INTERVIEW: Sonny Tennet

Clocking up over 65 million Spotify streams, performing for the England football team in Germany and enjoying support from the likes of BBC Radio 1’s Future Pop show probably isn’t the usual roster of achievements for many 25 year old lads from South Shields, but Sonny Tennet seems to take it all in his stride.

Sonny is poised to release his debut album, Panorama, this month, and it’s a project that he’s keen to emphasise represents who he is as an artist now, rather than the teenage musician who first burst onto the South Shields gigging scene 10 years ago. “We wanted to make a body of work that represents me now, because a lot of my songs were released when I was 17,” he explains. “As you get older, your taste changes and your influences change. This album represents me as an artist now; it brings out my jokey side in some areas and my deeper side in others.”

Drawing inspiration from a variety of artists and styles, Sonny describes how he admires the versatility of Bruno Mars: “He can go from singing a really jokey song to a deep ballad. I’m not the most serious bloke in the world, so it’s nice to put that in the music as well,” he laughs. Stevie Wonder, Paolo Nutini and contemporary R&B artists like SZA and Cleo Sol also influenced the album’s sound, which can especially be heard in the R&B infused and jazzy ad-lib adorned love song Bury Me Here.

I always want to keep my roots throughout my music and love adding a few little Geordie words in

Growing up in South Shields has had a profound impact on Sonny’s music; the local culture and community spirit are woven into the fabric of his songs: “It’s made me the person I am today. Sick Note is about the drinking culture here, and Howay is about the community and the football club. I always want to keep my roots throughout my music and love adding a few little Geordie words in.” These can be heard in About Your Mother, a playful track obviously inspired by the groovy, soulful music of Bruno Mars, which quickly became one of Tennet’s favourites: “I can’t wait to get on stage and prance about to that song!”

The album takes listeners on a captivating journey through various genres, moods and experiences. Panorama delivers an infectious 90s throwback breakbeat; Live First Love Later offers a powerful self-analysis; Fist Fights captivates the listener with its infectiously catchy bassline and percussion; while Eggshells boasts an R&B beat that invites you to dance. Vanilla evokes the nostalgia of 00s pop, while Umbrella is a melancholic piano ballad. Finally, I Love You So Much serves as a heartfelt love letter to himself, about which he says: ‘‘I just put myself down and down, but we’ve just got to love ourselves every now and then.”

Panorama is a true reflection of his journey from a young musician to a confident, multifaceted artist; Sonny Tennet is ready to share his evolved sound and heartfelt stories with the world. 

Sonny Tennet releases Panorama on 26^th July.