Dublin indie songwriter Tommy Cullen has released his new single, All I've Never Had, the second song lifted from his upcoming debut album, Enjoy the Glow. We asked him the BIG questions . . .
Tommy began his music career with alternative rock band The False and the Fair, who eventually broke up after a six-year run on Dublin’s underground scene.
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Starting over again as a solo artist, Tommy threw himself into home recording and created an eclectic series of indie singles, which took flight on a seven-date tour of Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, a live acoustic EP, hometown shows, numerous live streams and an informal residency busking in Dun Laoghaire.
To celebrate the release of All I’ve Never Had, Tommy will be debuting his new live band at the Next Big Thing Festival in the Workmans Club, Dublin on 25 January. Tickets are available via Eventbrite.
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
I used to front an alternative rock/psychedelic band called The False and the Fair, who were semi-legendary among a small percentage of people from Bray. We occasionally performed in monkey masks, and released an EP called The Space in Between. You can hear the guys backing me on my track New Love.
I’ve got a bo staff under my bed, a six-foot wooden pole from when I trained in Karate as a teenager. It’s a funny weapon to have for home security, but I don’t own a baseball bat or anything so I have to make do.
I love cooking, but I can’t hold a conversation while I’m doing it. I’m the same when I drive, a pretty poor multitasker all round. I also don’t have the patience to cook things that take more than 90 minutes or so. 30 minutes to an hour is the sweet spot for me.
How would you describe your music?
Eclectic indie tunes that tug at your heartstrings from around the corner. My music has a bit of a slacker vibe, with lyrics and vocal melodies front and centre. It probably counts as bedroom pop since I produce it at home using drum machines and MIDI and whatnot. I grew up listening to a wide variety of things, so for example my new album has some singer-songwriter type tracks, LinnDrum and 808 grooves, lots of warm guitar sounds and even some Ennio Morricone-inspired wailing. You’d love it!
Who are your musical inspirations?
When I fell in love with music, I was all about Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone and Pink Floyd. They were all godlike and untouchable in my mind, but Clarence Greenwood aka Citizen Cope was the guy who made me feel like maybe I could do it myself. Over the past few years, I’ve gotten big into Michael Kiwanuka, FKA Twigs and Laura Mvula, each of whom has made at least one album I’d put up there with the best of the best. Must be something in that there English water.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
I think it was Glen Campbell in Vicar Street. We went for my Dad's 50th birthday, so I would've been 15 or so. I was mightily impressed by his shredding, had the guitar up behind his head and everything. Proper showboating, and this was a guy in his seventies with Alzheimer’s reading his lyrics from an autocue. I’d call that an amazing introduction to live music. Someone in the audience shouted that Glen was the greatest country singer of all time, and he yelled back "Well, nobody told ME!"
What was the first record you ever bought?
I didn’t buy it with my own money, but the first album I ever owned was Limp Bizkit’s Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water. My best friend and I both persuaded our parents to buy us a copy, and we were no more than seven years old jumping around to these pretty obscene and aggressive tracks. We used to put on Rollin’ and roll around on the floor like a couple of absolute legends.
What’s your favourite song right now?
Lately I’ve been loving No Prizes by Kae Tempest and Lianne La Havas. It paints a devastatingly honest picture of life in a creative industry, and what it means to persevere in the face of the constant pressure to quit and do something else. It’s one of the songs that keeps me going, but it also hits like a punch to the gut every time I hear it.
Favourite lyric of all time?
Probably when Kanye West said, 'Sex is on fire, I’m the King of Leona Lewis.’ Not for the right reasons, mind you.
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I think I'd pick Impossible Soul by Sufjan Stevens. It's a 25-minute rollercoaster of a track that's constantly changing, so I could definitely listen to it for a few hours at a time without getting bored. It's also got a great life-affirming message that I’d need to hear if all the other songs in the world disappeared or something. Come to think of it, I’ve probably spent several days of my life just listening to that song if you add it all up.
Where can people find your music/more information?
The best place would be tommycullenmusic.com, where I'm giving away my new album a couple of months early. I’m excited to share the thing with anyone who wants to hear it, and I’ve also thrown in a load of behind-the-scenes and bonus videos that I’m not making available anywhere else.
So, my website is definitely the place to hear my best stuff, but if you’re happy to settle for the dregs I’ve got plenty of other perfectly lovely songs available in the usual places. I’m also @tommycullenmusic on all the social mediums. I use them a good bit and go live on Instagram every Thursday evening.
Alan Corr
