Tim Albertson’s “If You Only Knew” hits close to home
Thunder Bay, Ontario-based country artist Tim Albertson has unveiled his single, “If You Only Knew,” which follows his previous single, “Spin That Bottle.”
Written by Jesse Slack, Jude Toy, and Marika Hallendy, when Tim heard the song, he knew it had to be his single.
Tim shares why the single hits so close to home,
“My dad passed away the day after my 30th birthday, 3 years ago. He was my hero, my number one fan, my answer to every question, and when he passed I felt like i had a lot of things left unsaid to him. On his 3rd anniversary, I was talking with Jesse (Slack) and he sent me this song and I broke down. This song is word for word my message to my father, and to anyone out there who struggles with the loss of loved ones. these are the words I wished I had said, and I hope it helps all those like it’s helped me.”
Listen to “If You Only Knew” below and learn more about Tim Albertson via our interview.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
I’m a 33-year-old Canadian Country Artist From Thunder Bay, Ontario. I’ve been singing since the age of 7. Over the past few years, I’ve been extremely fortunate to open for MANY of Canada’s best Country artists. I’m a small-town boy with Stadium like sound that has been compared to the “Canadian Luke Combs”
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
“If You Only Knew” was made for my late father, who passed away on my 30th birthday. Growing up, you always feel like you have all the time in the world until the world reminds you that every second is precious. This song is dedicated to anyone who has lost a loved one, and personally, for me, it’s a prayer that I say to my father every single day.
“If You Only Knew” was written by Jesse Slack, Jude Toy & Marika Hallendy. How did it become your single?
It was the 3rd anniversary of my dad’s passing TO THE DAY! I was working on a song I’d written and was chatting with Jesse about music. He had just received his Gold Record for “Tell You Everything,” sung by Robyn Ottilini, so as friends do, I was excited for him and was congratulating him on his success, and by sheer luck, he sent me this song. I remember hearing it the first time, and it hit me so hard. It was almost like Jesse, Jude, and Markia knew my story personally to the tee. Honestly, I need to thank these three more than they will ever know because with this song, I finally began to heal, and I hope it does the same for others as well.
The song was produced by CMAO Nominated Producer of the Year, Shawn Moore of Moore Music. What was the highlight of working with Shawn?
Mr. Moore! My brother! Honestly, every single second spent talking or working with Shawn is my favorite moment. Shawn Moore is a Godsend. Being more than 20 hours away from your producer can be extremely challenging, but Shawn makes it feel like you’re in the room through the whole process. I look forward to a VERY long brotherhood with Shawn Moore to come!
What is your favourite lyric from “If You Only Knew”?
There are so many to choose from! If I had to choose one, it would probably be the very last line in the song, “I wouldn’t be half the man I am if it weren’t for you,” because it’s 1000% the truth. Without my dad, my hero, and my number 1 fan, I would not be where I am today.
Where do you tend to pull inspiration from when writing?
Like most, I pull inspiration from my life. Growing up in the small town of Hurkett ( Her-Ket ), Ontario, my life was full of life lessons, doing young, dumb things, and dreaming big. Today, I try to write songs about where I’m from, and as you realize from my songs, we all share the same life lessons, the same young, dumb things, and the same big dreams. Soon you realize we all are from “Small towns”
What’s it like being a musician in Thunder Bay, Ontario?
Lonely haha! The downfall of being in Thunder Bay is that we’re secluded from the rest of Ontario, kinda snuggly hidden up in Northwestern Ontario, to the ability to meet face to face can be extremely challenging. The upside to being in Thunder Bay? the fact that if you are driving from one side of the country to the other, YOU HAVE TO DRIVE THROUGH THUNDER BAY TO DO IT! It’s from this fact that I have opened for Gord Bamford, Aaron Pritchett, Tebey, Doc Walker, Tenille Arts, Jade Eagleson, Jojo Mason, The Road Hammers, Jess Moskaluke, and last summer, Lee Brice.
Who would you choose if you were able to collaborate with any fellow Canadian?
Oh boy… There are so many I’d die a happy man to work with. Brett Kissel, Gord Bamford, Aaron Pritchett, Aaron Goodvin, Jojo Mason, Tenille Townes, Dallas Smith, Tim Hicks, the list is endless because I have such a huge amount of respect for each of these artists for not only who they are on stage, but off of it as well.
Do you have any upcoming shows you’d like to tell us about?
I’ve been extremely fortunate enough to be fully booked here at our favorite venues in Thunder Bay with my Backing Band, Back Forty Entertainment, right up until August so chances are if you’re in Thunder Bay on a weekend this year, you can probably catch me singing somewhere. I also have two INCREDIBLY HUGE Country festivals booked but have not been announced yet so, please check my socials in the coming months for updates.
What’s your goal for 2023?
My goal for 2023 is the same as in 2022. Bring the energy, Bring the stories, and Bring the party! For each show I play, whether it be hundreds or thousands of people, my goal is to make it feel like a one-on-one concert. It’s a “You’re here, I see you, let’s party!” kind of atmosphere that I want to share with as many people as possible.