The unbelievably talented Drew Thomas is back with his latest EP, titled 'Daybreak,' with an original five tracks. There is always something so endearing about each track that he writes, and this EP is no different. 'Daybreak' conveys the important message of self-love. With tracks such as 'Trying To Be You,' 'Bohemians' and 'Vultures,' the EP makes for a fantastic listen and all of his hard work has certainly paid off. On the whole, 'Daybreak' is an emotive, captivating and truly brilliant collection of tracks.
Here at The Lowdown, we had the opportunity to exclusively speak with Drew Thomas about his new EP, what can be expected from his upcoming live shows, his plans for the rest of this year and more. Keep reading to check out what he had to say!
You have recently released your exceptional new EP, 'Daybreak.' What has it been like for you to have new music released?
"Honestly, it feels so good, but terrifying as well! I'm definitely a perfectionist when it comes to finishing music, so to finally release this EP to the world feels like a big moment. It's my best music to date!"
The EP conveys the crucial message of learning to love yourself. Do you feel it was important to write an EP that penned such an essential message?
"I've spent most of my life comparing what I do to other people. I think it's quite a natural thing to do, but it's always been something that has driven me a bit insane musically. I decided during the writing process of this EP that I really wanted to finally confront that feeling and ended up writing five songs that mean so much to me. I hope people relate to it in the same way."
You derive inspiration from the likes of The Killers, Bon Iver and Radiohead. Do you feel that such artists have had a bearing on this EP to an extent?
"This EP and my live shows have been influenced massively by artists like The Killers and Radiohead. There's always such a timeless feel to songs they write, which I hope is mirrored on 'Daybreak.' I want people to still remember these songs in years to come. I've also started playing a lot more guitar on my recordings, which really brings a new level of energy to my sound."
Do you have a favourite lyric from the EP?
"'Mayflies' is probably my favourite song lyrically. I get serious imposter syndrome when I listen to it because the whole writing process happened so quickly and the lyrics seemed to pour out in about ten minutes. The line in the last verse to me really brings the song to a close: 'I watched as the Mayflies fell to pieces and the summer slowly passed us by.'"
You are also set to headline your first two shows this month. Are you looking forward to getting out on stage and performing?
"I am! I played my first full band show at the end of last year. I never want to play an acoustic set again! It was so fun. The songs on 'Daybreak' only really make sense to be played live with a full band. I've won over a good number of new fans so far!"
For people who are coming to your upcoming live shows, what can they expect?
"I've been working on making the live show a real experience. Seeing as they are my first headline shows, I'll definitely be performing tracks from both EP's. Playing live is literally my favourite thing to do, so I'm going to make sure the shows are as memorable as possible!"
Have you found the writing process for this EP to be different to your other music?
"My first EP ('Early Hours') was my first ever solo release, where I was still finding myself as an artist, so naturally, 'Daybreak' feels like a statement and how I've always wanted the 'Drew Thomas' sound to be. The writing process was so spontaneous and energetic. I remember really going for it in the studio on a few of the tracks and nearly blowing my voice out. I couldn't control the emotion!"
What has the rest of 2022 got planned for you that you can tell us about?
"After the headline shows this month, I'm booking in a few more live dates and hoping to get some more music out as soon as I can. I've been collaborating with a bunch of different artists, so I'm really excited to share what I've created with them. I've decided to be really open and honest about myself as a person and artist this year and try not to get bogged down in things I can't control. I hope this comes across in the future releases!"
Is there anything in particular you would most like to achieve this year?
"I'd love to go on a full UK tour. I feel like it's been such a long time since I've done a long run of shows, so whether it's supporting an artist or in my own right, I'm hoping to travel around the country with my songs at some point before the year is out!"
Finally, do you have a message for all those who support you?
"You're the BEST! Thank you for being part of this journey. I still find it mind-blowing to imagine people putting my songs on and having an emotional connection with them. A supporter got lyrics for 'Running Reds' (a song from my first EP) as a tattoo. It made me feel really emotional to know it meant so much to them. It just shows how powerful music is and how incredible it is at bringing people together!"
Drew Thomas' brand new EP 'Daybreak' is out now and is available to purchase and stream through all major responsible music purchasing and streaming outlets.
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By Rachel Dempster