Tom dressed personal. Tom Odell: I have fewer fans than Steve Jobs, but I'm still alive

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Tom Odell: Single, Dating, Family & Friends

One of the main favorites of the Sziget festival audience this year is the romantic blonde Tom Odell. At 23, he has been playing concerts for a year in support of his debut album Long Way Down. During this time, Odell acquired the titles of "critics' choice" (Brit Awards) and "songwriter of the year" (Ivor Novello), and recently almost performed as an opening act for The Rolling Stones, but fell ill at the last moment. On the backstage of Sziget, we managed to intercept Tom for a few words.

What was the most delightful piano with the most beautiful soul that you have ever played?

I played Elton John on the piano - that was cool. And once in Amsterdam, I looked into a piano shop where they make their own musical instruments, played a few and they were some of the best pianos I've ever played. Yes, a secret piano shop in Amsterdam.

I grab a book every chance I get, it's especially entertaining when I'm on tour

You often talk about books - your passion for literature is certainly reflected in your songs.

What books would you recommend to young songwriters who want to learn how to turn their songs into full stories?

I don't know, I've read so much this year... The other day I finished reading a novel by Graham Greene, English writer, about which I had not heard before, but I read two books avidly. And now I began HG Wells' History of Mr. Polly. In general, I grab a book at every opportunity, it is especially entertaining during the tour.

One of my favorite books this year is A little prince". That's what I would recommend to those who are starting to write songs.

About which of book characters would you write a song?

Good question, let me think... You know, I'd make up something about this guy from Hunter Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. An interesting character.

I know you're thinking about a second record. Do you already have an idea of ​​what it will be like? Will something change in your work?

I'm already busy with the second album. At the forefront is still a pure song, but with a slightly different feel. More groove. On the first album, the piano was the main thing, on the second album, the main thing will be how I weave the rhythms into the songs.

Thank you. I hope next time we will meet in Ukraine.

Oh, I often read in the papers about what's going on with you. I'm worried. I hope someday I can come and play for you.

C You probably haven't been to Moscow before. Do you have some first place in a new city where you immediately want to go?

I like to just wander around without a goal, randomly discovering sights. I like going to museums too. You can't do without bars, of course, too. In general, in unfamiliar city It's great to just get lost.

You are being compared to Elton John and David Bowie, whom you have always dreamed of being like. What emotions does it evoke in you?

I big fan these guys, they really had a huge impact on me. - an icon for many, for me he is first of all a model of how to write songs for the ages.

S And what you yourself write and perform - is it actual music or timeless?

I try to make my music timeless. That is, it is very important for me that it remains as relevant as it is now, in twenty and fifty years.

WITH David Bowie impossible to imagine without his alter ego - Ziggy Stardust. Have you ever thought about something like this?

Frankly, no, never - I like to be myself and be honest with myself and with my listeners. It is important that the songs that I write sound exactly from my lips, and not from the lips of some fictional, even by me, character. In such reincarnations, the truth, which is important to me, would be lost.

C There is an opinion that the new rock stars are no longer musicians, but programmers, people involved in media and technology. Can you agree with this?

Music is constantly changing, as is everything around. You have to be honest with yourself and move on. But the guys with the guitars didn't go anywhere - Jake Bugg or the guys from the Arctic Monkeys. So it still works. Yes, maybe I have fewer fans than Steve Jobs, but, firstly, I'm still alive, and secondly, the point is not in quantity, but in quality. It is possible that Mozart experienced problems of a similar order in his time.

C You once said that only women are now real rock stars in this sense. Adele was mentioned in this context.

Yes, I once stated this and I do not refuse words. But I only meant that female musicians take over in this musical direction much more risk than men. For which I sympathize with them endlessly.

With Music, you started writing in your early teens, but you didn't tell anyone about it because you didn't think it was cool. At what point did you realize that this is still cool?

It's just that at some point I focused only on music, gave myself to it, and all the barriers that seemed serious for a long time disappeared. Music to this day remains a rather personal thing for me, it's just that the number of people who appreciate what I do has increased.

Since Once upon a time you had to perform in front of Rolling Stones but could not due to illness. Do you regret it?

It was last year, it was very difficult. Tours went one after another, without stops. Health at some point made itself felt. Dreams are dreams - actually standing on the same stage with Jagger and company, I'm a big fan of them - but nothing can be done about a cold and a runny nose, I had to cancel this plan. Perhaps there will still be such an opportunity.

Since now you are recording new album. What are you inspired by?

The desire to do something. Also, I read all the time. This is where I get inspired by reading.

C Then I can't help but ask: does the title of your debut album Long Way Down have something to do with the book of the same name by the English writer Nick Hornby, The Long Way Down?

No connection at all. Pure chance.

You said that you wrote this album under the influence of the most drinking writers of the last century - Kerouac, Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Bukowski. You don't look like an alcoholic yourself. Where does this passion come from?

I'm really not an alcoholic (laughs), I know how to control myself. I just really like these writers. They really moved me.

C These are still exclusively American authors.

Needless to say, American literature of the last century had a huge impact on me. You can't take that away. It's like that. At the same time, this interest is purely cultural, I really like living in London, but I would never dare to move to the States.

What do you know about Russian literature?

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov is not really a Russian novel, is it? The theme of the book is rather ambiguous, but it is written very well. A wonderful novel.

You are filming short films, clips. Is this a hobby for you?

Only did it once. In the future, I would like to try myself in this role again. I like being inside the cinema. Alien cinema I like the most different things, especially those that go beyond the usual framework. Terrence Malick is my hero. David Lynch too. There are many people and many things that resonate with me, but these two stand separately in my inner top.

C The English version of Wikipedia says that your lyrics are inspired by not being able to date someone for more than six months. Do all musicians do this?

I don’t know about everyone, but I really once said so. That was the mood I had then. Now this is no longer relevant. In general, being a musician, relationships are extremely difficult to maintain. First, a lot of time is spent on creativity, then on recording and bringing it to mind, then tours, concerts. Objectively, there is no time left for personal life. But it seems I'm on the mend.

At the age of 18, Odell abandoned plans to attend York University and tried to get a place in music school in Liverpool. When these efforts failed, he moved to Brighton to gain experience in live performances. A year later, he returned to Chichester after being fired from his job as a bartender. Using his grandmother's car, Tom made regular trips to London to play gigs and advertise in music schools. Then he moved to London and started playing in a band Tom and the Tides. However, he later decided to become a solo artist because he didn't want to rely on other people.

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Career

Tom Odell signed with the label In the name of. He was found by the chairman of this label famous singer Lily Allen, who noted that "his energy on stage reminded me of David Bowie". Tom released his debut EP, Songs from Another Love, in October 2012. The debut on television took place in November 2012. Odell was announced as one of 15 nominees Sound of 2013 in January 2013. In the same month, his single "Another Love" was used in an advertisement by the BBC. Odell's music has been used multiple times in Burberry fashion shows. At the Brit Awards - 2013, Tom Odell received the Brits Critics "Choice Award 2013", which is awarded annually to the promising artist of the coming year. The 22-year-old guy not only managed to beat strong competitors, but also became the first male winner in the history of the award. IN different years The Brits Critics' Choice Award went to Adele, Florence + The Machine, Ellie Goulding and Emeli Sande, who, as the previous winner, interviewed him during the February 2013 Brit Awards televised ceremony.

Odell's debut album, Long Way Down, was released on June 24, 2013. In support of the album, the singer went on a big concert tour through the cities of Europe and the USA.

Tom Odell was scheduled to perform as the opening act for The Rolling Stones' concert in London's Hyde Park on July 13, 2013, but the performance did not take place due to health problems.

"Long Way Down"

The plot of the album unfolds in an epic way, from solid and unhurried keyboard accents to euphoric atmospheric canvases with a nervous bass drum. Tom Odell doesn't hide the fact that he grew up on Elton John albums, but his vocal timbre was clearly shaped by a range of influences, from Jeff Buckley and Michael Stipe of R.E.M. to Arcade Fire and Anthony Hegarty. The album's centerpiece is the already-released "Another Love" - ​​a conversation in a universal language that can reconcile young fans of twitchy dance indie with their parents, who grew up on more sedate and melodic pop material. The collection includes as lyric songs about the complexities of love ("Can't Pretend" and "Long Way Down"), as well as dynamic pop songs ("I Know" and "Grow Old With Me"). The composition "Can't Pretend" became one of the soundtracks for the series "Hotel Eleon", and "Heal" became one of the soundtracks for the film "If I Stay".

Wrong Crowd

He released his second full-length album, "Wrong Crowd", not only in digital form and on CDs, but also on vinyl records and even compact cassettes. The most extensive is the signed edition, which contains all options, including a download code, as well as an A2 poster and a unisex t-shirt. The album was released on June 10th. And of course, fans left comments like, "His lyrics always hit me right in the heart" and "Waited for this for so long and it certainly didn't disappoint."

The mentioned edition, like some others, belongs to the deluxe edition: in addition to 11 standard tracks, it contains 4 bonus tracks that have not been released before.

About the video for the song Wrong Crowd

Having fun in a nightclub among the usual crowds for such an institution, Tom Odell sings: “I can’t help it, I don’t know how. / I guess I'll always be pacing around a misguided crowd." Both the song and the video make you think. I would like to note that only in the middle of the clip is the hero surrounded by people, the rest of the time he is alone, at the beginning he remembers his beloved. At the same time, the song is not about love, there are no lines about a girl in it, but there are about mother and brother. All in all, Tom Odell proved once again that pop music can be thoughtful.

Discography

• 2012 - Another Love
• 2013 - Long Way Down
• 2016 - Wrong Crowd
• 2018-Jubilee Road

Notes

1. Tom Odell: "Women are the only rock stars now… I want to be like Adele": The Brit Award-winner is poised for superstardom | mail online
2. Tom Odell Interview Long Way Down Burberry - Celebrity & Music (Glamour.com UK) (indefinite) (unavailable link). Retrieved June 2, 2014. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013.
3. Tom Odell on songwriting since age of 13 | The Sun|Showbiz|SFTW
4. http://cml.sad.ukrd.com/audio/214444.mp3
5. Tom Odell talks music, fame and the Brits - YouTube
6. Tom Odell interview by In:Demand Scotland on SoundCloud - Hear the world’s sounds