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Tommy Paxton-Beesley (born 1991), also known as River Tiber, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. 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.

Background

Paxton-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. Growing up, he took part in community music programs and attended the Claude Watson School for the Arts. He attended McGill University before graduating from the Berklee School of Music.

He released his debut EP The Star Falls in 2013, and followed up in 2015 with When the Time Is Right. 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. Paxton-Beesley has also collaborated with BADBADNOTGOOD on their 2015 album Sour Soul, with Kaytranada on his Polaris Music Prize-winning 99.9%, and with Jazz Cartier on a track for Hotel Paranoia.

He released his debut full-length album Indigo in 2016. In 2017, he won a MuchMusic Video Award for "Acid Test", and the song was a shortlisted finalist for the SOCAN Songwriting Prize in 2017. 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". The album release was accompanied by a music video for the acclaimed track "Hypnotized" which was conceptualized and directed by Leo Aguirre. “Hypnotized” was also sampled on Kendrick Lamar’s "Savior" from his 2023 Grammy Award-winning album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.

Personal life

He is the brother of actress Alex Paxton-Beesley.

Discography

Studio albums

• From Now On (2011)
• Synapses (2013)
• Indigo (2016)
• Dreaming Eyes (2022)

Extended plays

• The Star Falls (2013)
• When the Time Is Right (2015)

Singles

• "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

• 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

  indicates a featured artist contribution.

  indicates an additional/co-producer contribution.

  indicates a background vocal contribution.

Other credits

Albums

• 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
• 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

References

1. "Song Details: Broken Clocks". www.umusicpub.com. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
2. ^ "UNCHARTED: It’s River Tiber’s turn". Chart Attack, May 12, 2016.
3. "Flowing like the River Tiber". SOCAN Words and Music. 2016-03-10. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
4. ^ "Who The Hell Is River Tiber and Why Is He Suddenly Everywhere?". Noisey, February 26, 2015.
5. Caira, Celine (2013-02-18). "Cerebral transmissions". The McGill Daily. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
6. "Sound of the 6ix: How Drake inspired Toronto to mint its own music". The Globe and Mail, July 30, 2016.
7. "River Tiber: 'When the Time Is Right'". Exclaim!, September 14, 2015.
8. "River Tiber: Indigo". Exclaim!, June 21, 2016.
9. "Acceptance and diversity get major stage time at MMVAs". Hamilton Spectator, June 19, 2017.
10. "Punk Phenoms PUP Win $10,000 SOCAN Songwriting Prize". Canada Newswire, July 12, 2017.
11. "River Tiber: Dreaming Eyes". Killbeat Music, December 9th, 2022.
12. "ATWOOD MAGAZINE’S WEEKLY ROUNDUP". Atwood Magazine, December 16th, 2022.
13. "Best New Canadian Tracks This Week: Skiifall, River Tiber, Zeina". Complex, December 9th, 2022.
14. "Grolsch Open House | River Tiber". ION Magazine, September 4, 2014.
15. THIS AIN'T 2012 (PRODUCED BY WONDAGURL + SEAN LEON), retrieved 2021-02-16
16. "2017 SOCAN Songwriting Prize Finalists Vie for $10,000 | SOCAN". 15 June 2017. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
17. "2019 ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards". www.ascap.com. Retrieved 2020-12-30.

• Canadian rhythm and blues musicians
• Musicians from Toronto
• Berklee College of Music alumni
• Living people
• 21st-century Canadian male musicians