Tommy Paxton-Beesley (born 1991), also known as River Tiber, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer.[2] He released his debut studio album Indigo in 2016. As a songwriter, Paxton-Beesley has frequently collaborated with producer Frank Dukes and artists including Kaytranada, Daniel Caesar, and BadBadNotGood. He has co-written the charting songs "No Tellin'" by Drake, "Broken Clocks" by SZA, "AstroThunder" by Travis Scott, and "I Keep Calling" by James Blake.
River Tiber | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Thomas Rohan Paxton-Beesley[1] |
| Also known as | Tommy Paxton-Beesley |
| Born | 1991 (age 32–33) Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Origin | Toronto |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Website | rivertiber |
Background
editPaxton-Beesley was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. He also spent a year in Italy as a child, where he lived near the Tiber River.[3] Growing up, he took part in community music programs and attended the Claude Watson School for the Arts.[4] He attended McGill University before graduating from the Berklee School of Music.[5][6]
He released his debut EP The Star Falls in 2013,[2] and followed up in 2015 with When the Time Is Right.[7] A track from the latter EP, "No Talk", was sampled by producer Boi-1da for "No Tellin'", from the 2015 album If You're Reading This It's Too Late.[4] Paxton-Beesley has also collaborated with BADBADNOTGOOD on their 2015 album Sour Soul,[2] with Kaytranada on his Polaris Music Prize-winning 99.9%,[2] and with Jazz Cartier on a track for Hotel Paranoia.[2]
He released his debut full-length album Indigo in 2016.[8] In 2017, he won a MuchMusic Video Award for "Acid Test",[9] and the song was a shortlisted finalist for the SOCAN Songwriting Prize in 2017.[10] During the end of the decade, he worked with Toronto artists Charlotte Day Wilson and Daniel Caesar.
On December 9, 2022, he released his sophomore record "Dreaming Eyes".[11] The album release was accompanied by a music video for the acclaimed track "Hypnotized" which was conceptualized and directed by Leo Aguirre.[12] “Hypnotized” was also sampled on Kendrick Lamar’s "Savior" from his 2023 Grammy Award-winning album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.[13]
Personal life
editHe is the brother of actress Alex Paxton-Beesley.[14]
Discography
editStudio albums
edit- From Now On (2011)
- Synapses (2013)
- Indigo (2016)
- Dreaming Eyes (2022)
Extended plays
edit- The Star Falls (2013)
- When the Time Is Right (2015)
Singles
edit- "Prophets" (2014)
- "West" with Daniel Caesar from Indigo (2016)
- "Illusions" (feat. Pusha T) / "Gravity" (2016)
- "Acid Test" from Indigo (2016)
- "Patience" (2017)
- "Deep End" (2018)
- "Taurus" (2019)
- "Nevada" (2019)
- "Rainbow Road" / "Hypnotized" (2020)
- "Sent from Above" (2021)
As featured artist
edit- Kaytranada – "Bus Ride" and "Vivid Dreams" (feat. River Tiber) – from 99.9% (2015)
- Selena Gomez – "Kill Em With Kindness - River Tiber Remix" single (2016)
- Jazz Cartier – "Tell Me" (feat. River Tiber) from Hotel Paranoia (2016); also producer
- Junia-T – "Tommy's Intro" (feat. River Tiber & Sean Leon) from Studio Monk (2020)
Songwriting credits
editindicates a featured artist contribution.
indicates an additional/co-producer contribution.
indicates a background vocal contribution.
| Year | Artist | Album | Song | Co-written with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Justin Nozuka | Ulysees | "Right By You" | Nozuka |
| "Sweet Lover" | ||||
| BadBadNotGood | III | "CS60" | Matthew Tavares, Chester Hansen, Alex Sowinski, Frank Dukes | |
| 2015 | Drake | If You're Reading This It's Too Late | "No Tellin'" | Frank Dukes, et al. |
| BadBadNotGood & Ghostface Killah | Sour Soul | "Ray Gun" (feat. MF Doom) | Tavares, Hansen, Sowinski, Frank Dukes, MF Doom | |
| "Experience" | Tavares, Hansen, Sowinski, Frank Dukes | |||
| PartyNextDoor | N/A (later released on 2020's Partypack) | "Things & Such" (fka. "Kehlani's Freestyle" | Frank Dukes, et al. | |
| Travis Scott | Rodeo | "Oh My Dis Side" | Frank Dukes, et al. | |
| Mac Miller | GO:OD AM | "ROS" | Frank Dukes, et al. | |
| 2016 | Kaytranada | 99.9% | "Bus Ride" | Kaytranada |
| "Vivid Dreams" | Kaytranada | |||
| Jahkoy | Foreign Water | "Selfish" | Frank Dukes, et al. | |
| Usher | Hard II Love | "Make U a Believer" | Frank Dukes, et al. | |
| 2017 | SZA | Ctrl | "Broken Clocks" | Frank Dukes, Daniel Caesar, et al. |
| Jhené Aiko | Trip | "Never Call Me" | Frank Dukes, et al. | |
| 2018 | Travis Scott | Astroworld | "Astrothunder" | Frank Dukes, Matthew Tavares, et al. |
| Charlotte Day Wilson | Stone Woman | "Falling Apart" | Charlotte Day Wilson, Matthew Tavares | |
| Camila Cabello | Romance | "Feel It Twice" | Frank Dukes, Matthew Tavares, et al. | |
| 2019 | Daniel Caesar | Case Study 01 | "Entropy" | Daniel Caesar, et al. |
| "Cyanide" | Daniel Caesar, Matthew Burnett, Jordan Evans, et al. | |||
| "Open Up" | ||||
| "Superposition" (feat. John Mayer) | ||||
| "Too Deep to Turn Back" | ||||
| "Are You OK?" | ||||
| Giveon | Take Time | "Like I Want You" | Jahaan Sweet, et al. | |
| 2020 | James Blake | Before | "I Keep Calling" | James Blake, Charlotte Day Wilson, Matthew Tavares, et al. |
Other credits
editAlbums
- Justin Nozuka – Ulysees (2014); musician
- BadBadNotGood – III (2014); guitar, violin, cello
- BadBadNotGood & Ghostface Killah – Sour Soul (2015); cello, violin, trombone, guitar, organ
- Tess Parks – Blood Hot (2015); co-producer, drums, guitar, bass, tambourine, cello
- Kingsway Music Library – Colors (2015); musician
Tracks
- Daniel Caesar – "Death & Taxes" from Pilgrim's Paradise (2015); music
- Sean Leon – "This Ain't 2012" single (2015); additional vocals[15]
- Freddie Gibbs – "Insecurities" from Shadow of a Doubt (2015); additional vocals
- Daniel Caesar – "Won't Live Here" single (2016); music
- Charlotte Day Wilson – "Where Do You Go" from CDW (2016); producer, bass, cello, violin, synth
- Post Malone – "Cold" from Stoney (2016); background vocals
- Charlotte Day Wilson – "Let You Down" & "Falling Apart" from Stone Woman (2018); strings, synth, vocals, drums
- Kaytranda – "Freefall" from Bubba (2019); synth
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Association | Category | Nominated Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Grammy Awards | Best Rap Album | If You're Reading This It's Too Late (Drake) (as songwriter) | Nominated | |
| 2017 | iHeartRadio MMVAs | Best MuchFACT Video | "Acid Test" | Won | |
| SOCAN Songwriting Prize | Best Song – Anglophone | Shortlisted | [16] | ||
| Best Song – Anglophone | "Won't Live Here" (Daniel Caesar) (as songwriter) | Shortlisted | |||
| 2018 | Soul Train Music Awards | The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter's Award | "Broken Clocks" (SZA) (as songwriter) | Nominated | |
| 2019 | ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Awards | Award Winning R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | Won | [17] | |
| 2019 | Grammy Awards | Best Rap Album | Astroworld (Travis Scott) (as songwriter) | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ "Song Details: Broken Clocks". www.umusicpub.com. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
- ^ a b c d e "UNCHARTED: It’s River Tiber’s turn"[usurped]. Chart Attack, May 12, 2016.
- ^ "Flowing like the River Tiber". SOCAN Words and Music. 2016-03-10. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
- ^ a b "Who The Hell Is River Tiber and Why Is He Suddenly Everywhere?". Noisey, February 26, 2015.
- ^ Caira, Celine (2013-02-18). "Cerebral transmissions". The McGill Daily. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
- ^ "Sound of the 6ix: How Drake inspired Toronto to mint its own music". The Globe and Mail, July 30, 2016.
- ^ "River Tiber: 'When the Time Is Right'". Exclaim!, September 14, 2015.
- ^ "River Tiber: Indigo". Exclaim!, June 21, 2016.
- ^ "Acceptance and diversity get major stage time at MMVAs". Hamilton Spectator, June 19, 2017.
- ^ "Punk Phenoms PUP Win $10,000 SOCAN Songwriting Prize". Canada Newswire, July 12, 2017.
- ^ "River Tiber: Dreaming Eyes". Killbeat Music, December 9th, 2022.
- ^ "ATWOOD MAGAZINE’S WEEKLY ROUNDUP". Atwood Magazine, December 16th, 2022.
- ^ "Best New Canadian Tracks This Week: Skiifall, River Tiber, Zeina". Complex, December 9th, 2022.
- ^ "Grolsch Open House | River Tiber". ION Magazine, September 4, 2014.
- ^ THIS AIN'T 2012 (PRODUCED BY WONDAGURL + SEAN LEON), retrieved 2021-02-16
- ^ "2017 SOCAN Songwriting Prize Finalists Vie for $10,000 | SOCAN". 15 June 2017. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
- ^ "2019 ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards". www.ascap.com. Retrieved 2020-12-30.