Tom Chaplin facts for kids

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

Thomas Oliver Chaplin (born on March 8, 1979) is a talented English musician. He is most famous as the lead singer and a co-founder of the British rock band Keane.

Tom Chaplin's Early Life and School Days

Thomas Oliver Chaplin was born in Hastings, a town in East Sussex, England. His parents are Sally and David Chaplin. Around the same time, his future bandmate Tim Rice-Oxley's brother, also named Tom, was born. Their mothers became good friends. This led to a lasting friendship between Tom Chaplin and the Rice-Oxley brothers.

Tom's father was the headmaster of Vinehall School in Robertsbridge. Tom, Tim Rice-Oxley, and Richard Hughes all went to school there. Later, these three friends attended Tonbridge School. There, they met Dominic Scott, who was also a founding member of Keane. While at Vinehall, Tom Chaplin enjoyed acting in school plays. He was also part of the school's choir and played the flute. After school, Tom went to the University of Edinburgh. However, he left college to focus on his music career.

How Keane Began

In 1995, before Keane, 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 Tom Chaplin to join them as an acoustic guitar player.

In 1997, the band's name changed to Cherry Keane. This name came from a friend of Tom Chaplin's mother. Later, they dropped 'Cherry' and became simply Keane. Tom Chaplin then became the lead singer.

Tom Chaplin's Role in Keane

When Keane was starting out in London, Tom Chaplin shared a flat with Tim Rice-Oxley. They worked hard to earn money for rehearsal time. Tom worked at a publishing company, where he often carried heavy boxes.

At first, Dominic Scott was the lead guitarist. This meant Tom Chaplin played the acoustic guitar. After Scott left the band in 2001, Tom became the main singer. He also sometimes plays the organ during live shows for songs like "Hamburg Song." On their second album, he even played a special distorted piano sound on some tracks.

In 2004, Tom Chaplin was part of Band Aid 20. This was a group of famous musicians who re-recorded the song "Do They Know It's Christmas?" for charity. Tom sang a solo line, "feed the world," which was a new addition to that version of the song.

Tom Chaplin's Solo Music Career

During a break from Keane, Tom Chaplin decided to make his own music. In January 2016, he announced he was recording his first solo album in Los Angeles, California. He had written about 40 songs and chose the best ones for the album. By late June, he shared that the album was finished and would be released soon.

The Wave Album (2016–2017)

Tom Chaplin announced his album would be called The Wave on August 10, 2016. On the same day, he released a song called "Hardened Heart" with a music video. Later, on August 26, "Quicksand" became the first official single from the album.

To celebrate the album, Tom played eight small concerts across the UK in October 2016. These were his first solo shows in four years. The Wave was released on October 14, 2016, by Island Records. Other singles from the album included "Still Waiting" and "Solid Gold." He also released "See It So Clear." After the album came out, Tom announced the "Carried by the Wave Tour." This tour had many dates from January to September 2017. He performed in the United States, Canada, Europe, the UK, and Latin America.

Twelve Tales of Christmas and The Masked Singer (2017–Present)

On October 13, 2017, Tom Chaplin shared exciting news. He had recorded his first solo Christmas album, titled Twelve Tales of Christmas. It was released on November 17, 2017. The first song from this album, "Under a Million Lights," came out at the same time. The album features eight new songs written by Tom. It also includes four classic Christmas cover songs: "Walking in the Air", "2000 Miles", "River", and "Stay Another Day". To support the album, Tom performed three special Christmas concerts in December 2017.

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

Musical Instruments Tom Chaplin Uses

Tom Chaplin uses a Hammond XK2 organ for songs like "Hamburg Song" and "Nothing in My Way." Since 2006, he has used a Yamaha CP60M piano for live performances of songs such as "A Bad Dream" and "Crystal Ball."

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

Tim Rice-Oxley once mentioned in an interview that Tom Chaplin was interested in learning to play the theremin. However, Tom "couldn't be bothered to learn how to use it."

Tom Chaplin's Personal Life

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

Tom Chaplin enjoys playing golf. He is also a big fan of the Ipswich Town football team and the England cricket team. He describes himself as an agnostic, meaning he doesn't claim to know if God exists.

Tom Chaplin's Music Albums

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)

Concert Tours

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