Polyphia guitarist Tim Henson has stepped out from behind the band to release his first ever solo single, ‘Original Sin’.
I like Tim’s style. You can tell he’s incredibly well put together in his vision, from the music right down to the hoodies in this video (seriously, I need to hunt those down). But before I go off to seek those out, let’s talk about the new music!
What strikes me most about ‘Original Sin’ is how it weaves together so many different sounds, styles and techniques from various cultural and historical backgrounds, yet they all work seamlessly as part of Tim’s continued musical and aesthetic language. The track began life as something digital, built on synth textures and keyboard ideas, but everything clicked into place once Tim translated it to his nylon string guitar. It’s the same instrument that gave us Polyphia‘s enigmatic ‘Playing God’.
Tim describes the track as a waltz that drives forward, something elegant but uncomfortable. He’s playing with contradiction here, and it works. Conceptually, the song explores choice, freedom, temptation and consequence. As he puts it, if you’re forced to do the right thing, it doesn’t mean anything.
The accompanying music video reinforces these themes visually, and there’s a forthcoming clothing brand of the same name on the way. It’s described as a high end, complementary creative extension of the release, which honestly sounds very Tim.
This solo venture marks the first time Henson has produced, mixed and shaped every element of a release entirely on his own. While Polyphia remains a central focus for 2026, ‘Original Sin’ offers a rare, unfiltered look at one of modern guitar’s most innovative minds.
Tim also appeared at the NAMM Show this week, where he unveiled five upcoming guitar prototypes in collaboration with Ibanez, including the new TOD (Tree of Death) line of electric nylon string guitars and the all new TOD100 models coming later this year.
Stream ‘Original Sin’ everywhere now.
