Since bursting onto the music scene last year, Drew Thomas’ solo career continues to hit new heights. Following a support slot on Jack Maynard’s sold-out show at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, he thereafter went on to release single ‘Left Behind.’
Having now released his new single ‘Just Getting By,’ the immensely talented singer and song-writer is proving himself to be an established artist within the music industry.
With his already achieving several major accomplishments in a relatively early stage of his solo career, the future no doubt look incredibly promising for him!
CelebMix had the opportunity to exclusively speak with Drew Thomas about his new single, a stand-out moment in his career so far and much more. Keep reading to check out our interview!
You’ve recently released your new single ‘Just Getting By.’ How does it feel to have the track released?
“I’ve been really excited but also pretty nervous about putting this song out. It’s been a song that has really summed up the past year of my life and I wanted to make sure that when I put it out, it sounded exactly like it does live – raw and powerful. I’m super happy with the outcome!”
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For anyone who hasn’t heard the track, what is it about?
“‘Just Getting By’ was originally written out of a feeling of frustration I had when a former project of mine fell apart. I was really angry that everyone involved could just move on and get on with their lives while I was struggling. There were people working in the music industry that suddenly just started ignoring me and it really sucked at the time. The writing process of this song helped me come to the realisation that at the end of the day, if I wanted to make it with music, I had to fully believe in myself and my own abilities first.”
With regards to the music video for the single, what was that like to film?
“I always love filming music videos because there’s so many ideas that get thrown around in the weeks leading up to the shoot. I had a lot of different ideas beforehand and literally the night before the shoot, I called Herbie (the Director) and told him this new idea which involved him getting the earliest possible train he could to London – which he did! My best friend managed to help me get in contact with someone who was willing to lend us his boat for the morning and then shot the majority of the video inside. I wanted it to have this nostalgic and moody vibe throughout to suit the track, which I think we achieved.”
When it came to the single, from the writing process to the recording and production of the track, was it a lengthy process or was it relatively straightforward?
“Usually, the initial writing process for me is pretty quick. I’ll get the bare bones of the track written on piano or guitar and then work on the lyrics after. I usually then add it to my live set to see how people respond to it in that kind of setting before heading to the studio to record it professionally. I’ve had some really amazing and humbling comments so far, so I hope people really enjoy it.”
CelebMix last spoke with you back in November 2018. Since that time, what have you been up to?
“I’ve been pretty busy behind the scenes writing new music and playing shows around the country. I hit the studio at the start of the year and recorded some of what, I think, are my strongest tracks to date, so hopefully they will see the light of day as well real soon.”
You’ve done a host of live performances – how does it feel being able to perform your music live?
“I think that you can tell how legitimate an artist is by their live shows and how much energy they put into it. I’ve always wanted my live performance to feel like you’re hearing me write each track I’m playing for the first time – as if you are part of something in that moment. Sometimes the best gigs aren’t the ones where there are thousands of people just watching. They’re the ones when a handful of listeners are really engaging with you and enjoying your music for what it is.”
Do you feel that the music you are writing, recording and producing is limited to one specific genre or is it a mixture of different genres?
“I take inspiration from everything, be it different musical genres or situations in life itself, so I think I’d be pretty naïve to class myself as solely one genre and that be it. Some of my music could be described as pretty slow and ballady, whereas I’ve introduced some rockier and folky elements to some of my tracks over the past year, so it’s hard to pin it all down. I used to be really determined to fit my music and artistry into a box, but I think you learn a lot more if you don’t.”
If you were to sum up your music sound in three words, what would they be and why?
“Wow, this is hard! Someone described my music as ‘Morning After Pop,’ which I quite liked, because it was like a soulful reflection of moments you don’t want to forget.”
With regards to your career within the music industry, is there any moment in particular that stands out for you so far?
“Playing Shepherds Bush Empire at the end of last year supporting Jack Maynard was definitely a highlight. It was great because it was almost the confirmation I needed where I said to myself: ‘Drew, you’ve got this! You can do this on your own.’ Also playing Reading & Leeds Festival in a previous project was a massive highlight, which is a festival I’ve been going to since I first started playing music and won’t forget any time soon.”
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Looking ahead to the next couple of months, what lies in store for you?
“I’m jumping in the studio again next month, which is really exciting and I’ll be doing a London headline show in the same week, where I’ll be showcasing a lot of my new tracks. Fingers crossed I’ll be heading on tour around the country properly later this year, which is probably my favourite thing to do in the world. I’m also planning on releasing some more music as well over the summer, which I can’t wait for people to hear.”
Finally, do you have a message for those who support you?
“Thank you, thank you and thank you, of course. I don’t think listeners realise how much streaming a song or sharing new music online really supports artists like me, who don’t have a big label behind them and literally fund or promote everything themselves. The idea that I have ‘fans’ or ‘supporters’ is super humbling because to me it’s really simple – I just love music and I want to make people happy.”
CelebMix would like to take this opportunity to thank Drew Thomas for taking the time to speak with us!
If you haven’t already, you can purchase ‘Just Getting By’ from iTunes by clicking here. The track can be streamed on Spotify through the link below and is also available to purchase and stream through other responsible music purchasing and streaming outlets.