Tom Speight reveals to Surrey Rocks Magazine everything about his new album, ‘Love & Light’ arriving on August 11th and candidly talks his inspirations, meeting the Beatles, touring with , living with Crohn’s disease and his brave decision to defy “Rock ‘n’ Roll” by revealing he is living with Crohn’s and Colitis .
We salute you Tom. With an achievement musically of over 200 million streams and 1 million monthly listeners he has grabbed the attention of the music industry, and now he has highlighted the 540,000 people in the UK living with Crohns.
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NEW MATERIAL
Tom Speight’s latest album is a powerful exploration of love, loss, and hope, delving deep into his own personal experiences and emotions, with tracks like ‘Let Go’, which was just added to Radio 2’s “New To 2” playlist and has eceived rave reviews in the press.
Tom’s third album marks another milestone in his career, building on the success of his previous two standout albums, which have featured on both the big and small screens, including hit shows like ‘The Voice’, ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, ‘Masterchef’ and ‘Love Island’.
Tom has also been a fixture on UK television, sharing his story and work on ITV News, BBC Breakfast and Sky News. Tom’s music has earned high praise from some of the UK’s most respected publications, including The Telegraph, The Times, and The Metro.
His music has connected with fans across the globe, with his heartfelt performances earning him support slots with the likes of KT Tunstall, James Bay, Stereophonics and Maisie Peters.
This year, Tom will embark on his biggest UK headline tour to date with indie pop band, Embrace.
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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
SR: Can you tell us about your new album ‘Love & Light’ out on August 11th?
Tom: It dives a bit deeper than my previous albums, it’s more about family relationships and grief. Plus lots of love songs – a much bigger scope with much more universal truths.
SR: What’s your favourite track and why?
Tom: I am really proud of ‘Wonderful Wonder’ it’s a timeless track and is all about my sister. She doesn’t even know yet…. so this will be an exciting reveal!
SR: Who are your greatest music inspirations?
Tom: I am a huge fan of Damien Rice, Sufjan Stevens, John Mayer, Dermot Kennedy and Tom Grennan. Having met Paul McCartney of The Beatles (who was both charming and inspiring by the way!) and touring with The Stereophonics I have been so lucky to meet the all time “greats”. It’s always said “never meet your heroes” but I learnt so much from Kelly and The Stereophonics and they lived up to everything I imagined them to be!
SR: What is new about Love & Light?
Tom: I’ve touched on things in this record that I’ve never spoken about before; it’s, without doubt, my most personal to date.
SR: Tell us about the lead single?
Tom: ‘Trick Of The Light’ was one of the quickest songs I’ve ever written. Co-written with Matt Hales we had a burst of inspiration after I came up with the guitar riff. It’s a song about the initial meeting of someone when they seem out of this world… the feeling of, is this person even real? Sonically inspired by War On Drugs & Springsteen with the Synths & Wall of Sound approach. I think it’s going to be a huge live song for me.
SR: You are also an ambassador for Crohn’s & Colitis, what was it like for you finding out you had Crohn’s in 2006?
Tom: It was hard I am not going to lie. But longevity is all that I wanted. And now it’s been 17 years I feel ready to speak out about my story and hopefully inspire others living with the disease.
SR: How has the disease shaped you as a person and an artist?
Tom: I am always optimistic and hopeful. And happy to pass this on.
SR: Was it hard coming out to the public on IBD day this year… obviously bowels and rock & roll don’t normally go hand in hand?
Tom: I really didn’t want it to seem like a “poor me” scenario. I knew in 2006 and waited 17 years to reveal all about my illness as I wanted to live with the disease before I came out as saying “Hey this me” and giving other sufferers the confidence to live their lives in full. I wanted to live it all first and then be completely honest and genuine about how I’ve coped with the disease.
To find out more about Crohn’s & Colitis UK and their services, or for support and advice visit https://crohnsandcolitis.org.uk
TOUR DATES
Fri August 26th – Cottingham Festival
Sat August 27th – Victorious Festivsl
Sat August 12th – Roan Records, Teddington
Wed August 16th – Banquet, Kingston
Thurs August 17th – Sound Knowledge, Marlbough
Thurs Sept 28th – The Hug & Pint, Glasgow
Fri Sept 29th – Deaf Institute, Manchester
Sun Oct 1st– Thekla, Bristol
Fri Oct 06th – Islington Assembly Hall, London
WHAT THE CRITICS SAY
“Speight’s music takes the best elements of folk and pop music and puts them together to create a raw and infectious sound.” – The Telegraph
“Enchanting” – The Times
“Remarkable” – The Independent
“Gorgeous acoustic flecked hymns, trenchant rockers, off-the-cuff folk pieces, Tom Speight can draw his muse anywhere.” – Clash Music
“I wouldn’t change a thing” – Sir Paul McCartney
