Since starting his musical journey at 16 years old, singer/songwriter Sam Tompkins’ ascent to success has been nothing short of remarkable.
From humble beginnings busking on the streets of Brighton, to selling out live shows around the world, in just a few short years, Tompkins has amassed a dedicated and enraptured fanbase, cementing his reputation as one Britain’s most innovative, and exciting new recording artists.
Sam Tompkins – Lose It All (Live)
Famous for hits including ‘TO THE MOON’, ‘lose it all’, and ‘time will fly’, and championed by the likes of Rolling Stone UK, GQ, Notion, Clash and British Vogue, through his fearless, heart rendering lyrics, and soul-stirring melodies, Sam continues to cultivate an incredibly safe, and inclusive space for fans and followers to share their love of music, both online and IRL.
A musician who is impossible to categorise or define, simply put, Sam Tompkins is a once in a generation artist.
As anticipation builds in the lead up to the release of his debut album ‘hi, my name is insecure’ later in the year, we caught up with Sam to talk new music, life on the road, finding inspiration and why is late father remains his number one inspiration…
Hi Sam! How are you?
Hey! I’m great thanks, happy to be chatting to you!
You recently wowed audiences across Europe supporting The Kid Laroi on his headline tour – how was life on the road?
I loved being on tour! It never ceases to amaze me how people go out of their way to come and support me. Opening up for Laroi was super special as well. I had a lot of fun, and learnt more and more every night.
How did audiences react to your new material?
Everyone seemed to love the new stuff! I guess ’cause the crowds were mainly Laroi fans, it was nice to see them respond well to my newer stuff. It gives me hope that there is an audience for it.
For anyone who hasn’t been to see you play live yet, what can they expect to see / experience at a Sam Tompkins show?
I guess just a lot of emotion, pure raw feeling, and general honesty… mixed in with a little humour, and I’d hope to think nice vocals too!
Is being on tour as much fun as it looks? Or does the constant travelling ever take a bit of a toll on you?
I actually love tour. it’s a great distraction from every day life and my personal struggles. I couldn’t have asked for more on this tour in particular; I’ve loved it so much! Being around my mates, and just exploring the world is kinda my ideal way of living life – especially all awhile doing the thing I love the most.
‘hi, my name is insecure’ is set to drop later this year! How are you feeling in the run up to its release?
Honestly, I feel nervous. It’s a lot to think about, but I’m feeling pretty excited for everyone to hear it now… I just hope it’s received well.
You’ve said in previous interviews that the albums title speaks to your more introverted side, can you elaborate on what you mean by that?
I really like being in the company of my friends, but if you take me out of my comfort zone, and have me hang out at a party or an event or whatever, I just go inside myself and I find any excuse to get out of it.
With this being your debut LP, and therefore your first real opportunity to showcase exactly who you are as an artist, did you have a clear vision for the type of record you wanted to make?
100%. I wanted to show people I could sing first and foremost. So there is a lot of that. But also… really just wanted people to enjoy my songwriting. I wanted to go down a more pop route at points, but with a little bit of alternative stuff there to keep everyone pretty engaged and pleased. I’m proud of it.
Were there any particular topics / issues you wanted to cover? And sounds you wanted to experiment with?
The album has got a lot to do with insecurities of course. it definitely the overarching theme. I guess when I started writing it though, I thought I would just write about whatever I felt at the time and whatever I felt people would understand.
Your lyrics and the messages in your songs are always so poignant, and reflective of struggles faced by many – how important is it for you as a songwriter to produce tracks that offer some sort of emotional support to listeners?
I think growing up, that’s what I looked for in music, so to be older and be able to do that for others is really special. It’s imperative for sure to try and leave as much emotion and honesty on each song, but I do also think that sometimes it’s nice to make lighthearted stuff too. I find that a bit more difficult, however I’m trying to learn because I’ve definitely learnt as I’ve got older that music has many different uses.
How did your original ideas develop and evolve over time?
The way I write music has, and probably will, always stay the same. It all comes from a thought and it builds out over time and until I’m ready to then start writing it and from then on it’s all down to whatever I’m feeling at the time.
Have you enjoyed the creative process of producing a full body of work as opposed to working on a bunch of stand-alone singles?
I am always making a body of work to be honest. A lot of them haven’t seen the light of day and won’t, but I do generally like there to be a theme with music. I think because my music is so autobiographical, the songs always fit within each other because they’re my story, you know?
What would you say was the biggest challenge you faced throughout the making of the album and how did you overcome it?
I think the hardest bit is getting the mixing and mastering done. That process can be tough. Also, maybe just the choosing the songs. Every song I write, I absolutely love and I had to whittle it down from 170 all the way to 16…. which was difficult!
Now it’s done, and ready to make its way into the world, how do you feel about this collection of songs?
I love them. I will never fall out of love with this project. I’m so proud of it, and so happy I got to work with such amazing people on it. I’m super excited (and nervous) for the world to finally hear what I’ve been doing all this time.
Talk to us about the singles you’ve dropped from the album, why have you chosen to release those particular tracks?
I guess with the singles, I’ve been trying to keep people on their toes. I’ll break it down and say… ‘Lose It All’ is a real love song, ballad. ‘Die For Someone’ is an uptempo that I hope makes people want to move. ‘See Me’ is me at my most honest, and raw. ‘Time Will Fly’ is a track that explains my story… and I’m almost rapping at certain points. ‘Someone Else’ is a song all about heartbreak. ‘Phones In Heaven’ is pretty upbeat, with some power to its meaning. ‘Numb’ is the ultimate car screamer!!!
And how about your new single ‘dead to me’ – what’s that song about?
“‘dead to me’ came at a time when I’d supposedly finished my album. I was actually writing it for another artist entirely but it came out and I just loved it. I have always compared breaking up with someone to grieving in a way. When you have to cut contact with someone, it’s almost as if they’re not with you anymore. As someone who has experienced both sides of the spectrum of it, I feel it’s a lot similar in feeling than people might say. ‘dead to me’ comes from a point of anger; when you’ve finally said “enough is enough, I can’t do this with you anymore. It’s a cycle and I need to break it”. The “I hope you rest in peace, because you’re dead to me” came to me first and then the rest of the song just wrote itself. I think because I wrote it from another person’s perspective, I was a little bit more free with how I presented the song and that’s why it sounds the way it does. It’s one of my favourite songs I’ve ever written because of that. I’m really excited for the world to hear it!”
Did you always know the type of artist you wanted to be?
I still don’t know what artist I wanna be really (laughs). I just want people to feel safe, and heard and understood when they listen to my music. That’s all I want really. I’m not really bothered about how I’m perceived as a person or as an artist. As long as there is that one kid, or adult for that matter, that goes: “yeah i feel this”, it’s all worth it.
Who or what is inspires you the most?
My biggest inspiration right now is my Dad. I lost him in November and a lot of the time when I make a decision or when I write something new, I’m thinking of him.
When you look back on everything you’ve achieved so far, what would you say was the one turning point or moment that helped you to get to where you are now?
I think the turning point was when i was on the phone with my manager at the beginning of 2021, and was lost with the constant evolution of content and I decided I was gonna buy myself a camera and just start making these videos of me in my living room. Those videos changed my life and gave me the platform I have, and am still growing to this day.
‘hi, my name is insecure’ is available to pre-order here.