Step into the vibrant world of Tom Webber, where music is a journey through time, emotion, and raw energy. From humble beginnings to chart-topping success, Tom’s musical odyssey has been anything but ordinary. In out interview, we dive deep into his past, present, and future, exploring the influences, collaborations, and creative process that define his unique sound.
ATN: Your musical journey started at a young age, busking in Oxford at just 15. How do you think those early experiences shaped you as a musician and performer?
TW: Busking was a great experience. Singing to an audience that are just going about their days is a clear indication of how well you can capture attention because the majority of people on the street are in a rush or have somewhere to be. When I first went out on the street to play, I wasn’t expecting people to come up to me and take the time to say they like the music, but it happened within the first 15 minutes of playing. Then bit by bit it started happening more and more. And looking back, at 15, that probably played a massive part in building my confidence performing to strangers.
ATN: You’ve mentioned influences ranging from classic artists like The Beatles and Johnny Cash to contemporary ones like Jake Bugg and Paolo Nutini. How do you balance these diverse influences in your music, and how do they contribute to your unique sound?
TW: I love all kinds of music from all different eras, some older, some new. I’ve become more open to listening to different genres than I was when I first started out in music. Originally, 95% of my musical direction was inspired from the 50s/60s. Now, that figure is more like 15% because I’ve picked up much more contemporary influences. I’ll always love and appreciate older music but nowadays I get the same excitement discovering some fresh underground indie band as I had discovering Buddy Holly at 13 years old! And that’s what drives me to keep writing and making music. In the studio I try to throw all of these influences into a melting pot and make a sound which is uniquely me.
ATN: Glastonbury awarded you “Demo of the Year” in 2022, which is a significant achievement. How did that recognition impact your career, and did it influence your approach to music going forward?
TW: Glastonbury was a mega experience. And getting demo of the year was a cherry on-top of what was already a VERY big cake. Playing that show helped contribute toward landing a deal with my publishers, which in turn got me in a room with James Dring & Jack Kaye. We wrote and recorded ‘This Time’ on the first day I met them which is currently the biggest song I’ve released. Looking back I guess you could say Glastonbury was a chain reaction to that.
ATN: In 2023, you participated in the Chris Difford Writing Week hosted by the Buddy Holly Foundation. Can you share some insights or experiences from that week and how it influenced your songwriting process?
TW: The Chris Difford writing week was like nothing I’d seen or been to before in my life – A manor house in the middle of countryside filled with songwriters from all over the world making music together for a week. It felt like a dream. It was really my first time working in a group to write songs and that experience is really valuable to me. Because it meant you couldn’t drop the ball or let the side down for your group. It kept me on my toes, and that’s what excited me so much. Watching the process of how other people work fascinated me and I picked up loads of little tricks and tips to do with the nitty gritty of songwriting which I still use to this day when I’m writing on my own.
ATN: “Keep Calling” explores the theme of moving on from a friendship. What inspired the song, and what message do you hope listeners take away from it?
TW: The track came from a session with James Dring and Jack Kaye. Jack and I were discussing the whole thing of people changing over time and how everyone loses connection with a close mate who they were tight with back in school or whatever. And with the main goal not to write a love song, we took the idea of a friend who won’t stop calling and wrote around that. It’s never been about anyone in particular but its a culmination of different experiences in my past which follow the same road of moving on.
ATN: Your latest single, “Keep Calling,” features a collaboration with Nigel Dick, known for iconic music videos. How did this collaboration come about, and what was it like working with such a legendary figure in the industry?
TW: Working with Nigel Dick was brilliant. The collaboration came about through my management, they have always been very close with Nigel and go back years together. Nigel had heard some of my music and said he really liked the sound and then the ball got rolling from there on really. His creativity and enthusiasm for making music videos is infectious. Hearing his stories of working with iconic acts like Britney Spears, Oasis, Band Aid etc. was an education money can’t buy. The finished end result of what Nigel made is something I’ll always be proud of and grateful for. Nigel IS the BOSS of music videos.
ATN: Can you tell us more about the concept behind the video and how it complements the themes of the song?
TW: The concept of the video follows the main theme of the song, an old friend from way-back-when that keeps calling. I “play” the person who is trying to move on and ignore the phone calls. We shot footage in various parts of the country whilst I was on tour with Tom Meighan in march and I think the surroundings Nigel captured on camera really encapsulate what the whole vibe and feel of the song and sound is. Its got a bit of that rawness to it. And the cold blue tint colour scheme also relates to the song, lyrically – ‘Friends drift apart, and now we’re done’. A cold filter for a lyrically cold song.
ATN: You worked again with writer and producer James Dring and Jack Kaye for “Keep Calling.” How does your creative process evolve when collaborating with other artists, and what do each of them bring to the table?
TW: For me it’s mostly about the vibe in the room when working with other people. Almost all of the time there is a good vibe when collaborating music. But from the moment I met Jack and James the energy was something special. We just had lots of laughs within minutes of meeting and discovered we all shared a lot of the same music taste. And all of that creates excitement and unstoppable drive to create something great in the studio. It was Jack and James who encouraged me to push the limits of my voice and sing in a higher key than I ever did before. I didn’t know I could sing comfortably up there until they urged me to belt out higher vocals.
ATN: What’s on the horizon? Any future music releases?
TW: There’s lots of stuff cooking up at the moment. Definitely more music to be coming and some more gigs over the year.
SAME 3 QUESTIONS WE ALWAYS ASK
ATN: Artist / band that you feel is the most underrated and why?
TW: Most underrated band I can think of is the Nude Party – I discovered them from watching an interview with Alex Turner years ago where he briefly mentioned them in passing. Usually when someone as big as him mentions an act in an interview that band/artist blows up over night because suddenly there is a stampede of fans which go and show love to whoever is mentioned. But Nude Party deserve way more recognition for the music they make. The energy of their self titled album is unmatched and I play it all year round.
ATN: Artist / band that you would like to collaborate with and why?
TW: There’s quite a few. I would love to work with Dan Auerbach from The Black Keys because he produces a great sound at his studio. Super clean and polished but raw and authentic at the same time. And the other is Miles Kane because I love his style of songwriting. His approach is super classy without being cheesy. And he knows how to deliver the right amount of aggression and attack when it’s needed – which is important.
ATN: Artist / band that you would like to tour with and why?
TW: Recently I’ve seen lots of clips from Declan McKenna’s tour and every night he gives it his all and the crowd give it their all too. To experience playing to a crowd as big and passionate as that looks like it would be a lot of fun.
