Ever since his debut with the album Ebeneser in 1998, Tomas Andersson Wij has wanted to tour churches. It was there, in the church room, that it all began for him. As an eight-year-old, he sang his own songs in the Baptist church Ebeneser in Stockholm, of which his parents were members. He learned to love the sound and heightened seriousness of the church room. Churches 2025 will premiere in the Holy Trinity Church in Uppsala on March 14, and the tour will then continue throughout the year.
“I suggested a church tour to the record company right after the first album,” recalls Tomas Andersson Wij. “They said something like, ‘Good idea, but it’ll be even better if you wait a bit, until you’re better known.’ Now I’ve been waiting for 27 years.”
When it finally comes to fruition, TAW will dedicate the entire year of 2025 to the churches. And the timing couldn't be better. On January 13, God is Not the Patch, Tomas Andersson Wij's first book, written on behalf of Archbishop Martin Modéus, will be released.
For 25 years, Tomas Andersson Wij has built his audience through many acclaimed albums and diligent touring. With seriousness and humor, a skilled storytelling technique, melodies that stick and a characteristic voice, his music has found its way into the listeners. TAW is a multiple Grammy nominee, has been awarded all three of the country's Evert Taube scholarships and Bonniers has published his texts in book form.
Many discovered him in the SVT program "Tomas Andersson Wij spelar med" and even more through "Så mycket bättre" in 2017, which resulted in the beloved interpretation of Sven Ingvar's "När solen färjar juninatten". When there was an involuntary break in touring in 2020, he started the acclaimed podcast Hundåren where he talks to fellow artists such as Laleh, Annika Norlin and Peter LeMarc about their periods of adversity.
Tomas Andersson Wij is and remains a strong force on the Swedish music scene, something that is not least reinforced by 15 released albums and several successful collaborations with artists such as Mauro Scocco and Jonathan Johansson.