After spending the last few years building and developing their sound, Berlin-based outfit Thom And The Wolves recently returned to deliver their sweet and sweeping self-titled debut album.
Recorded over the course of two years with producer Matteo Pavesi, ‘Thom And The Wolves’ sees the group follow in the footsteps of Elbow and The National with its warm and rising textures. Although originally supposed to coincide with a huge 2020 tour for them, this new release serves as a confident reminder that their time to take on the world is not far off.
So with the new collection available now, we sat down with frontman Thom to find out more about their background, new release, and what they have in store for us in the future.
Words by Chris Bound
Discovered via http://musosoup.com
Chris) Hi, how are you today?
I’m great, thank you. Just enjoying the nature and clear/ fresh air of the countryside, visiting my family. Thanks for inviting me here!
For those that haven’t heard of you yet, how would you best describe your sound, and who have been your biggest influences so far?
I think indie rock is a fitting description. Initially, it started with my brother inspiring me to learn how to play the guitar. Today some of my biggest influences
and musical inspirations are Radiohead, Big Thief, Queens of the Stone Age, and Jeff Tweedy.
And what would you say has been your biggest inspiration in music so far?
Other than being a big music fan myself, I find most of my inspiration while being on the road. Traveling and exploring new places has always been a big passion of mine. It heightens my senses and helps me be present. Other than that, Nature has always been a constant inspiration for me.
You have just released your new self-titled album. Can you tell us how that release came about? Is there a story behind it?
By the time my first album “The Gold In Everything” was out, I already had a handful of new songs, which I was playing solo as a busker. With the momentum the first album gained, my band and I was eager to go back into the studio. It was an exciting process to see in which direction songs that used to just feature me and the guitar, would go. We had an album release tour planned, which was canceled because of Corona. But once things calm down, we’ll be able to celebrate it properly with some shows.
And was there a particular style you were looking for when you wrote it?
As I said, it was interesting to put the songs that I’d been playing solo for a while, into a new context with this record. We got on board with producer Matteo Pavesi, (Alice Phoebe Lou, Kyson) and together formed a vision for the album.
Matteo has a real talent for Radiohead-esque drum-grooves and during our pre-production, I was binging Big Thief’s album “Masterpiece” and some of JJ. Cale’s work, so these two had a big impact on our process.
You also mention it took two years to make it. So was it a collection that kept changing or were you simply taking your time to make it as good as possible?
Well, we weren’t satisfied enough with the way it came out in the first place when we recorded it in Berlin. We decided to re-record everything in our bassist’s studio in Hamburg. From scratch really. So yes, we took a lot of time to make it great. Not to mention that scheduling recording sessions with musicians that play in many, many projects can be quite tricky as well.
The coronavirus outbreak has obviously affected everyone’s plans, but what have you got in store for the rest of the year?
This is a challenging time for many of us. I miss going on tour, connecting with the audience, and recording with my band. At the same time, through many lockdowns, I’ve got a very unique opportunity to focus on my music and exploring new ways of writing and producing my songs. So I have a bunch of new material. People can expect quite a change in style. Can’t wait to share it. I am pretty sure there will be a release in the second half of the year.
And finally, what is the best piece of musical advice you have ever been given?
Believe in what you do. If people tell you, you are a loser, keep going. If people tell you, you suck, keep going. If they think you are an idiot for trying, don’t give up. Never give up. There always will be an audience and people that like what you do.
Ultimately, it’s about giving something to the world.
Music has helped me, as a musician, but also tremendously as a listener, through dark, dark times. It has a power that not many things do.
So keep going.