Indie Pop from Tom A. Smith

Based in Sunderland, Tom A. Smith is an 18 year old singer-songwriter on the rise. Despite his young age, he’s already achieved a great deal so far, having played his first live gig at age eight when supporting the psychedelic rock outfit Detroit Social Club at the renowned Newcastle venue The Cluny.

He played the legendary Glastonbury Festival before he’d even started secondary school and was handpicked by Tim Burgess to play his stage at Kendall Calling, a feat that made Tom the festival’s youngest ever performer. Sharing the stage with local star Sam Fender and Catfish & The Bottlemen, it’s not just his live shows that have earned his plaudits; with his studio releases he’s gained airtime on Radio 1, BBC 6 Music, Absolute Radio, Radio X, and Elton John’s Rocket Man Podcast, being hailed as ‘the next big thing’.

Following the success of his debut single “Wolves” and his first EP titled EP 1 from last year, he’s recently shared the follow up with the new EP 2. Commenting on the new release, Tom shares, “EP2 is a real progression lyrically for me and I’m so pleased with how it’s turned out. All of the tracks I recorded with Larry are true to the original demos I recorded in my bedroom and for good measure we added a home recording of a lovely little acoustic song that’s a favourite of mine. So happy with how it’s turned out.”

Lifted from the new EP comes a highlight track called “Man Overboard”, the perfect showcase of his shimmering indie rock sound and songwriting talents beyond his years. Driven by his powerful vocal leads carrying instantly memorable melodic writing, with “Man Overboard” Tom A. Smith delivers an anthemic indie hit that sees the artist continue to go from strength-to-strength with each new release.

On the new single, he offers, “Man Overboard has without a doubt the best lyrics I’ve ever written. I struggled at the beginning of lockdown and it was songwriting and sending home recordings to my management that kept me focused. The first line summed up my mental health at the time (I put a brave face on it, I put on a front, but even the sharpest tools I have are feeling blunt). From start to finish I’m proud of the lyrics in that song.”

Listen to Man Overboard below