Music Q&A:
Tom Walker

What informs your music and songwriting?
I suppose everything. Depending on how I’m feeling it will dictate the theme of the song. Also, what I’m listening to at the time will definitely have an impact on the songs. But really it’s usually this thing I’m feeling inside that I have to get out into some form of song and I just run with it.

How have you evolved as an artist over the years?
Where do I start? I’ve been lucky enough to work and play alongside some people I could’ve only once dreamed of. That definitely has a massive impact even if you don’t realise it at the time. I didn’t even consider myself a singer three years ago and now people tell me how much I’ve affected their lives. I’m super-critical and will always criticise my performance so I’m always looking for ways I can be better. To have a team around me that is as focused as I am is just amazing. I can always rely on my friends as well to tell me the truth. Even if I don’t particularly want to hear at the time it’s for my own good.

What are you up to at the moment artistically?
There’s so many tracks in the pipeline. I suppose it’s no secret that there will be an album coming at some point and a lot of my time both on the road and at home is taken up working on that. I’m also spending a lot of time working on the live show with the crew and band. I always want to step up each performance and try to bring something new to the set, both musically and visually, so we’re constantly bouncing ideas off each other for that.

What’s on your rider?
It’s super boring: water, JD and Coke, beer and cider, honey and lemon, sandwiches, tea and coffee, crisps.

Tell us your most embarrassing or surreal experience.
I embarrass myself all the time so it’s nothing to really talk about. The most surreal thing was the first time a crowd sang my own songs back to me. That feeling is something I’ll never be able to put into words and still overwhelms me now. Knowing something that I wrote at home in my basement or in a studio with my friends has had such an impact on someone’s life makes all the hard work worth it.

What song do you wish you’d written?
Anything by Sting, John Mayer or Dave Grohl.

What’s your worst lyric?
Mine or someone else’s? If it’s mine it would be something from a song that I’ve scrapped at some point. There’s some pretty bad lyrics out there but I’m not willing to name names as I don’t fancy finding myself on one of these lists one day, haha.