His story is an astonishing one. Tim Pare left his broken long-term relationship and job in Sheffield, England. Selling everything, he moved to Shandong, China to teach English. A year later on the Trans-Siberian Express, somewhere deep in the forests between Vladivostock and Moscow, 60 Russian conscripts from Siberia and Kamchatka got on the train. Tim says, “They were aggressive, sexually-deprived, testosterone-flooded killers and they wanted to be pissed [British term for drunk] all day. They were friendly until they asked us to give them some of our possessions and to buy them vodka.” These were desperate men in need of distraction.

It was then, surrounded by violent, barbaric, drunken Russian conscripts and with a knife to his neck, that Tim began writing what he would later record and title Trans-Siberian Express (T-SE). It may not be as mind-blowing or exciting as its birth would imply but it is very good at what it is, heartfelt, life-experience and emotion filled acoustic pop. Tim Pare’s world weary lyrics are straight from the hip and his warm, rich vocals lend themselves to the heartrending feel of his debut EP Trans-Siberian Express.

Tim is a warm, friendly guy with a unique gentleness to him — that is reflected in his music — and a strong Yorkshire accent. Tim and I recently talked about his experience, about how he became a musician and what was in the cards for him next.

Tell me how you got into music.

My dad used to write songs, well religious musicals, and a bit for the church service. I had to learn two instruments as a kid. I chose the guitar. My parents got me classical lessons but I sucked and started learning a few chords in secret and singing. I always loved singing.

Then my music teacher asked us to write a piano composition - oh, piano was the other - and I spent hours on it and was really proud of it. He ripped it up in class and told me to write another for the next day. I was so angry I thought “Fuck you, you're getting nothing” but intrinsically I'm scared of authority so at the last minute I grabbed this little 3/4 guitar I had and wrote a song really quickly - in about 10 minutes. It was okay, but the girls in class loved it, absolutely loved it and that was me! (laughs)

It always comes back to sex doesn't it? (laughing)

Seems too shallow, whilst wanting to be seen as being deep. (laughs)

Shallow maybe but at least it's honest.

I think that's a thing in my song-writing actually. This is me, warts and all.

Your EP, Trans-Siberian Express, (or is it an album?) is as singer-songwriter, correct?

Yep, that's right. I wanted a “sketch”, if you like a kind of basic introduction to my songs. I'm a big believer that if you can strip a song down to the bare bones then it's a good song. That's where I wanted to start, to show I can write.