Rachel Dempster
Fresh from supporting Jack Maynard on the London date of his ‘Headlines Tour,’ Drew Thomas has gone on to release his debut single, titled ‘Left Behind.’ The track is packed with emotion and the sheer rawness of his vocals shines through, accompanied by a piano sound, adding even more to the beauty of the track.
With his debut single now released, we had the opportunity to exclusively speak with Drew Thomas about his single ‘Left Behind,’ his future music plans and more. Keep reading to check out our interview!
We spoke with you just after you had won the support slot on Jack Maynard’s recent headline tour. What was it like performing at his London date?
“The show was insane! I‘ve never had such a loving, warm and loud response from my music before, which really blew me away. There was a moment in my second to last song where I taught the crowd the chorus and the reaction was stunning. I won’t forget that moment for a long time to come.” 
Did Jack Maynard give you any advice before your performance?
“Jack is genuinely a really nice guy. I get pretty nervous before shows in general, but he just said how excited he was to see my set and ended up watching from the balcony, which was really cool.”
With regard to the release of your debut single ‘Left Behind,’ how does it feel to have your own original music released?
“I’ve been locked away writing new music for the most part of 2018, so it’s great to have a taster of what I’ve been doing out for the world to hear. So far, the only chance people have really had to hear my music is by coming to a live show, so it’s exciting to see how people are responding to my sound.”
Was it important for you to stick to your roots and have a piano-focused, relatively stripped back track, with the emphasis truly on the music and your voice?
“I feel like with my first release, it was important to show the purest form of what I do. When I play live, it’s just me and the keys, so I thought it’d be best to use that as a starting point for the first music I released.”
What is the meaning behind the track?
“Song-writing has and always will be a cathartic process for me and ‘Left Behind’ is probably one of the most personal songs I’ve ever written. When I first started writing it, I was in a state of desperation from trying to hold on to someone who was slipping away from me. One of the hardest things to do in the world is admit when you’ve messed up or have hurt someone and done them wrong. This song was about that process and how it affected me.”
How long did it take for the track to come together – from the writing process to the recording and production elements?
“I had been playing the song for a few months before I decided it was a potential song to release, so I played it to a few close friends who were really impressed. I toyed around with production ideas, such as adding strings and drums, but it had a much stronger lasting effect, when it was just raw piano and vocals. I ended up recording it at the end of one of my latest studio sessions and it just fell together within minutes.”
Whenever you are song-writing, do you draw on past experiences and use them lyrically?
“Most definitely, yes. I’d say that the majority of the lyrics I write are all reflective of situations I’ve been in or life lessons that I’ve learnt. I’ve always found that the beauty of having a lyrical outlet is that it lets you express feelings that you wouldn’t be able to otherwise and almost come to peace with situations that you can’t change.”
Is there anything in particular that you would like to achieve music-wise?
“This question is tough, because I feel the more I learn about music and the industry I’m in, it changes. However, I can’t wait to release my first album and tour it around the world – if I could go to a different city every night and have each audience singing back the words of the songs I’ve written, then I’d be really blessed.”
Will there be further music released? Will there be additional singles/an EP/a potential album in the works?
“I’m sitting on a few songs that I’m hoping to release over the next few months. I’ve always been quite protective of what I release, because once it’s out there for the world to see, you can’t take it back so until everything’s in place, I don’t want to rush anything.”
Finally, do you have a message for those who support you?
“Just a massive thank you to everyone who’s given me a listen so far and I’m excited to be sharing this journey with fellow music lovers. In a world full of uncertainty, it’s comforting to know that you can put your headphones in or go to a live show and escape everything around you.”
‘Left Behind’ can be bought on iTunes by clicking here. The track can also be streamed on Spotify through the link below and is also available to purchase through other responsible music purchasing outlets.
