We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tim Kellams. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tim below.

Tim, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Risk taking is a huge part of being an independent musician. I decided I wanted to pursue music full time when I was still a teenager. I quit my job as a retail manager. I built my own recording studio at home and started performing live within the same year. I am still pursuing music over a decade later. It’s my number one passion. I never chose a career or life outside of music. There have been many ups and downs during this musical journey. My grandfather lived with me for my entire life. He passed away in 2017. I had to perform a show just a few days later. Then I was back in the studio just a couple of weeks after that. I was on tour when I got a call that my mother went blind in the hospital. She suffered a massive stroke. I was told that she wasn’t eating. I was a thousand miles from home. I had to explain to the nurses that my mother couldn’t see and that she needed help to eat. Right after I got off of the phone I had to play a show. My mother passed away in 2018. There was a huge part of me that wanted to curl up into a ball and hide but I refused. I performed in her honor just a couple of weeks later. The crowd chanted her name. It was an extremely bittersweet moment. I’ve always tried my best to keep going. Pursuing the dream never stops. When I’m not performing I am spending all of my time recording, mixing songs, or networking. I’m always thinking of the next move. There aren’t really any days off. It all boils down to risk taking and sacrifice. One of the biggest risks I took was when I decided to start a full band. I was originally a solo artist. I performed Hip-Hop with a rock/metal twist but I would constantly dream of being a vocalist in a heavy metal band. After being a solo artist for more than a decade, I decided to take a risk and start my band ‘Tim The Truth’ in 2022. It’s been the most successful choice so far. We’ve been playing our biggest shows to date and it continues to grow. Every show feels like a family gathering. It compares to a massive therapy session. All of us can collectively join forces and forget about the hardships for a few hours. Everyone leaves feeling refreshed and ready for more. The energy is incredible. I’ve also been able to meet and work with some of my music idols. None of this would be happening right now if I didn’t take the risk of shifting genres and start my band. A lot of sacrifice is paying off after many years and I look forward to continuing the journey. Please do not give up if you’re also finding yourself risking and sacrificing a lot. Persistence is key and you must keep going. Sometimes you have to pull yourself back and regroup. The possibilities are endless once you truly figure out who you are and you push forward with everything you’ve got.

Tim, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am the lead vocalist of my band ‘Tim The Truth’. You can find us on all social media and streaming platforms. Our genre is mainly heavy metal. There are definitely some dynamics of rap, hardcore and thrash that can also be heard throughout our sound. I am trained in studio recording as well as live audio. I write my own lyrics and produce my own vocal recordings. All of the band’s music is recorded, mixed and mastered in house by myself in collaboration with my band mate Jimbo (Lead Guitarist). I strive to write, produce, record and perform music. Our live shows are very interactive. Including the crowd is my number one goal when performing live with my band. I often walk off stage and go into the crowd to perform songs. I pass the microphone to people in the crowd to sing along. I invite people on stage to sing and dance with us. I throw piñatas into the mosh pit. I do anything to include the crowd as a part of the show. I want every show that we play to feel like a party for everyone.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist/creative is hearing other people’s stories and how your art/creativity has impacted their lives in a positive way. I’ve had many people message me about their struggles and stories of prevail. It will always be appreciated when someone tells me that my story/my music has helped them conquer hardships in their life. I’m just me. I operate as myself. If being myself has helped anybody in any way, then that makes me extremely happy.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I think some people don’t quite understand why someone would sacrifice so much in order to spend all of their time pursuing a career in music. You don’t make a lot of money on your way up. You usually spend more than you earn. You may sacrifice more than you seem to get in return. But it means the world to me that I can spend time creating my music and performing my music for people. This is rewarding in itself. I know a lot of people that couldn’t drop everything to work on an album or go on tour. I personally would rather go with less up front if it grants me the ability to pursue my music full time. I find it to be a huge blessing if someone is able to have the time to chase their dreams and the ability to practice their craft daily. Especially if it’s getting the attention of others and helping people in the process. The rest is all an added bonus.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/TimTheTruth
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timthetruth
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timthetruthofficial
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@timthetruth?_t=ZT-8syRMiE42Bv&_r=1

Image Credits

Devin Smyntek