We sat down for a chat with Tom A. Smith the day after his electric performance at Truck Festival 2026.
Sunderland through and through, Tom A. Smith performed his first gig age eight and played at Glastonbury before he got to secondary school. He has supported a wide range of famous bands but is increasingly forging his own path and touring widely as a headline artist.
Reading Indie Life: Do you feel like a newcomer to the music scene, or do you feel like a veteran?
Tom: It’s odd because in the last sort of twelve months it has felt like there’s been a new lease of life. It feels like you sort of start again in a sense, but I don’t know. I’ve been doing this for so, so long that it feels like I have become a little bit of a veteran in it now. Every single festival I’ve played like five times. And every single venue around the country, all these great rooms, you know, we’ve been very fortunate to play in. And I’ve released a lot of music over the last sort of six years. And yeah, I feel like I’ve got to a stage where I could call myself relatively a veteran now. I wouldn’t go that far because you look at bands like Lottery Winners and how long they put into it to get to where they are and other artists too. But I’ve been going since I was about 12-year-old. It’s been about a decade. So, I think I can say I’m a veteran now.
You had some quite extraordinary opportunities at a young age. How did all that come about?
The big thing for me was social media, when I was like twelve, thirteen and that Facebook was the thing that was really driving it for me. And I’d just post covers on there and bands like Catfish And The Bottle Men, James Bay, would see it, Blossoms as well and like Shed Seven too. I think as an artist now if I saw a twelve-year-old do a cover of one of my songs, especially if I wasn’t used to people doing covers of my music, I would be so excited by it as well. I think it would be great. So, I think a lot of that came from that sort of stuff. But it was just such amazing opportunities to get at that age and put us in such good stead early on and gave us a real taste for how on earth you do this. Being around these sort of artists and seeing them go from – watching James Bay play to five people to, you know, within twelve months, having one of the biggest songs in the world. It gave us such a good idea very early on about how you go about it, you know seeing how like the nice people in the scene, it seems to work best for them and how these artists were around me and I just learned so much.
You’re a real performer on stage. Is the on-stage Tom A. Smith how you normally are? Is it an exaggerated version of yourself or is it a kind of stage armour you put on?
Yeah, well, to an extent, I think it is a more excessive version of myself. It’s all still there, but nobody is ever overly that confident in public or in person. And you’ve got to have an element of acting and persona on stage. But I do just think it’s like an amplified version of me. I still am at home writing the songs on my own and creating all that on my own. So, in a sense, in my most private space, that is what it’s like when I’m creating. And it is the most expressive version of that. And for me, it’s just been amazing seeing, ’cause it’s quite scary to go from that sort of jump. And for me, every time I go on stage, it’s about pushing the boundary just a little bit each time, to make it more exciting for me really, but pushing that and pushing that. And I think that’s how you work out what works for you. And people like to see something that makes them remember a set, remember a moment. And trying to have as many of them moments in the set as possible. I mean, it was really difficult for me to ditch the guitar. You know, I’ve been playing guitar since I were about 8-year-old. And, you know, ditching that and working more and being a frontman and engaging people a bit more directly was fun, but also really strange and like a big jump. But I wanted to make it feel like it was doing something different. And not like there’s no front men who don’t have guitars, but as in, you know, trying to work out my own little way of putting my music across.
Over the last few EPs, it feels like you’ve tried out a range of different styles. Do you have a better idea about your musical identity at this point?
I think so, yeah. I mean there was quite a few years where everything I was releasing really was to the extreme of different every single time. And, some people would like one thing and then not be as sure on another thing and that’s fine. It never really felt like it had much identity or had much cohesion, what it was doing. And I think the last two EPs, even though you still you have your softer moments, I think within the sonic sometimes there is a bit more cohesion within it whilst it’s also, you know, touching different subjects and also different types of vocal delivery and different types of performance within the song. And I think, yeah, for me, I listen to so many different types of music. Big bands for me are like Talking Heads, LCD Sound System, but also Springsteen and Springsteen’s early records too. And I try and just put across as much of my version of what I listen to into what I create. And for me, I just want to make music that I enjoy making. And that’s like the most important thing first and foremost. And then if I can get anything and people connect, I do think more people connect with it from that. But no, for me, it’s just about making what I want to make and trying to have a little bit more identity within what I’m doing. So when you hear, see something, you can go, all right, that feels like Tom A. Smith.
The Put On a Record Tommy EP felt like a big stride forward. How pleased were you with how it came out?
Yeah, really pleased. It was actually quite a quick process. I mean, the whole thing took about two months to actually write. I wrote a lot of songs in that period. Probably about sixty songs for the EP. It tells a story within it and you feel the EP moving and how, you know, my ideas sort of mature throughout it and yeah, I’m so proud of that EP. I love the first EP that I put out with Fiction Records in September last year, but this one just feels like it really, within it and throughout it, knows what it’s actually trying to say and it’s super direct. I think it’s my most proud piece of work, especially ‘Put On A Record Tommy,’ working with Rowetta on that track was so much fun. I’d written the song and there was just something missing. I mean, I was doing the backing vocals in it, but it felt quite strange hearing myself refer to myself as Tommy in third person over and over again. And no one has ever called me Tommy at any stage of my entire life. So, I don’t really know where that came from. And I felt like I needed somebody else to say it. And I’d met her not too long before then. And she was so enthusiastic about what I was doing. So I forwarded it, obviously she’s a legend. And within about a day, she’d sent me fifteen vocal stems and they were all incredible, so much energy and within about two and a half hours, I’d mixed it. I was so, so pleased with it. But that whole EP throughout, you know, there’s tracks at the end, like ‘The Band,’ which for me is far more of a step out of the comfort zone in terms of songwriting – it’s so, so personal and so you know for me it’s just it sums up the EP so well and putting out a six minute track is always so much fun to do. I’m just so pleased with not just how the recordings gone but also the response as well.
It feels like Rowetta is quite a big cheerleader for you.
It’s like there’s absolutely zero pressure for her to come and do anything. Her doing just one show with us was amazing. But she’s so supportive and so wonderful. She shares everything I do all the time. And to have someone that legendary in your corner is amazing. She’s just got so many amazing stories as well. Sitting and talking to her it’s just so entertaining. No, she just does, she just brings the whole live performance to a new level and a new life when she comes and joins us. And it’s just so fun to have her around. No, we absolutely love it. She’s great.
You said you did about sixty tracks and whittled them down. Are some of those other ones likely to come out in a different form down the line or will go back to the drawing board?
Yeah, well, you never know. You know, as I said, there’s a lot of stuff written for that EP and would be a shame if you know some of them that were very close didn’t get released. So there might be something in the near future surrounding that really (Tom is clearly referring to the Deluxe Version of Put On a Record Tommy that came out on the 12th of August with three extra tracks). But for me at first it was about making sure I got the story across really well with the tracks. It wasn’t necessarily what I thought were the individual best songs, which is something that, you know, I’ve sort of changed my mindset with over the last couple of years. It’s not about picking all the best songs for me. It was about picking something that felt a bit more cohesive and had a bit more direction about it. And yeah, there’s a few tracks that definitely should be seen in the light of day and will be at some point as well because I mean, most songs, I’m sure any songwriter will say 99% of songs that they write will never see the light of day and will never come out from its little cupboard that it’s in. But that’s fine. Someone once said to me when I was very young, you can write five songs and one of them be really good. Or you can write one hundred songs and five of them might be really good. And that’s much better than having just one. I know you’ve got to write one hundred songs to do that, but eventually that ratio starts to grow when you start to feel comfortable with what you’re writing and what works, and you very quickly learn whether something’s going to be good or not quite early on.
So is it likely to be another EP again next time?
Well, I know what the next few things are. You know, it’s funny with EPs. I think I like where we are at the minute in terms of what this EP is. And potentially there will be some more releases, but maybe an EP, a sort of EP in a sense, and maybe not as extreme as an EP, but an addition. But we’ll see down the line what comes with that. But the next, however, like the next 8, about 12 months, of music is sorted and ready and planned out, which is exciting. And we will see, I might write some more songs and then change my mind to what I want to put out. But that’s all part of it. And but as long as for me, I know that there is an idea about what’s going on and there’s a plan, because I don’t like not knowing what’s going on. I need to have full control all the time of what’s going on around me. But, you know, I’m always writing, so things change very quickly.
What level of control freak are you in the preciseness of everything?
Well, I produce everything myself, and I think that does give you a level of, you know, knowing exactly what every part of every song needs to be doing all the time. But I’ve loved working with people and getting their ideas and the band are fantastic and they always bring the tracks a new life and we play them live and that inspires so many different things. Yeah, I’m always open to ideas and I’ve been able to work with some fantastic people, when creating music, the likes of Barry Hyde from Future Heads who I’ve grown up with, playing guitar with, getting music lessons off. He’s often been quite involved in some of the recording processes and the arrangement processes. And I like to, if I am working with someone, build that relationship first where we can argue pretty much.
So yesterday you were at Truck Festival. How did the show go?
Amazing. It was incredible. We really didn’t know what to expect. We had the clash from hell, I would call it, of Keo and West Side Cowboy. So if you’re an indie boy, that is the most terrifying choice to ever make. But, you know, it’s, I think with those sort of things… then it’s not down to you. It’s just whatever happens with the day happens. And we got there and we were obviously excited. It’s such a great festival and the tent just packed out. Didn’t really expect it at all. I could see the other two stages and they were pretty busy too. The energy was all there. And it felt like one of those gigs where, you know, people were so excited to be there and like, It just felt like such a big moment and a big set. And we did Fulford Arms in York the night beforehand as a sort of warm up gig for it in a sense. And it was in a pub and I’ve never known a warmer gig in me life. So when you can see how warm the room is, like this mist above everybody, and everyone was just instantly soaked through. But I ended up playing for an hour and a half in the pub. It was like the most like lethal climate I’ve ever played a gig in. But I don’t know, the vibe of it was incredible and it had us so ready for Truck Festival, even though we were so unsure what the turnout was going to be. But it was amazing that the energy was there. We got to play some new music as well, which is great. And the response was fantastic.
So you’ve done a headline tour recently, you’ve done some support slots, you’ve done quite a few festivals. What have been the most memorable standout gigs you’ve done this year?
I mean, the big one for me was going over to the States. That was incredible. Going to South By Southwest in March time was amazing as we started rolling out the singles for the last EP. I didn’t really know what to expect at all going over there. And I only packed suits for some reason, not really thinking the fact that I’m literally in Texas and it was like thirty-five degrees every day. And the only thing I’d packed were full suits. But it was great because everyone was just knocking about being the best version of themselves.And it was just amazing, such an experience. And you could feel the buzz throughout the week while we were there, what we were doing. And every single gig we did was just absolutely packed out. And it was such a buzz. We’ve had some amazing things come off the back of it. That was incredible. The headline tour was amazing. You know, it’s the first time we’ve been on a run of our own shows for two years. And it was just fantastic, like pretty much everything sold out. All the major cities sold out, you know, 300 cap rooms, which is amazing, sort of the biggest we’ve done. And yeah, it just feels like things are really moving at a really good, exciting pace at the minute. And this summer’s just been, you know, the best summer we’ve had. We’ve done lots and lots of festivals in the past, but sometimes it’s never a guarantee whether people are going to be there or not. And it feels like when I was sort of building the fan base that you can always expect that there’s going to be some people there at the show now. So every gig’s been fantastic. There’s been none that have been not great. And Great Escape Festival was amazing as well in Brighton. They put a notification out on the app saying there’s no point coming over here and trying to get in for Tom’s set because the queue was like longer than the amount of people that are actually in the venue. And what an experience that was as well. But this summer has just been certainly one to remember.
It feels like quite a tough time to be making a living out of music at the moment. Do you worry about it as a long-term career?
Yeah, certainly. I think it’s hard not to, you know. Fortunately for me I’m a songwriter and I write everything in the songs. So there is always another avenue in terms of songwriting that I can go down and production as well if, you know, the performance aspect of it doesn’t work. But for actually making a living being a touring artist, it’s nigh on impossible. Breaking even is a success. If you manage to do that, you know, that’s good. Us as a band, we’re all still quite young, so we’ve still got maybe a couple more years in the tank where we don’t totally have to be fully concerned about it. But of course, it’s a concern. And for me, it’s just about how long can we do this and how long can we sustain it? And that’s, for me, being successful, if you can just keep doing this for as long as possible. But we’ll see. We’re still enjoying it and we’re still trying to make the most out of it. And it’s slowly building and we can tell it’s slowly building, you can feel it is. And I’m sure those moments will come. But no, of course it’s a concern because it’s such a difficult climate, not just in music, but in every other walk of life as well. And this is something that even though we’re very lucky to be in a position to be able to do, it’s still not financially a privileged position to be in. It’s tough and it’s, you have to work really, really hard just to even have a chance of making a living out of it.
So what are the plans for the rest of the year?
There’s plenty more music to come out, which I’m really excited about. I want to get back on the road myself, do my own shows. So I’m working on that at the minute. But yeah, for me, it’s just about keeping the momentum and keeping it going, you know, not slowing down. Not stopping while we have the bit of buzz that we’ve got going on at the moment and just, you know, making the most out of it. Definitely new music and definitely a run of our own shows. Hopefully we can get a support tour announced soon as well, which would be amazing. But yeah, it’s a busy rest of the year.
If you could support any band or artist, who would it be the dream to support?
Well, my answer with this one, it’s always like they never ever have support acts on because their stage setup is so crazy. It’s like I’d love to support David Byrne and Talking Heads. It would be incredible. Also, LCD Sound System as mentioned, but Bruce Springsteen is like my hero. I saw him at the Stadium of Light about two years ago, three-years ago maybe, and it was just incredible. He came on forty minutes late because of the weather – It was like thunderstorms, heavy rain – just to let people get into the venue and he came on and started playing, ‘Waiting on a Sunny Day’ as it was just chucking it down with rain. And he was on for three hours and you could tell how much he loved it and it was such a great, great show. Yeah, Springsteen always would be my dream support even though he plays for like nine hours.
Thank you so much for your time Tom.
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