By Keith Walsh
There’s something exciting going on in Britain, as the up and coming band The Tomicks maneuver into public consciousness in a surprising variety of ways. Headed by drummer/vocalist/fashion entrepreneur Tom Cridland, the band is a creative powerhouse, pulling no punches while taking advantage of their resources to record their upcoming release at Abbey Road studios. In addition, they’ve been getting their name and powerfully infectious brand of music out through a series of gigs around Britain, many under the banner of a protest, #FCK Fast Fashion. As Tom explained, at these shows the band plays from their growing catalog as well as choosing songs from many of the classic rock artists that inspire the band’s sound. I asked Tom about these recent gigs as well as their ongoing UK Tour.
“We’ve been having a blast playing the #FCK Fast Fashion gigs, “he says. “Just setting up on Oxford Street in London and playing is a lot of fun and quite thrilling in itself. We made the wise decision to seek police permission in advance. Both Primark and Topman came outside to tell us to move elsewhere but we were able to brandish our letter from the Met and inform them, politely of course, that we would not be going anywhere. We’ve had some lovely feedback on our performances, including someone saying we were the best street band they’d ever seen!”
In addition to these gigs, which are perfectly suited to a band headed by the man who makes quality clothing under the Tom Cridland brand, the three core members of the band somehow fit a large part of their equipment into one car in their ongoing tour, with plans to visit the U.S. in 2019.
Tom explains: “Between the start of December 2017 and the end of November 2018 we’ll have played 100 gigs. We’re getting to gigs by car – all of our gear fits in Debs’ Ford Focus! This is what we consider to be our apprenticeship. Then, from December 2018, we’ll be travelling the world to play gigs. We’ll be announcing some residencies at hotels and resorts, living in LA for a period, doing a full tour of the US and generally going as far and wide as possible honing our craft!”
Sometime soon the band will be recording album number three at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios in Bath, another interesting choice of recording venues. Tom explains:
“We’ve started writing album three. We’ll be cutting it at Real World, which we simply chose because of its stunning location and its reputation as one of the best facilities here in the UK. We’re travelling a lot less than usual till December this year, so it had to be another UK album. Sunset Sound was chosen because we’ve already made a record at The Village and it is equally well regarded due to the insane amount of amazing records that have been cut there. I can’t even begin to do that list justice, so please just Google Sunset Sound’s recording history!”
Tom promises me that very soon I will hear tracks from The Tomick’s second release. All I know so far is that it’s been recorded at the famed Abbey Road studios and features superstar guitarist Earl Slick, and that the title is tentatively “Jailbound Fool.” I’m super excited to hear it! Seeing that their third record in just a short period of time is being written, I asked Tom what is the secret of the band’s prolific songwriting habit?
“I think Nick and I are, first of all, obsessive music fans and making music is something we need to do,” he explains. “Secondly, I am hugely neurotic, very sensitive and I find writing lyrics very therapeutic. We see our studio recordings as our purpose in life and we want to make art we can look back at and be proud of.”
It’s that combination of passion and personality that makes great records. I asked about any new directions that the band might be taking musically on the new recordings. Tom told me:
“We’re really proud of the first record and the songs we wrote for it. Tunes like “Big Mistake”, “Classic Line” and “Break up Anthem” have been translating really well live and will definitely be part of the set for a long time. That said, ”Jailbound Fool” is a big step up. For a start the songs are more complex, the themes we tackle lyrically more varied, the parts more interesting and the execution better due to us building up a little bit more experience. Earl Slick brought a new, raw edge with his playing. Nick has been on fire, both as a songwriter and of course as a piano player. I’m also incredibly happy with the harmonies Debs and I put together. They, I think, will become the signature part of our sound. “
Stay tuned for more exciting news about The Tomicks and all of your favorite electronic and indie music artists from around the globe!
finis
www.thetomicks.com
www.tomcridland.com
