English Singer-Songwriter Tom Seth Johnson shares his personal journey in the music industry, from his early beginnings to his recent success as a songwriter and performer with the single "Anywhere in the World Right Now". The interview provides a unique insight into the mind of an artist who is quickly making a name for himself in the music world, and is a must-read for anyone interested in the future of rock music.
Tom Seth Johnson © 2023
We have the pleasure to interview Tom about his music, today on Goathead!
GH: Tom, Welcome to Goathead ! Can you tell us about your early musical influences and how they shaped your sound?
Tom: My pleasure being here! I think my early influences really stemmed from my parents and listening to CD's in the back of the car. My Dad would be playing Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd while my mum would be playing Lou Reed, the Kinks, David Bowie and later we moved to more of the British punk movement. Back In the day when you only had two or three CD's circulating in the glove box of the car, those albums become pretty ingrained in you. I was only about 12 or 13 when I first started to open my ears. This was hugely influential and it felt special to me because I assumed that no one else my age had heard this kind of music, so it gave me a sense of identity. During my teenage years I had already started diving into the electric realms of guitar music during the 60's and the 70's. I have been songwriting since the age of 12 and by 18 my songs were starting to come along. The Beatles and Oasis references were beamingly obvious and probably still are in my songs today now I'm 25. I am still on a massive journey to shaping my sound and I enjoy recognizing the different influences I find during my songwriting process. As an artist, it's always my intention to sound unique and not like anyone else but it's impossible not to find little snippets of something borrowed. I don't usually see that until a while after I've written the song or if someone else mentions it. It can easily be very contrasting artists in the same song. You might find a bit of White Stripes in the verse and some Elton John in the chorus.
GH: How do you approach songwriting? Can you walk us through your creative process?
Tom: For too long I would just sit and wait for a song to arrive in my head. I relied on this method for a while because I never had a reason to write loads of songs, and the ones that came to me, I was pretty happy with. But now that I'm a bit older and very serious about my music, I've really gotta try and activate that creativity. So I call this the 'Striking the match method'. This method consists of me playing from 5-10 different song ideas over and over. When I get bored I move onto the next one. This is because I have a pretty bad attention span, even if it is doing something I love doing. Basically, I'm searching for a spark of inspiration to move these ideas onto the next verse or chorus melody or lyric. Because when you are trying to write a chorus melody to the same song for hours on end, you want to tear your hair out or just give up on the song completely
GH: Your latest single, "Anywhere in the World Right Now," has been receiving a lot of attention. What was the inspiration behind the song, and what do you hope listeners take away from it
Tom: I wrote 'Anywhere In The World Right Now' during Lockdown. I was working a rubbish job packing car parts in a packing factory. So as you can imagine, life wasn't very exciting. When the things you love get taken away from you it's easy to find yourself going a bit crazy. Music is like an addiction I'm not trying to shake off. But when it's not accessible, it's easy to find avenues of torment anywhere you go. And that's how I felt during lockdown. I couldn't really pursue a music career and I couldn't go and visit my new girlfriend. So I felt boxed into this mundane world of packing car parts 9-5 and I went a bit crazy at times. I think the song reflects that and I feel everyone could have related to this song at some point during lockdown. GH: You've been performing and releasing music independently for some time now. Can you talk about the challenges and rewards of being an indie artist in the music industry? Tom: So far, being an indie artist has been a very rewarding experience. I've realised that the more challenges I face head on, the more rewards I get in return. The stereotype for musicians is that we are quite lazy, and I can vouch for that. It has taken me a long time to really push myself and become completely invested into having a career in music. The initial idea of putting in a lot of money I'd worked so hard for into studio time and a music video just for a 3 minute song that might never get heard is a very scary prospect. It has taken a lot of guts and self belief, but I am starting to see why it was all worth it. Because receiving praise and attention for your music as an independent artist reminds me that progress is possible. Plus, I know for certain that it was all my doing. This really motivates me to keep going. GH: What do you have planned for the future? Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations we can expect from you?
Tom: I've got another single ready to go, I am in the process of planning another music video for which I'm very excited about. I'm also planning on getting back in the studio in a few weeks time. I'll be recording my third single of which I'm still undecided of which song to record as I have quite a few good ones to choose from. I also aim to properly set up a full band later this year to really elevate my sets for when I start to hit the festival circuit. GH: How have you evolved as an artist since your first release, and what can fans expect from your music in the future? Tom: I think I've matured as an artist because of my developed professionalism in receiving negative feedback. I also realize how much work I need to do and before that would scare me and feel like too much of a daunting task. But now I'm excited and motivated to keep going and treat it like a job I'm passionate about. Hopefully that will also reflect well on my music as I aim to become a better songwriter. But I've realized to not put too much pressure on myself when it comes to songwriting. Otherwise things get stressful and it really takes the fun out of the music. I love my craft, that's the whole reason I started.
GH: Tom, it was an extreme pleasure to have you here at Goathead
Tom: My pleasure! Rock on!
Make sure to Follow Tom on Instagram and Listen to "Anywhere In The World Right Now", Out Now On All Streaming Platforms
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