Singer Honors Generations Of Gay Activists With Tender New Song

Tom Goss puts an acoustic spin on his song, “More Than Temporary,” in an exclusive video for The Huffington Post.

In the clip, which can be viewed above, the 35-year-old singer-songwriter teamed up with electro-pop artist Vanda for the tender tune, which is a cut on his new album, “What Doesn’t Break.”

Goss, who originally hails from Wisconsin, told HuffPost that he “wanted to pair up with someone that could tap into the sentimentality behind the song, especially stripped and acoustic.”

“I’ve been playing it on tour with a cello, which is such a delicate, emotional and powerful instrument,” he said. “I wanted to find those kinds of qualities in a voice. I believe Vanda brought that.”

Audiences may recognize Goss from his cover of the Dusty Springfield classic, “Son of a Preacher Man.” He reimagined the song as a somber ballad about two gay teens, one of whom happens to be the son of an anti-gay evangelical preacher, who fall in love.

Although “More Than Temporary” doesn’t lyrically reference a same-sex relationship, Goss said the song is just as personal.

“For this song in particular, I’m trying to challenge the way in which we see the generations that have come before us,” he said. “As a gay man, I would have none of the rights that I take for granted had it not been for hundreds of thousands of men and women that came before me. I want to do something to honor those people.”

Citing Dave Matthews, David Gray and Seal as artistic influences, Goss said he “absolutely” feels a responsibly to tackle queer themes in his musical output.

“The entertainment industry, as a whole, has ignored queer themes and stories,” he said. “That’s only now beginning to change. It’s is my responsibility to work to transcend those boundaries, to tell these stories as accurately and authentically as I possibly can.”

Perfectly said, Tom! We’re already looking forward to seeing where this talented performer heads next.