Tim Baker (musician)

Background

Baker studied creative writing at Concordia University after developing tendonitis that prevented him from playing piano for his admission audition. Following graduation, he returned to St. John's and performed locally as a solo artist before forming Hey Rosetta! to achieve a fuller band sound. As the band's writer and front man, Hey Rosetta! became Juno-nominated, Polaris-shortlisted, and multi award-winning, performing internationally in stadiums, clubs, theatres, and festivals. The band disbanded in 2017, after which Baker transitioned to a solo career as a songwriter and producer.

Solo career

Baker debuted his first solo song, 'Spirit', in 2016 on the CBC Radio program The Current as part of a series on economic challenges in Newfoundland; the song appears on Forever Overhead. Forever Overhead was longlisted for the 2019 Polaris Music Prize, and at the Juno Awards of 2020 he received a Songwriter of the Year nomination for 'All Hands', 'Dance', and 'The Eighteenth Hole'. He released the Survivors EP in July 2020. In 2021 he recorded a duet with Rose Cousins on a new version of 'The Lullaby (My Oldest Love)'.

His second solo album, The Festival, came out on October 21, 2022, with ten tracks including singles 'Lucky Few', 'Some Day', and 'Echo Park'—the last written during his time with Hey Rosetta! He followed with the EP Along the Mountain Road in October 2023, supported by a national tour with opening acts Matt Holubowski and Haley Heynderickx. That year he also recorded a cover of 'Leaving on the Evening Tide' for the Ron Hynes tribute album Sonny Don't Go Away.

His third solo album, Full Rainbow of Light, a collection of original Christmas music centered on home, nostalgia, love, and family, was released on November 15, 2024. On June 10, 2025, he released the single 'Giant Eye'. A deluxe edition of Full Rainbow of Light followed on December 5, 2025, adding three previously unreleased songs: 'Every Ribbon', a cover of 'The Rebel Jesus' by Jackson Browne and The Chieftains, and 'A Little Bit of Room'; 'Every Ribbon' and 'The Rebel Jesus' were released as singles on November 24 and December 3 respectively.