Tea

Téa is a Vancouver-based singer/ pianist/ songwriter who fuses elements of R&B, Soul, and Pop music into her own brand of “City Soul”. Drawing inspiration from artists like Sade, Amy Winehouse, and Remy Shand, Téa has crafted an unmistakable sound that continues to win audiences over. Born in Belgrade, Serbia, Téa started playing piano when she was 7 years old. At the age of 14, after moving with her family to Vancouver, BC, she started writing songs on guitar and piano. Téa went on to receive the A.R.C.T. diploma in piano performance at 18, and a B.A. in music from UBC at age 22. An award-winning songwriter, Téa won 1st place in the R&B/Hip-Hop category of the 2008 International Songwriting Competition (ISC) for her song “Fire & Flame”. The following year she won 2nd place for the song “In a Minute” (co-written with Dane Deviller and Krischan Grohne). The ISC contest accepted almost 15,000 entries from nearly 100 countries around the world. Also in 2009, Téa was selected as one of the top 20 finalists (out of 450+ applicants) in the Peak Performance Project. She was the first artist to be featured on Virgin Radio’s ‘Best of BC’ new artist series, and her song “Fire & Flame” also won 3rd place at Music BC’s Songbird West Songwriting Contest. Téa has worked with producers John Webster, Troy Samson of Hipjoint, Dane Deviller, and mixer Roger Swan. Her collaboration with producer Howard Redekopp resulted in the 2008 debut EP Method to the Madness, which helped her land performances on CTV’s Good Morning Canada, Global Morning News, and Urban Rush. “Fire & Flame”, the EP’s first single, has received airplay on Virgin Radio, The Peak 100.5, CBC 1, Radio 1 in Greece, and Belgrade 202 in Serbia. Since the release of Method to the Madness, Téa and her band have played over 300 shows, including appearances at The Vancouver International Jazz Fest, New Music West, and an opening slot for Robert Randolph and The Family Band at the Commodore Ballroom. She has also toured interior BC and Haida Gwaii.