for Thomas with national radio support including high rotation on Triple J for his smashing single “I Wrote A Novel”, currently at #8 on the Independent Radio Chart, his "Bleeders" video earning a top spot in Rage's Top 50 videos of 2011, rave reviews nationally from both press & blogs (some below), and tours with Husky, Matt Corby, Sparkadia, Big Scary and Dead Letter Chorus to name a few.
Templeton will be main support for Father John Misty, Benjamin Leftwich and Of Monsters And Men for their Melbourne & Sydney shows in July 2012.
A special US-only EP is also lined up for release in September. “I Wrote A Novel” will be lead single on the 5 track EP, which will be serviced to college radio in August. Thomas will be heading to the US for showcases, shows, and some writing in September-October.
Having already drawn comparisons to the likes of Elliott Smith, Damian Rice, Tom Waitts and Jeff Buckley, (a fact that the humble young man finds excruciatingly difficult to hear), it is no surprise that people are starting to sit up and take notice of this beautiful, talented young artist from the suburbs of Brisbane, Australia.
“Critics of the younger generation's work ethic need look no farther than brisbane's Thomas Calder for comfort. The multi-talented 21 year old recorded this entire album from scratch using any instrument he could get his hands on, but his best asset is also his most obvious. Calder's voice, unsullied by influence or expectation, is an adaptive, curious and wonderful thing. It leads songs such as "I Wrote A Novel" and "Someday Soon" out of what could have been middling pop-folk territory with rip-snorting crescendos, reedy whispers and an almost Tom-Waits-ian darkness, at once warm and chimerical. The arrangements are as creative as the vocals that guide them and it's sustained across each of these nine pieces”. 4/5 Stars, The Sydney Morning Herald
“Critics of the younger generation's work ethic need look no farther than Brisbane's Thomas Calder for comfort. The multi-talented 21 year old recorded this entire album from scratch using any instrument he could get his hands on, but his best asset is also his most obvious. Calder's voice, unsullied by influence or expectation, is an adaptive, curious and wonderful thing.” 4/5 Stars, The Sydney Morning Herald
“Tonight’s performance is nothing short of jaw-dropping, to the point of almost stealing the limelight from the headliner (Matt Corby) altogether. Songs like Please Don’t Tell Me, single ‘I Wrote A Novel’ and the title track from album ‘Bleeders’ absolutely kill while Calder’s presence captivates entirely." www.themusic.com.au
"Justin Vernon, Elliott Smith, Sufjan Stevens, and most recently, a certain Mr. Matt Corby… The Trouble With Templeton, aka Brisbane native Thomas Calder, has insinuated himself into the genre with his gorgeous debut album Bleeders. But if you’ve been experiencing Angus Stone Fatigue, fear not – Calder’s voice is capable of more – much more–than the huksy, folky, sigh favoured by indie singer-songwriters." www.vulturemagazine.com
“For me, the music of The Trouble With Templeton is like one big red emotional button: I press it and from the sound of the music comes all these feelings... There is a beautiful simplicity and purity to The Trouble With Templeton. His songs have an emotional resonance which very few singer/songwriters can channel. Maybe he'll be your big red emotional button too.”? 4/5, Dom Alessio, Triple J
“The Trouble With Templeton's single "I Wrote A Novel" has been sitting pretty on our independent radio charts for the past four weeks. It's a cute radio-friendly song, showing off Thomas Calder's songwriting chops and unique voice. But if you really want to see what this artist is capable of doing, take some time to watch his brand new clip for the song "Someday Soon". Stunning. In contrast to his whistle-happy first single, "Someday Soon" is a dirge. Slow and sparse, wallowing in its own glorious sadness but occasionally breaking free of its shackles, accompanied by mourning choir, spare acoustic instrumentation and a beautifully shot but morbid clip. Cheerful it ain't, wonderfully conceived, restrained and compelling from start to finish it is.” Nick O'Byrne, Head of AIR (Australian Independent Records Association) www.ausindies.com
I Wrote a Novel is an internally anguished melody cleverly written, both the lyrics and music. The song is dangerously pop-esque as it flirts with the ambitious creative genius of Thomas Calder. Calder’s ability to maintain control over the song is reminiscent of many singer/songwriter greats who
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