Tom Chaplin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tom Chaplin
Chaplin with Keane in 2024
Background information
Birth name	Thomas Oliver Chaplin
Born	(1979-03-08) 8 March 1979 (age 46) Hastings, East Sussex, England
Genres	Alternative rock, post-britpop, pop rock
Occupation(s)	Musician singer songwriter
Instruments	Vocals guitar keyboards
Years active	1997–present

Thomas Oliver Chaplin, born on March 8, 1979, is an English musician. He is famous for being a co-founder and the lead singer of the British band Keane. Keane is known for its alternative rock music.

Tom Chaplin's Early Life

Thomas Oliver Chaplin was born in Hastings, East Sussex, England. His parents are Sally and David Chaplin. He was born about a month after the brother of his future bandmate, Tim Rice-Oxley. Both brothers were also named Tom. Their mothers became friends, and Tom Chaplin started a friendship with Tim and his brother. This friendship continues to this day.

Chaplin's father was the headmaster of Vinehall School in Robertsbridge. Tom Chaplin, Tim Rice-Oxley, and Richard Hughes all went to school there. Richard Hughes would later become their bandmate. After Vinehall, Chaplin, Rice-Oxley, and Hughes attended Tonbridge School. There, they met Dominic Scott, who was also a founding member of Keane. He later left the band in 2001.

During his time at Vinehall, Chaplin acted in several school plays. He was also part of the school's singing group. He played the flute while he was at school. Chaplin later went to the University of Edinburgh. However, he left college to focus on his music career.

How Keane Started

In 1995, Dominic Scott, Tim Rice-Oxley, and Richard Hughes formed their first band. They called themselves The Lotus Eaters. This band played cover songs by groups like U2, Oasis, and The Beatles. They performed in pubs around Sussex. Tim Rice-Oxley asked Chaplin to join the band as an acoustic guitar player. A short time later, in 1997, the band's name changed to Keane. Chaplin then became the lead singer.

Tom Chaplin and Keane

Tim Rice-Oxley invited Chaplin to join the band in 1997. He convinced the other two members, and the band's name changed to Cherry Keane. This name came from a friend of Chaplin's mother. Later, the "Cherry" part was removed, and the band became simply Keane.

When they were starting out in London, Chaplin shared a flat with Rice-Oxley. They worked hard to earn money for rehearsal time. Chaplin had a job at a publishing company. His main task there was to carry boxes.

When Dominic Scott was still in the band, he was the lead guitarist. This meant Chaplin played the acoustic guitar. After Scott left in 2001, Chaplin mainly focused on lead vocals. He also plays the organ on some songs during live shows. Sometimes, he plays a special piano sound on tracks from their second album. In November 2004, Chaplin took part in Band Aid 20. He sang a solo line in the re-recording of "Do They Know It's Christmas?". This was special because usually all artists sang together on that part.

Tom Chaplin's Solo Music

Chaplin had mentioned he wanted to make a solo album during Keane's break. In January 2016, he shared that he was recording his first solo album. He was in Los Angeles, California, and had written 40 songs. He chose the best ones for the album. In late June 2016, he announced the album was finished and would be released soon.

The Wave Album

The name of his first solo album, The Wave, was announced on August 10, 2016. On the same day, a song called "Hardened Heart" was released with a music video. On August 26, 2016, "Quicksand" became the first single from the album. Chaplin announced he would play eight small solo shows across the UK in October 2016. These were his first solo concerts in four years.

The Wave was released on October 14, 2016, by Island Records. Four singles came from the album: "Quicksand", "Still Waiting", "Solid Gold", and "See It So Clear". The "Solid Gold" single was a collaboration with the singer JONES. After the album came out, Chaplin announced the Carried by the Wave Tour. This tour had many dates from January to September 2017. He toured in the United States, Canada, Europe, the UK, and Latin America.

Christmas Album and TV Show

On October 13, 2017, Chaplin announced his first solo Christmas album. It was called Twelve Tales of Christmas and was released on November 17, 2017. At the same time, the first song from the album, "Under a Million Lights," was released. The album has eight new songs and four cover songs. These covers include "Walking in the Air", "2000 Miles", "River", and "Stay Another Day". Chaplin also performed three concerts for the album. These shows were in Manchester, Bath, and London in December 2017.

In January 2022, Chaplin appeared on the TV show The Masked Singer in the UK. He was dressed as "Poodle." He was the fifth contestant to be unmasked. After the show, he said in an interview that he was working on his third solo album. He mentioned it would be released later in 2022. In July 2022, he announced that his third album, Midpoint, would be released on September 2, 2022.

Musical Equipment

Chaplin uses a Hammond XK2 organ for some songs like "Hamburg Song." Since May 2006, he has used a Yamaha CP60M for live piano parts. He plays this for songs such as "A Bad Dream" and "Crystal Ball".

He has played acoustic guitar in songs like "Your Eyes Open" since 2006. During 2007, he played acoustic solos of "Broken Toy" and "The Frog Prince." He also played guitar on Keane's third album, Perfect Symmetry. He has been the lead guitarist in live shows for that album. Tom plays three different Fender Telecaster guitars: one red, one white, and one light blue.

Tim Rice-Oxley once said that Chaplin was interested in learning to play the theremin. However, he "couldn't be bothered to learn how to use it." Rice-Oxley also thought the theremin might be the only way to make the "musical saw" sound used in some songs from Perfect Symmetry.

Personal Life

Tom Chaplin married his girlfriend, Natalie Dive, in June 2011. They have a daughter, who was born on March 20, 2014. They also have a son, born in 2020. The family lives in Wittersham, Kent.

Chaplin enjoys playing golf. He is a supporter of the Ipswich Town football team and the England cricket team. He identifies as an agnostic, which means he is not sure if God exists.

Discography

Solo Albums

• The Wave (2016)
• Twelve Tales of Christmas (2017)
• Midpoint (2022)

Albums with Keane

• Hopes and Fears (2004)
• Under the Iron Sea (2006)
• Perfect Symmetry (2008)
• Night Train (2010)
• Strangeland (2012)
• Cause and Effect (2019)

Tours

• Carried By The Wave Tour (2017)
• Twelve Tales of Christmas Tour (2017)
• Midpoint Tour (2022)
• Keane 20 (2024)

See also

In Spanish: Tom Chaplin para niños