Good afternoon everyone and welcome to the first Tunes For Tuesday – the same as Music Monday but on a Tuesday as I seem to find it hard to post on Mondays…
Today I’m featuring the lovely Tom Didsbury and his fantastic EP Broken Minds. I first found Tom on Twitch, first as a friendly person in another music streamers chat and then as as streamer when he decided to start streaming. Tom has an absolutely amazing voice which always blows me away. He streams on a Sunday morning and I always love the chill vibes that help me wake up. He plays some of his amazing originals, some chill indie tunes (with the exception of a black eyed pea song that snuck into the list) and, as he’s a huge Disney fan, a lot of Disney songs that my daughter loves dancing along too.
Tom was kind enough to answer some questions for me which you can read below.
You can follow Tom on twitch or social media by clicking on the links below.
How To Listen:
Tom’s music is only available to listen to on SoundCloud at the moment though he is hoping to get his music in other platforms soon. Sound is a free app and works like Spotify in that you can make a library featuring songs and artists that you like. It is also available via computer using their website.
If you would like to listen to Tom on SoundCloud I have included a link below.
Interview:
Tell us a little about yourself?
Hello! My name is Tom, I’m 28 and I am sat here in my pyjamas listening to yet another film soundtrack, and that pretty much sums me up! I am new to the Twitchosphere, starting my streaming journey in March (after a very successful charity stream in January), and am beyond grateful to the friends I’ve made along the way. I graduated university in 2014 gaining Honours in Music Composition and Technology, which I then put straight to use as a manager of a well known coffee chain in the UK… Music always been a pipe dream for me, and one that I have pushed to the background for fear of failure, with every excuse under the sun for not pursuing something even as a part-time venture. After my Dad died in early 2020, I realised I had used one too many excuses in my life and that I could not wait any longer to get back to writing and performing music. My Dad was a lover of all things music and my biggest fan. So the Twitch streams are for him, and I know he’d be as equally proud as I am of myself for taking this step and I can’t wait to see what the future holds!
What first got you into music?
I had piano lessons from a very early age, and there was always music playing in the house. One of my most vivid memories is coming downstairs on a Saturday morning to the theme tune of ‘Sound of the 60s’. I was lucky enough to have passionate teachers at school who showed me how to play, write and enjoy music to the fullest.
Who inspired you to make music?
I remember discovering City & Colour in the late 00s which pushed me to beg my parents for an acoustic guitar. I had always played piano, but I had never composed until discovering Dallas’ music. When I received an acoustic guitar for my birthday (must have been 15/16 years old I think), I began to play in different tunings and seeing what interesting chords I could come up with. Fast forward a few years to university, and I was lost in Bon Iver, Bon Iver which shaped my musical creativity and lead me to my EP: ‘Ethereal Man’ in 2014.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
A mix of Radiohead and Bon Iver, an attempt to ignore the norms of rhyming couplets, bridges, choruses, etc.
What is your creative process like?
It probably sounds daft, but if I sit at the piano/guitar and a song doesn’t come to me within 5 minutes then I stop and come back another time. Almost all of my songs have been written in one sitting and within a short time-frame – an equal measure of luck and laziness haha!
Who would you most like to collaborate with?
How long have you got? Justin Vernon/Thom Yorke, either or and I’d probably be too incapacitated to create anything!
If you could go open a show for any artist who would it be?
Any – just the opportunity to play live and be given a chance would be more than enough!
What is one message you would give to your fans?
I don’t think I’ll ever get used to having “fans” – crikey! I would say: thank you for helping me re-discover my enjoyment for playing/writing music, I wouldn’t be doing it without any of you.
What is the most useless talent you have?
Being able to name 99% of the flags of the world? That or being able to recite The School of Rock front to back.
Do you sing in the shower? What songs?
Not as often as you might think! But when I do, it’s *always* Disney.
What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?
I’d still be doing my actual career of being a financial analyst haha – got to pay the bills!
Where have you performed? What are your favourite and least favourite venues? Do you have any upcoming shows?
I haven’t performed in many places unfortunately, mostly open mics and weddings. But my claim to fame is that back in 2012 I supported Rudimental at Chester University’s summer ball, the night that ‘Feel the Love’ went to #1! Attending gigs, however, I’ve been privileged enough to visit many, many venues. Top of the list is MK Bowl – I’ve seen both Kings of Leon and The Prodigy (I know, tad different) as the sun sets and into the night, what an incredible place. That and Blackpool Opera House for Bon Iver – the sound of that hall was beyond anything I’ve ever experienced. Worst venue has to be The Met Lounge in Peterborough watching The View and Iglu & Hartly (throwback). Sweaty, noisy, sticky – I think I was born a grumpy old man!
No upcoming shows, no, but I am available for gigs and weddings so please consider me if you or someone you know is getting married!
How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?
A huge question – the internet has allowed artists from all of the world to have their music heard, shared, and loved far more easily than we could have dreamed 20 years ago. We can write and produce tracks from our bed and have them on Spotify the same day. So in terms of releasing music, fantastic.
That being said, in terms of artists making a living, well we could be here all day. The current model of music subscription services is unsustainable. Artists cannot keep making 0.00004p per stream, because if they do, gig prices go up, audiences are priced out of gigs, less likely to stream the music, and we go round and around. The % artists get in 2021 is criminal and there needs to be a bigger drive on actually purchasing artists’ music (remember CDs/LPs?), and we have the internet to blame for that.
What is your favourite song to perform?
Anything Disney – I have so much fun doing them!
Which famous musicians do you admire?
Bon Iver, my favourite artist. Radiohead for pushing boundaries and ignoring the status quo. Queen for being the greatest band to have ever lived (don’t challenge me on this). Hans Zimmer for being kick ass!
What is the most trouble you’ve ever
I have never been in trouble, I would never do anything I’m not supposed to…
Thanks so much for answering my questions Tom!
Music Monday Playlist:
You can now listen to all previously featured artists on a special playlist I’ve created on Spotify.
Thanks for reading and happy listening!
Over The Rainbow Blog 