- Rachel Thom, Libra Room (1608 Commercial Dr., 604-255-3787), Saturday, April 14, 9 p.m. All ages.
EVER since she began memorizing songs from Disney movies singer/songwriter Rachel Thom knew what she wanted to be.
"I was full-on singing at the age of two and three," she says. "I always wanted to be the centre of attention and I always wanted to perform."
Tomorrow night the Whistler musician will perform with her band at the Libra Room on Commercial Drive in Vancouver. Her band includes bassist Joe Baergen, guitarist and back-up vocalist Alexis Nery and drummer Phil-T-Beats.
"We have been playing at the Libra Room for almost a year now and we really enjoy going there," she says. "We either play on a Friday or Saturday night and it's always packed."
By the time Thom was five-years old she was performing at her school. At the age of eight she began vocal lessons, training in acting and dance classes.
Thom comes from a family with a background in music. Her father, and her two older brothers Jeremy and Jesse are also singers and songwriters.
"It wasn't a surprise to anyone because my whole family is musical," she says. "My dad was (a major) influence," Thom says. "He always had music playing and he always played guitar and sang to me."
At one point Thom was in a band called La La Boom Boom where she was the keyboardist.
"It was really fun, my brother Jesse was the drummer," she says. "It was dance pop-rock fun type of band."
Originally from Edmonton Thom moved to the West Coast in 2007 to be with her brothers. "I graduated high school a semester early to come to Whistler," she says.
Thom was still in high school when she produced and recorded her first album. She donated the money raised from the album to Children's Cancer Research in honour of her brother who passed away from leukemia.
Her first official album, Wear & Tear, was released in November of 2010. It was recorded in Los Angeles and produced by Jimmy Harry and Chris Fudurich.
"It all started when I went to New York to meet with the CEO of a company called Fahrenheit Management, and he introduced me to Jimmy Harry," Thom says.
Harry has previously worked with musicians such as Kelly Clarkson, Pink and Britney Spears.
According to Thom the songs "Innocent Child," "Than I Am" and "Head First" were selected for the EP but both Harry and herself wanted to have one more track on the album.
"Jimmy has a file folder of songs that are for no one. They are just for who ever really needs them," Thom says. "So he sent me a whole of bunch of songs and chose the three other ones that are on the EP. I actually co-wrote the lyrics to 'Head First.'"
She submitted her own song "Wear & Tear" which was eventually approved by Harry and ended up on the on the EP. "Wear and Tear was totally mine from top to bottom," she says. "The session musicians wrote a lead guitar part that I had never thought of, but the melody, the lyrics and the chords were all mine."
She wrote the song when she was 16 years old.
For period of time Thom's single "Wear & Tear" was number one on Mountain FM's Top 5 at 5, where it was in regular rotation.
"The number two song would be either the Pussycat Dolls or Katy Perry," she says. "It's a neat thing to get in your car and turn on your radio and it's you."
Thom was also on an Internet radio show called Inferno where they aired her interview with them. Her music is on rotation at West Coast Media Network's wmn.fm.
"I would love to get more radio play," Thom says. "My goal is cross-country radio play."
In 2010, Thom was selected to share the stage with Juno Award winner Barney Bentall at a performance in Whistler during the Winter Olympics.
"It was so cool," she says. "They gave him a list of probably 20 Whistler musicians to choose from . . . I was so honoured.
"The success he has in his career is what I strive for," Thom says. "Performing with him, the first word that comes to me is professional."
Later that year she was able to share the stage with Gene Simmons and Sarah McLachlan in Whistler.
Aside from a career in music, Thom also has an acting career.
"I've been focusing so hard on singing in the last four years that I sort of forgot about acting," she says. "I don't want to be one of those actresses that thinks they can sing or one of those singers that think they can act."
She is featured in a web series called Destrubia that will be released on May 6. Thom is also in a short web film called Suck It Up and appears in Changing the Channel, which can be seen on YouTube.
Thom is currently recording a second EP this month at the Nimbus School of Recording Arts and is booking a Western Canadian tour.
"I've been doing all my own management now for the better part of four years. The biggest challenge is connections," she says.
"If someone gives me a ton of work and tells me to get it done, I will get it done fast and efficiently. The hardest challenge is getting connected with the right people."
As for her favourite Disney movie growing up, she says it was The Little Mermaid.
Visit www.rachelthom.com for more information about upcoming shows.
