He sheepishly admits that the song made him a millionaire (“so I can’t be mad at that girl anymore, right?”), but he’s learned that making money means spending money.
“A million dollars goes away very quickly,” he says. “Once you send 66 people on a tour, with all the gear and all the lights, it’s out the door as fast as you get it.
“Twenty bucks still means the same to me as 20 bucks used to, but the amount that comes in and out is scary to watch sometimes.”
As we speak, he’s rehearsing in Pennsylvania ahead of his first European tour, which includes two nights at Wembley this March.
The stage was just built for the first time and he is very excited to get to know all the ramps and video walls. The music… not so much.
“I wouldn’t say I’m tired of these songs, but we’ve been playing them non-stop for two weeks,” he says. “I can’t wait for people to sing along so I can fall in love with them all over again.”
If you’ve been to a Teddy Swims show, you know what he prefers.
There is countless videos, external as he sobs performs Some Things I’ll Never Know, externala song about abandonment and grief. For the upcoming tour, he will play it on the heels of a tearful new song, Northern Lights, which delves even deeper into the heartache.
He’ll be a mess, but Dimmesdale insists that’s fine.
“Every day I try to cry a little,” he says. “It’s just pain that leaves the body.
“And it’s a constant reminder that no matter what you’re going through, there’s happiness on the other side of it.”
With his bearded and tattooed face, one might not expect such emotional intelligence, but Dimmesdale’s model of courage was not afraid to share his feelings.
“I’m my dad’s son,” he says. “He’s just a sensitive person. He will tell you that he loves you, he will tell you that he is proud of you. Man, I’m still going to sit in his arms while we watch TV on the couch.’
“He is the most beautiful, humble man I have ever met. The second after Jesus Christ.”
So the obvious question is, is dad excited to be a grandpa?
“He does a backflip,” laughs the singer.
“I almost dread having him as a grandpa because I want my kids to think I’m cool too.”
