Full of imagination and vibrant melodies, Cullen's music continuously showcases catchy hooks and his talent for writing music that leaves a lasting impression upon his listener. Since the pandemic I have had the pleasure of featuring Tommy's music on my blog and in this conversation I had the pleasure of catching up with the Dublin-based singer songwriter to discuss their new single 'Good Time' which is set to feature on their debut album.
Hi Tommy, thank you for taking the time to do this interview! Please could you introduce yourself to our readers!
Sure thing, and thank you! My name’s Tommy, I live in Dublin and my favourite thing is making music and writing songs. I’m exactly as tall as I look, and I’m an ok guy once you get to know me.
You’ve just released your new single ‘Good Time’ which is set to feature on your debut album, could you tell
us the inspiration and creative process behind the single?
‘Good Time’ was one of the first songs that let me know it was time to make an album. It seemed to capture how I was feeling in a very direct way, and came together pretty quickly as a piece of writing. I really enjoyed making the track, especially arranging the different guitar parts. That led me to more of a catchy, hook-based place than I was used to, and gave me a lot of confidence as I moved forward with the rest of the album.
Your music is incredibly imaginative and colourful, where do you get your inspiration from when you’re writing
songs?
Thank you very much! The main inspiration point tends to be one initial idea, whether that’s a lyric, melodic fragment, a new chord progression or anything else that seems to resonate deeply. Then it’s a case of exploring that idea until it fleshes itself out, trying to stay out of my own way as much as possible. The better I can preserve that initial impulse, the better and truer the song tends to be in my experience. I have pretty vivid dreams too, so maybe that helps with the imagery.
You are currently doing an incredible immersive album campaign called ‘Glow City’ which includes exciting features, how did you come up with the idea for this album campaign and what can people expect if they sign up?
‘Glow City’ is basically a way for me to share the album on a deeper level than a Spotify stream, or simply saying “the album’s out now, go listen”. Basically, everyone who signs up will get the album delivered to their email inboxes over a week and a half, along with loads of bonus videos, behind-the-scenes stories and live, interactive elements. I think of it almost as the expanded sleeve notes for the record! It’s also the first place I’m sharing the album, so people who sign up will be hearing it a few months before the rest of the world. I wish I could take credit for the idea, but I’ve actually seen a few acts doing this in recent years. I signed up for similar album launches by Basic Printer and the 502s, and thought it was an amazing way to experience those albums and get to know the human beings behind them. Would recommend!
Did you face any significant challenges during the course of creating the album?
Absolutely! I’d never attempted something on this scale before, so it was often hard keeping track of the various elements. We also had to re-record the majority of my lead vocals in a couple of days during a London heatwave, so I was lucky to survive that one.
What would you say is your favourite track from the album and why?
It might seem like a cop out but I’m really happy with all of them! I think people are going to love ‘All I’ve Never Had’ when that comes out as Single Number 2… I’m also very fond of ‘Octopus’, which is Track 4 on the album. That one has quite an intense vulnerability about it, married to some unabashedly strange production that maybe shouldn’t work but very much does in my opinion!
What do you hope your listeners take away from your debut album?
I hope they take only footprints and leave only memories.
And finally, if you could describe your album in three words what would they be?
My very best!
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions!
Thanks a million Keiko, you’re a real one!
Check out Tommy Cullen's new single 'Good Time' in the link above or hear the song in full on my Spotify Featured Artists Playlist (link in bio). You can sign up for early access to Tommy's debut album in the link below and make sure to follow him on Instagram, Spotify and YouTube.
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