We had a chat with promising and powerful UK singer-songwriter Drew Thomas
“I write what I live” adorns the Twitter bio of emerging Nottingham singer-songwriter Drew Thomas, and the statement couldn’t ring with more relevance for an artist who often wears his heart on his sleeve on his impactful and memorable tracks.
Thanks to his authentic, DIY rock sound and his personable, engaging writing, the last few years have seen Drew make a place for himself in the UK music scene and build a following for himself. The artist possesses a charisma and an energy that shines through in his sound, weaving intimate stories and narratives within his lyrics.
A perfect example of this lies within his single ‘San Francisco’, a cathartic and powerful release that that explores the feeling of being away from somebody you love. There is a climatic power that permeates the track as it grows and develops into a love-sick anthem as it progresses and develops. The artist has countless tracks like this that articulate his thoughts and feelings in touching and powerful ways, and we had a chat with Drew to find more about his sound and the journey that he has taken to get to now.
Who TF is Drew Thomas?
Hopefully, I’m one of your new favourite artists… but cliches aside, I’m a grit-pop artist from Nottingham, UK and I’ve been making playing music for most of my life. Music is helped me come to terms with my life, my vices, my sexuality, actually pretty much everything, so I hope my music can do that for people too.
How long have you been making music?
I’ve been a solo artist for just under five years but I’ve been a frontman in bands since I was fourteen. If I told my teenage self that I had written hundreds of songs and played shows all over the country, he’d be pretty happy.
Why do you make music?
To me, music is a cathartic relief from any shit going on in my head and any issues I have that I can’t solve. There’s a feeling like no other when you’re in the middle of writing a killer song, playing a show in front of people who are singing along or seeing your music connect with people the other side of the world online. I can’t imagine wanting to do anything else.
What are your biggest influences?
Musically, I always think that my mum had on when I was a kid such as Fleetwood Mac, Trex & Marc Bolan and Blondie seem to influence a lot of how I write songs. I’d say that my friends, relationships and life in general seems to influence me lyrically the most as well.
What would you say has been your best moment so far?
I played my first London headline show in February and the atmosphere was amazing. I have a song called Soho which is all about moving to London and every single person in the room was screaming the words back at me – it was a really magical moment. Shows like that really remind you how far you’ve come.
How would you describe your sound to somebody unfamiliar with it?
Think big soaring choruses, emotional vocals and gritty guitars and hopefully you won’t be too far off. I’ve penned the genre ‘grit-pop’ to try and attempt to sum up my sound!
What’s your dream “I’ve made it” moment?
I went to Glastonbury last week and honestly, I cried at least four times a day because I was so overwhelmed watching sets from artists like Sam Fender, Billie Eilish and Wolf Alice. Even as a punter, there’s something so magical about seeing artists hit that milestone of their careers so I’d definitely say if I was given a slot on one of the big stages there, I’d have to pinch myself for sure.
We love your release ‘San Francisco’, what more can you tell us about it?
San Francisco is about the one that got away and how fucking hard long distance relationships are to even attempt. Most of my songs are based on things that have happened to me or stories I want to share and San Francisco is about that bitterness and hopelessness you feel when you can’t see someone you love. Like a lot of my songs, it was originally written on acoustic and premiered on an instagram live video during lockdown. I’d say my songwriting speciality is writing a big old chorus and San Francisco is no exception.
What else do you have planned for the near future?
I’ve got my first headline tour in September where I’m hitting up London, Newcastle and Nottingham. During the early days of the pandemic, I genuinely thought playing live shows like this wouldn’t happen again so I’m super excited. The venues are pretty small so it should be an energetic and intimate occasion.
And finally, who is your biggest fan right now?
I’m lucky to have a good few supporters that travel around the country to see me play shows, no matter how far away or tiny the venue which I’m so grateful for. My biggest fan however is probably my mum. She’s desperate for me to release an album and get it pressed onto vinyl – let’s just say I’m working on it…
