Tam

The Montreal-based indie/folk/punk group Tam draws its name from the singer and guitarist who fronts the quirky ensemble and cites influences spanning the Pogues to Neubauten. Completing the lineup are bassist J.P. Quintin, drummer Eloi Bertholet, and Johnny Souranis, who handles keyboards, engineering, and bass. An animator working in film, Tam launched her music path in 1990 by playing rhythm guitar in Swing Dynamique, the project that introduced her to Bertholet. In 1996 she assembled the initial incarnation of her own band alongside former Failsafe drummer Peter Boucher and Souranis, already known as the bassist in the Juno-winning outfit Go Van Gogh. Performing under the name the Butchershop, the three-piece performed regularly throughout Montreal and laid down early demo recordings. Tam then traveled to Manchester, U.K., where she established ties with producer Arthur Baker and Smiths/Haven manager Joe Moss. Back in Montreal she formed the Vampires alongside Czech-American musician Andy Nesvadba; the group maintained a weekly residency at the city’s Pasalamany Bar in 2004, the venue where she first encountered David Wenger, who would later appear on her recordings. Once the Vampires disbanded, Tam performed solo shows, among them several dates supporting the Unicorns, before reconnecting with Souranis to cut additional demos. Although local labels showed little interest, she secured a deal with Thurston Moore’s imprint Ecstatic Peace!. After rounding out the roster, the band tracked its self-titled debut album, issued in summer 2006.