Tom Goss Rings in the Holidays with New EP “Big Fat Gay Ass Christmas”
A Rollicking Collection of Original Songs that Celebrate
Living Joyfully, Exuberantly, and Authentically Queer
Tom Goss isn’t a fan of Christmas music, but that isn’t stopping him from recording his first holiday album! His new EP, Big Fat Gay Ass Christmas, is Christmas-themed, but with songs like “Santa Slay,” “Put that Ass in Christmass,” “Sassy Santa,” and “Ho Ho Homo,” it’s not a traditional holiday album. “I want people to laugh and smile, then strip down to their undies and dance,” he says. “That’s the Christmas I’m most looking forward to this year!”
Joining Tom on the EP are some of the biggest names in gay hip hop, rock-and-roll and country music: Benjamin Koll, Big Daddy Karsten, Keith Lawrence, de ROCHE and more. “They are all a part of my queer family,” Tom explains. “We may sing in different music genres but we are the same in that we live our lives joyfully, exuberantly, and as authentically as possible!” Tom Goss’s Big Fat Gay Ass Christmas will be available on Apple Music, Spotify and all major digital platforms on November 18.
At first glance, the songs on Big Fat Gay Ass Christmas appear tongue-in-cheek, but those who look deeper will recognize a serious side to the record. “I have spent a lot of my life censoring myself,” Tom laments. “Censoring what I say, what I write, how I dress, what my music sounds like, and so much more. It’s been a constant state of second-guessing, carefully carving out a life that is unoffensive, in hopes that everyone will love me. But that’s not real. With my first holiday EP, I wanted to make something that was big, fun, unapologetic, body positive, and queer as f**k.”
Big Fat Gay Ass Christmas begins with “Santa Slay,” a dance/ballroom track that Tom wrote with Jaake Castro about a Santa who is big, confident, queer and in touch with his feminine side. “This Santa is not only delivering toys, he is throwing it down in bed,” Tom explains. Ned Douglas mixed and mastered the record. Drag queen Roxy Wood is the lead vocalist, Tom sings the chorus, Ryan Satyr provides background vocals and Drake Jensen serves the sexy deep-voiced Santa.
The second track on the EP is “Put that Ass in Christmass,” a song about celebrating Christmas with a booty shake. Big Daddy Karsten raps the first verse and Keith Lawrence raps on verse two. “I’ve been a fan of both guys for years,” Tom reflects. “I just love how aggressively big and queer Karsten is. As soon as I wrote the song, I knew I wanted him on it. As for Keith, we were casually texting and I asked “hey, do you rap?” I sent him the track and he immediately called me, excited. Like me, Keith loves a big boy, so it was wonderful to get giddy about ways we could paint men of size in a positive light.”
Tom Goss wrote “Sassy Santa,” the third track on Big Fat Gay Ass Christmas, with hopes of getting Benjamin Koll on the EP. “I have a huge crush on Benjamin,” Tom confesses. “I love the joy and positivity he brings to the bear community.”
Knowing Benjamin’s affinity for funk and dance runs, Tom worked both sounds into the song’s rough mix that he sent to Benjamin with fingers crossed. To his delight, Benjamin agreed to perform on the record! He added instrumentation, vocals, mixing, and mastering, turning “Sassy Santa” into a slamming retro dance/funk track that Tom loves.
Big Fat Gay Ass Christmas concludes with “Ho Ho Homo,” a beautiful track Tom recorded with his frequent collaborator, de ROCHE. He credits de ROCHE with bringing the song to life with vocals that sound like a group of carolers on the doorstep. “De ROCHE and I have been making music together for over a decade. I want her to be a part of everything I do until the end of time.”
The album’s cover art is by Joseph Fortuno. “Joseph created something so much edgier, cuter, gayer, and more visually stunning than I ever could have imagined,” Tom raves. “It’s the perfect wrapping for this big, fat, gay ass gift of an EP.”
Tom Goss was raised in Kenosha, Wisconsin, a small city on Lake Michigan, between Chicago and Milwaukee. Much of his youth was spent focused on his studies and on wrestling. He didn’t feel much in the way of sexual and emotional desires growing up. In fact, he didn’t go on his first date until he was 22, while in seminary, training to be a Catholic priest.
That was when Tom realized he did have an appetite for sex, only it wasn’t towards women or even the men that society deemed as handsome. His attraction was toward plus-sized men, known as "bears" in the gay community. Many of his biggest pop hits today are odes to the large, furry men he loves.
Visit http://tomgossmusic.com
STEWART TAYLOR RELEASES VISUAL FOR SONG, “MAYBE WE SHOULDN’T TALK”
Stewart Taylor is out now with the visual for “Maybe We Shouldn’t Talk”, his catchy true-to-life pop tune about breaking ties with an ex-lover. Directed by Benjamin Farren and filmed primarily at Vasquez Rocks National Park in California, the video depicts the unraveling of Taylor’s last serious relationship. “It can be extremely difficult to move on from someone you love,” he reflects, “even when you know it’s bad for you. Sometimes the only thing you can do to stop the unhealthy cycles of a toxic relationship is to stop talking altogether.” Stewart Taylor’s "Maybe We Shouldn’t Talk" is being distributed independently and is available on Apple Music, Spotify, and all digital platforms.
“My ex and I argued over anything and everything,” Taylor continues from his LA home. “If there was a boundary that I set, he would cross it every time. I’m not saying he was a bad person. I did things, too, that hurt the relationship. It’s just that we all have our demons. I didn’t respond well to his and he didn’t respond well to mine. Some people simply shouldn’t be together.”
The video for “Maybe We Shouldn’t Talk” reflects on the song’s portrayal of the struggles of a venomous relationship. Taylor made sure to include a game of tug of war to depict the constant push and pull. There are also scenes with the two lovers chasing one another, battling it out and then passionately making up, all in front of a fantastical canyon backdrop. “It was fun to recreate my life through the lens of fantasy,” he says. He admits he took some creative license. “Did my ex and I ever fight and chase each other through a desert? No. But it’s more interesting to recreate our dynamic against that backdrop because it represents how it often felt for me emotionally.”
Jake Dean Taylor plays the role of the ex-boyfriend in “Maybe We Shouldn’t Talk”. Australian Actor Stephen Multari and up and coming pop artist Kelechi also play troubled love interests in the video. Dancers are Kyle McCraw and former Glee cast member RILAN. Julie Vegliante, who has worked with Lady Gaga, choreographed the video. The role of the snake is played by Beau, a real-life sweet and well-behaved python that was provided by the same family of handlers who supplied Britney Spears with the seven-foot python she performed with in her “I’m A Slave 4 U” production at the 2001 VMA’s.
Stewart Taylor is an LA-based singer, songwriter, dancer, and MMG model. He grew up in a small town outside of New York City, performing in local talent shows and Lower East Side clubs. He graduated from Boston’s Berklee College of Music.
He has collaborated with a number of Grammy-nominated songwriters and producers including Charlie Puth, Kara DioGuardi, (P!nk, Katy Perry) and David Pramik (Selena Gomez) and has released multiple singles, notably 2019’s “Mess Your Hair Up,” 2021’s “Cover Boy”, and 2022’s “Maybe We Shouldn’t Talk,” a song Stewart Taylor premiered earlier this summer at California’s first-ever Venice Pride Festival.
“My look, sound, and artistry have changed dramatically since I first started releasing music in 2015,” Stewart Taylor acknowledges. “Back in college, I was heavily inspired by David Bowie and everyone I came across expected me to sing rock music. I love rock, but my heart is in soul and pop, more in the line of early George Michael and Prince. I’ve worked hard to get in touch with the R&B influences I grew up on and I’ve become a better dancer, singer, and songwriter in ways that I never could have imagined a decade ago.”
If there is one thing Stewart Taylor has learned these past few years, it’s the importance of great friends, creativity, and walking away from unhealthy relationships. “I learned the hard way that being half of a destructive duo will never make a person whole,” he says. “Walking away is so much easier said than done, but if I can leave the toxic relationship I was in, I believe anyone can.”
Stewart Taylor’s “Maybe We Shouldn’t Talk” is being distributed independently and is available on Apple Music, Spotify, and all digital platforms. Visit stewarttaylorofficial.com. Follow on IG @imstewarttaylor