Tâm

Named after its frontwoman and guitarist, the eccentric Montreal indie/folk/punk group Tam draws inspiration from acts spanning the Pogues to Neubauten. Alongside bassist J.P. Quintin, drummer Eloi Bertholet, and keyboardist/engineer/bassist Johnny Souranis, the outfit also reflects Tam’s parallel work as a film animator. She launched her music path in 1990 playing rhythm guitar for Swing Dynamique, where she first encountered Bertholet, and assembled the initial lineup of her own project in 1996 alongside ex-Failsafe drummer Peter Boucher and Souranis, then the bassist for the Juno-winning band Go Van Gogh. Performing under the name the Butchershop, that trio played frequent Montreal shows and cut early demos. Tam next traveled to Manchester, U.K., where she established ties with producer Arthur Baker and Smiths/Haven manager Joe Moss. Back in Montreal she launched the Vampires alongside Czech-American musician Andy Nesvadba; the group held a weekly residency at the Pasalamany Bar in 2004, during which Tam met David Wenger, a later studio collaborator. Following the Vampires’ dissolution she performed solo, including several shows supporting the Unicorns, then rejoined Souranis for additional demo sessions. Though local outlets showed little interest, she secured a deal with Thurston Moore’s Ecstatic Peace! label. Once the remaining members were in place, the band tracked its self-titled debut, issued in summer 2006.