Getting To Know... Tom Baird

With a string of bright and uplifting releases under his belt already this year, London-based singer and songwriter Tom Baird is now back to his euphoric ways on his latest gem 'Seventh Sea'.

With a sound that looks to take its cues from folk, alternative indie and Americana, 'Seventh Sea' makes for a wonderfully bold and inviting offering. Filled with a rich and textured atmosphere, sweeping guitar licks, and his own humble voice, this new delight spells huge things for this emerging artist in the months ahead.

So with the new single available now, we sat down with him to find out more about his origins and what has inspired him most over the years so far.

-

What was the first instrument you fell in love with?

Definitely the guitar, I think I listened to American Idiot when I was about 7 and that was that. I learnt all the tunes on that album and never really stopped. Singing came a lot later to me, I was in my teens when I started, truthfully it took me till I was about 20 to feel fully comfortable with my voice. I was lucky to have amazing teachers and parents that really encouraged and supported me as I was finding my way.

What has been the most prominent inspiration behind your music so far?

It kind of boils down to the people I’ve met through my life and the experiences I’ve shared and am sharing with them.

What kind of music did you love as a teenager?

LOTS of Foos. I got really into modern indie a little later, Peace and Foals and the like. Then I was about 18 when I got super into hip-hop and neo soul, artists like The Pharcyde, D’Angelo, Badu, Tribe, MF Doom, producers like Madlib and of course Dilla… I think it was To Pimp A Butterfly that got me so invested in researching that history. That period of my life really impacted me at my root, both as a musician and on a personal level.

Can you remember the first song that made you want to pursue a life in music?

Probably Black Gold by Foals. I remember listening to all the layers, wondering how they might have recorded it all at a time when I knew nothing about that process. I’ve just finished studying audio engineering at university and do a lot of work in the recording industry, I think I can chalk it all up to that song and that album. Mojo Pin by Jeff Buckley is my pick for what made me want to take writing and performing seriously.

Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?

I think Adrianne Lenker is my favourite artist right now, Big Thief and her solo stuff. I’ve always loved Ben Howard, his two most recent albums have been incredibly cathartic listening these last few months. Mickey Smith’s project is also really cool, especially the first record. Laura Marling’s new one is incredible. An artist called Puma Blue whose latest release is one of the most stunning things I’ve ever heard. A wonderful French-Canadian artist called Helena Deland. Jeff Buckley, D’Angelo, Joni Mitchell, always and forever getting spun in my house. I keep listening to Black Messiah and finding fresh aspects to the songs every time, even after 5 years. That’s the kind of musician I aspire to be. Lots of the Brian Blade Fellowship, Nick Cave, The Birthday Party, Talk Talk and This Heat. Blink-182 as well.

How many of your songs have you written about people in your life?

Nearly all of them have some reference or inspiration taken from people in my life, from my closest friends to faces of old – no one is safe! I tend to write about experiences – positive, negative, in-between – shared with people in my life, and less songs directly about people.

What has been the most unusual moment in your career so far?

Getting played on BBC 6 Music by Guy Garvey was incredibly surreal to me. Such a lovely man. On the wackier end of the spectrum, I feel like some of the shows I’ve played have been fairly unusual. Me and my old housemates put on a sizeable festival in our kitchen a couple of years ago. 100 people jamming out amongst our plates and cutlery was a sight to behold for sure. Think there’s a picture of a drummer using our can of bisto as a shaker knocking about online. Broomtown 2018 forever x

Outside of music, what is your biggest passion?

Definitely appealing to the base pleasures with this one but I think food. I used to be whack at cooking but a few years ago I got really into it, reading up on all these incredible cultures and watching a lot of Bourdain. Took some trial and error obviously but I can knock up some mean dishes these days. Cooking for or with friends and family is a pretty beautiful thing to me.

If you weren’t a musician, what other path do you think you might have taken?

I thought about studying English and getting into journalism for a long time. I wanted to study Geophysics at one point which lasted about 3 weeks.

And what advice would you give to other musicians looking to start a career in music?

I’m not a guru on this, but from what I’ve learnt, network network network, especially among your local scene. Be sincere about it. Work with and bounce ideas off your friends. Create a positive energy with a group of fellow musos and creatives, you don’t have to brand it as a collective but if it helps and you want that, that’s cool.

-

Tom Baird's new single 'Seventh Sea' is available to stream and download now. Have a listen to it in the player below.