When I interviewed
Tom A. Smith for NARC earlier this year, he talked about his alter ego, Tommy, the polka dots, the braces, the extreme entertainer who shows up when the suit goes on. Am I Ever Gonna Be A Rockstar, released on the via Fiction Records, is what happens when Tom takes all of that off and takes a long look in the mirror. Funnily enough, turns out what he finds there is just as compelling.
This new single marks an inward turn, a shift away from observational tracks that have defined recent releases, and into territory that’s more personal, more vulnerable and more exposed; confronting expectations, comparisons and self-doubt while somehow keeping the joy of the whole music journey alive and intact. It’s a brave thing to do, but Tom pulls it off without what feels like any effort.
The track kicks in exactly as you’d expect and hope; a great drum beat, meaty deep guitar riffs, gritty electric guitar accents riding on top. Hooky, immediate, infectious from the first bar, then the lyrics start, and that’s where it gets interesting. ‘Triple threat’ and ‘whatever-the-f***-star’ are already living rent-free in my vocabulary, and I suspect they’ll be doing the same for anyone else who hears it. The chorus is a classic Tom A. Smith earworm, the kind that doesn’t ask to come in, just kicks down the door and takes a seat.
It would be easy to read this as a dig at the industry, or a response to the comparisons that have been made with Tom over the past year or so; David Bowie and David Byrne amongst others. These are not small names to have lobbed at you when you’re still relatively early in your career, and the weight of that, the imposter syndrome, the pressure, the disbelief, must be considerable. But, having spoken with Tom at length, I know that’s not what this is. This is something much more honest and interesting; self-deprecating, introspective, a deeply human presentation of a young musician who has the desire to succeed, who feels the doubt that comes with that, and one who is still trying to enjoy the ride along the way.
And typically, this self-reflection isn’t necessarily obvious, but is wrapped up in a sound that makes you want to move rather than sit with your feelings. That juxtaposition, punchy guitar track, fragile interior, is something Tom does amazingly well, with his vocals also carrying that quality he has of sounding older than he is, more weathered and gravelly than the bright, bouncing Tommy persona you see on stage.
What Tom consistently does, and this track is another example of it, is make it okay to carry all of your contradictions at once. Some days you’re the party queen, some days you’re horizontal on the sofa. Some days you love it all and some days it’s genuinely hard. And somehow, in three minutes of this alt-indie rock track, he finds room for all of it and tells you that is absolutely fine; that there’s a version of rockstar that looks exactly like you, even on your worst days.
The headline tour later this year will have just notched itself that little bit higher with this one in the setlist. And added to that, a soon to be released deluxe EP of Put A Record On Tommy incorporating some new tracks (also incredible in their own right), as well as some extended versions of fan faves, is only going to heighten the furore around this incredible artist.
Oh, and Tom, if you’re reading this (which I really hope you are!), there absolutely needs to be merch with this track’s name on it, for which I am first in the queue, no questions asked…
‘Am I Ever Gonna Be A Rockstar’ is out now on Fiction Records. The deluxe edition of ‘Tommy’s Dance Place’ / ‘Put A Record On Tommy’ EP follows on 9th September.
