Interview: Tommy Tackles Desolate Desperation with "Pyre"

Rising British singer, songwriter and producer Tommy reflects upon his artistic journey so far and the emotion behind “Pyre,” while looking forward to the future.

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Tommy’s hauntingly beautiful voice is utterly captivating, it instantly invokes intrigue. His debut single “Front” encompasses brutally raw emotion, showcasing the British singer, songwriter and producer’s willingness to expose his intimate vulnerabilities in an intoxicatingly fashion. The simplicity of the track allows his contemplative lyricism to shine through and on the track his beautiful voice is perfectly contemplated by enthralling angry guitar melodies.

His following track “Binary Love” built upon the steady foundations he built with his debut track, incorporating lyricism that accurately attempts to portray the bewildering bafflement of losing a firm grip on what it means to be human. While still minimal the track’s instrumentation is completely captivating, while never upstaging Tommy’s delicate yet sublimely textured vocal work.

Hauntingly beautiful and inanely intriguing, Tommy’s first release of 2019 “Pyre” sees the talented singer songwriter delve deeply in the insurmountable task of trying to aid someone who desperately needs your help. Dire desperation, complicated confusion and unavoidable angry all serve as a fundamental part of this astounding track, which serves as Tommy’s best work to date. Atwood Magazine spoke with Tommy about the track’s creative process, his artistic evolution, his ambitions for the future and more!

I would say I’m a melancholic songwriter with moody cinematic production.

Stream: “Pyre” – Tommy

A CONVERSATION WITH TOMMY

Atwood Magazine: You recently released your new track “Pyre,” which reflects on watching people arduously suffer through mental illness and heartbreak. What was the creative process like for that track?

Tommy: My writing process differs for each song I write. I quite often draw a picture that illustrates a story and work from there. Other times I try to look through the eyes of other people. With “Pyre”, I thought about the relentless struggle of trying to help someone you love who can’t be helped, which I later visualised as a journey to the top of a mountain.

For people that aren’t acquainted with your music, how would you describe your sound?

Tommy: I would say I’m a melancholic songwriter with moody cinematic production.

Your music delicately intertwines exposing the harsh reality of mental anguish while meaningfully offering hope and solace. Do you find that to be a difficult balance to achieve?

Tommy: It’s not really a balance I’m trying to achieve. I use songwriting to help me figure out difficult parts of life. The song often starts bleak as I realise the problem. Then through the song I’m working through the problem. By the end of the song I’ve found some peace and can see a little clearer. If that makes sense?!

You released your first single “Front” last year, why did you select that song to be your first release? And how the experience of releasing music for the first time?

Tommy: “Front” is straight to the point. Moody guitars and an angry vocal. It was important to release something without bells and whistles, a little rough around the edges and most importantly truthful to who I am. It felt like Christmas when I released “Front.” The musical adventure had begun!

How do you think you’ve changed and evolved as an artist since releasing “Front”?

Tommy: I have definitely started to think of the bigger picture. Not getting so attached to things which is both a blessing and a curse. I’m excited for people to hear more!

Of all the gigs you’ve played so far, are they any specific memorable ones that stand out?

Tommy: I played as a guest on a friend’s tour a while ago. It was really refreshing to play with familiar faces. It can be quite lonely playing to people you don’t know and then talking about songs which originally stemmed from dark places. It makes me realise how important friends are.

The artwork for your first two singles both featured an expressive, abstract painting of a singular human. For “Pyre,” you’ve used a depiction of a mountain. What’s the meaning behind the change?

Tommy: A portrait was used for “Front” as the song is much more introspective. “Binary Love” is about losing what it means to be human and its abstract nature tries to capture that. I wanted to use bold brushstrokes for “Pyre”, and the form of a mountain was the perfect vessel.

Finally, what does the future hold for you as an artist?

Tommy: I have a number of things in the pipeline. The grand vision is much bigger than just the music. That’s all I am going to say!

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