After spending the last few months turning out a wealth of bold and infectious delights, emerging artist Tom Anthony is now looking to cement his vibrant legacy to date with the release of his eagerly-awaited debut album 'Little Morsels'.
Featuring the previously shared gems 'Tearaway', 'Where Shadows Roam', 'Symphony' and 'Don't Mind The Rain', this new ten-track collection makes for an incredibly bold and lively listen. Cultivating more of that driven indie-rock aesthetic he is known for, 'Little Morsels' continues his rise as one of the more impactful names doing the rounds right now.
So with the new album available to stream now, we sat down with him to find out more about his origins and what has been inspiring him most lately.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
Definitely electric guitar. I'd tried piano, violin, and the usual stuff but when I was 11, I got my first electric guitar - a black Yamaha Pacifica that I thought was the coolest thing ever. Straight from the off, I'd play for hours, until my fingers hurt so much that I couldn't play anymore. The guitar was definitely my gateway into music.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
My mum was really into Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, and all the old Motown stuff, so that was the first music I was really aware of. The first records I remember loving that I discovered myself were Oasis and Green Day albums, which led me to dig deeper into their influences and other similar bands. I remember getting deep into The Offspring and Metallica not long after that, and then on a holiday to Australia where we drove up and down the Gold Coast, we had a Beatles mix tape that we listened to over and over again.
What was the first album you remember owning?
The acceptable answer is "What's the Story (Morning Glory)?". The real answer is the soundtrack to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, inspired by the song "Turtle Power" by Partners in Kryme. Next up was "Bat Out of Hell" by Meatloaf.....it got better from there....
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
Probably my favourite song ever is "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" by Bob Dylan - it's so simple, but so beautiful, and has one of my favourite lines in it - "I gave her my heart/But she wanted my soul".
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
The main thing is that every successive part I write has to be interesting enough on its own to hold my attention. Most of my songs start on guitar, so the initial guitar part, whether it's a riff or a chord progression, has to be engaging enough that I can sit and play it for ages. Then I'll build around that.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
I spend a fair bit of time with the classics - Dylan and Bowie in particular are my go-to masters. I love the blues and have been getting deep into that recently, from old stuff like Buddy Guy, SRV, and of course Hendrix's bluesy stuff, up to more recent artists like Eric Gales and Early James. I love listening to Julian Lage play the guitar, I've been revisiting The Smiths lately, and in terms of current artists, I'm a big fan of Yard Act, IDLES and Gorillaz are always interesting. Mostly I'll just stick my Spotify on random though and spin the wheel!
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Radiohead, for sure, mostly because they're the band I'd love to see the most.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
Just the act of making music itself. I love taking a song from just a chord, a couple of notes, or a lyrical idea and turning it into something complete that hangs together. I like the recording process too - and of course, it's great when people like your work. I really love playing live too - still nothing like being out there in front of a crowd who are loving the show.
And what is the most frustrating part?
I think social media's a huge help to musicians, but it's a lot of work, and putting all that time into something that not very many people at all even get to see feels like shouting into the void much of the time.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
I read Rick Rubin's book, The Creative Act when it came out recently, and he said something in there that really stuck with me - I'm paraphrasing, but it was something like, there's a difference between art and commerce, and there's nothing wrong with either - but you should know which one you're engaging in. As soon as you put pressure on music, or any other kind of art, to make money and support you, it becomes a different thing. You have no control over whether the work you do is popular - your job as an artist is just to make it as good as you possibly can, in your opinion. If other people agree, all the better!
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Tom Anthony's debut album 'Little Morsels' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.