Artist Glimpse - Mississauga's Tennyson King
/Presented in partnership with Mississauga Music and Modern Mississauga Media.
In conversation with Mississauga’s multi award winning singer songwriter, Tennyson King. Born in Hong Kong and raised in Mississauga, this nomadic musician brings a jovial personality to the stage. His music has been described as rock and roll infused with earthy roots and blues subtly laced in psychedelic ear candy.
Rob Aguiar: Tennyson, it’s been an honour to have you participate at various Glimpsepalooza festivals over the years and I greatly appreciate you taking part in this interview series to give our audience a glimpse into your heart as a singer songwriter!
Tennyson King: I appreciate what you do to support artists and add music to the community. Thanks for including me. It’s always a pleasure to chat.
RA: I’ve always known you to travel the world, sharing your music as you go. How has this nomadic journey contributed to your inspirations and how do you channel those inspirations into music?
TK: I am so grateful to see the world through so many different perspectives, and I try to capture that in my music, to gain a better understanding of the world. My nomadic life has allowed me to connect with so many different people, communities, cultures and ethnicities. Whether it’s stories from the people I meet, learning about the culture or my own growth through the diverse experiences, those are the emotions and feelings that help me create my music and inspire what I want to share with listeners.
“I believe that music gives off a moment, a feeling, an emotion, and figuring out how to really amplify that moment both literally and metaphorically is the art of live performance.”
RA: I appreciate the great storyteller that you are; both on stage as part of your show and within the lyrics. There’s a certain level of vulnerability brought to a lyric that resonates with the audience. What role does vulnerability play in your songwriting process?
TK: I believe that vulnerability is very important not only in songwriting but for how we live life. When I am able to be vulnerable in my songwriting, I feel that I am truly tapping into my creative self and the creative energy that exists all around us. For me, expressing myself vulnerably is a form of healing. When I write songs from the heart and from a place deep inside, I feel that my songs are the most real to me. The craft then becomes taking that vulnerability and turning it into a song that can be truly heard and understood by people. To me, that is the fun and beauty of songwriting.
RA: As a music fan, I’m alway in awe of the evolution of a song from an initial idea in a notebook to a full band live experience. How do you approach revisiting and reinterpreting your own finished and/or unfinished material with the live stage in mind?
TK: Being in the energy and vibration of live music is a very powerful and magical experience. For the stage, I often don’t think of my song as just a song to play to the audience. I think of it more as a way for me to create a special moment between them and I through this magic of performance. I believe that music gives off a moment, a feeling, an emotion, and figuring out how to really amplify that moment both literally and metaphorically is the art of live performance. Sometimes that might be re-arranging the song or lyric so that I repeat a certain section of a song I believe to be powerful.
RA: You have a new song called “Where I Make My Home” with Lindi Ortega. What sparked this collaboration and what do you hope the hearts and minds of your listeners take away from this song?
TK: I met Lindi about 3 years ago in the little mountain town of Creston, British Columbia, where I lived while writing songs for my next record. We became friends over numerous snowshoeing and hiking adventures. We enjoy talking about life, sharing stories on the road and just being silly in nature. Lindi and I would jam a bit when we hung out and we decided to write together. “Where I Make My Home” was the first song we wrote. The takeaway of this song is to remind people that home can be anywhere you want it to be. Sometimes we find it in the place we least expect, sometimes it’s not even a place, but the community of people we surround ourselves with. Keeping all this in mind, we hope that people realize that all they need is in themselves. Home can be found anywhere you roam even if you are alone.
“I want to bring these songs and share Chinese culture with youth across Canada in hopes to encourage people to dive deep into their own culture and ethnicities and be proud of where they came from. ”
RA: I know you’re very connected to your asian heritage. I recently learned that you have worked on a whole new batch of songs where you will be singing in Chinese (Mandarin) and playing traditional Chinese instruments with the hope of connecting with children and youth through more school outreach, workshops, and performances. All of that sounds amazing! Tell me more.
TK: Yes, that is a new musical endeavour I have been working on slowly for the past few years. I’ve always felt like I needed to assimilate to North American culture since immigrating to Canada. I forced myself to forget my culture and for a lot of my youth I was embarrassed by it instead of embracing it. Even as a musician trying to succeed in the Canadian music industry, I felt like I had to lose my own identity to fit the mold of what could succeed and what the industry is promoting.
This new batch of songs will incorporate a mix of western folk music, with traditional Chinese music and singing in English, Chinese, and Cantonese. It will be released as my next album, which will be titled 百城 which means 100 cities. This is actually my birth and Chinese name. I’ll be working with different traditional Chinese musicians across Canada and I’m very excited to finish this project and share it with everyone.
I want to bring these songs and share Chinese culture with youth across Canada in hopes to encourage people to dive deep into their own culture and ethnicities and be proud of where they came from. We all have such rich histories, and I truly believe that it deserves a deeper understanding from all of us.
RA: We’re already halfway to an already very busy 2024 for Tennyson King! How do you see the rest of the year playing out for you? What can fans expect from you musically?
TK: I will be releasing a few more collaborative singles. In addition to the one with Lindi Ortega, a song with Skye Wallace was just released in May and in July will be a Chinese-English song with Taiwanese/Australian artist Kim Yang. I’ll also be playing a few shows in the UK this summer, as well as Canada followed by an Australian tour. Between all this, I’ll be in the studio recording songs for the up-coming record.
RA: Wow, I’m excited to follow your journey! You’re an exceptional talent. I’m so lucky to get to connect with amazing artists such as yourself. This has been really special. Thank you, brother!
TK: Thank you, Rob! I appreciate your continued support.
