After recently returning with his stunning comeback single 'Anywhere In The World Right Now' earlier this year, Oxford-based artist Tom Seth Johnson is back once again to offer up his euphoric new effort 'Break Over Love'.
Bringing back more of that warm and invigorating indie-rock aesthetic he has developed for himself, 'Break Over Love' makes for a wonderfully uplifting listen. With his rich and shimmering vocal performance layered across a driven production from start to finish, he is continuing to cement himself as one of the more captivating names on the rise with this one.
So with the new single available to stream now, we sat down with him to find out more about his origins and what has been inspiring him most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
There were a few factors that gravitated me towards the acoustic guitar. My dad took up Spanish guitar lessons for a couple of years when I was very young. I used to listen to him practice while I was in bed. After he sort of gave up, his guitar would lay dormant around the house and I would pick it up and make some sort of noise with it. I never played anything that sounded like a tune though. It wasn’t until secondary school in my first year that the guitar once again made an impact on my life. My form room was coincidentally in the music block at school and there would always be out-of-tune guitars lying around all over the place. My form tutor always seemed to be running late so there was always a quick 10 minutes to kill by strumming away on these unloved guitars. I grew more and more attached to them and became more interested in writing little songs and melodies than I did in going outside and playing with my mates. And that’s where it all started.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
So, 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.
What was the first album you remember owning?
So, I remember getting a portable CD player for my 7th birthday. We were on a camping holiday in France and there was a lot of driving through the French countryside. I felt pretty cool sitting in the back listening to the same album over and over again. That album was ‘By The Way’ by The Red Hot Chili Peppers and I genuinely think it flicked a switch in my brain that made me fall in love with rock music and rockstars in general haha. Listening to music through earphones for the first time felt like Anthony Kiedis was singing inside my head. Like a voodoo trance in the back of a rented hatchback, he was calling my name. Plus I knew some of his lyrics were rude and naughty but I was too young to understand them, and the fact I was the only one to hear them made me enjoy it even more.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
This is a really tough question and I do think about the answer a lot. I think I have to ask myself, do I answer a song that I think would fit in my repertoire and be great for me and how I sing? Or say the song that I think is damn near perfect and untouchable? For me, that song would be ‘Always a Woman’ by Billy Joel. I just think that song is pure perfection, I fall in love with it every time I hear it. So much so, that I must restrain myself from hearing it too many times. I almost have to save it for special occasions. I really wish I wrote that song.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
The short answer is no. I don’t have any particular rituals for songwriting. I’m quite a sporadic person in the fact that I’m not too set in my ways. I can never keep to a routine. Creativity comes to me like sets of waves. It can be quiet and flat and fairly boring if you’re trying to surf on a new song. Then all of a sudden, a swell of four or five big ones come along and I’ve gotta be ready on my surfboard to catch as many songs as I can. You’ve got to make the most of your creativity when it’s live and it dies back down again. My only requirement is that I be left alone. I can’t get into my creative flow if someone (who isn’t a musician) is in the room with me. I need that time to reflect on myself and it can sometimes be quite a private moment and it can sometimes be quite difficult to get into that zone so silence is key.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
You know it’s funny that I’ve only just realised that I haven’t been listening to any artists in particular at the moment. I’ve been to some great festivals this summer including Glastonbury and El Dorado and I’ve been really enjoying discovering bands and DJ’s I’ve never heard of before. I’m lucky enough to say that I’ve seen so much live music this year but It hasn’t led me to be infatuated by any particular artists right now. However, I was seriously influenced by Elton John after seeing his performance on the Pyramid stage and I seriously indulged in this fabulous repertoire for a few weeks after. There won’t be anyone quite like Elton ever again.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
If we are talking about bands still touring and kicking about today. It would have to be the Arctic Monkeys. Their influence on British indie rock music has been stapled to our DNA. I would love the opportunity to perform for thousands of AM fans. Opening for Oasis would also be unbelievable, but we are yet to see that reunion. Fingers crossed though….
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
There are so many rewarding parts about being a musician which is why it makes me so happy. For me it’s simple. It’s simply the euphoric feeling of doing something you love because you love it. There are so many occasions I’ll feel this same feeling. It definitely kicks in when playing to a live audience. And it certainly kicks in when I’ve just written a new song I’m digging. Also, when I can see a little bit of progress in my career, I get an overwhelming sense of gratitude which spurs me on to go as far as I can. But mostly, music makes me feel alive, and feeling alive is pretty rewarding.
And what is the most frustrating part?
The most frustrating part is trying to grow an organic audience. Trying to get those fans who don’t know you for Adam to invest in you as an artist and want to hear your music is a real struggle. There are so many loose ways to ‘get your music out there’ but there’s never any guarantee it’s going to work. So, most of the time, for an independent artist it feels like you’re shooting in the dark and wasting time and money. In my opinion, the most efficient way is to have a big influencer within the industry who is pushing you. But unfortunately, these big influencers don’t want to take a chance on you unless someone else does first. I feel like a bullet in a Mexican standoff, just waiting in the chamber for someone to shoot first. Then all hell breaks loose and It's my time to make a big bang!!!
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
“Invest in yourself” …. Don’t be scared to put your savings into your beloved craft. I’ve found that if you do everything on the cheap you may never be satisfied with the results. Give your music the respect it deserves. If you think your song could be a top 40 contender, then don’t go and record it in your mate's bedroom. Stop spending so much money on beer and takeaways and go to a studio with professionals who are there to make your song sound the best it possibly can. Make sure these are people who are passionate about music and not just there because it pays the bills, but because they want the best for you and your song. Then you’ll have an end result you can be proud of. Even if it doesn’t blow up like you hoped it would. You can still listen back to it and feel like it was money well spent.
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Tom Seth Johnson's new single 'Break Over Love' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.