Tom Mouse Smith has already packed more into his 13 years than most of us manage in our lifetimes including shunning Simon Cowell and supporting James Bay, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Shed Seven and Madness. Next up on the to do list is supporting The Charlatans at their O2 gig in Newcastle.
We caught up with Tom to hear his thoughts on music, inspirations and playing large venues.
Hi Tom, we’re big fans of yours at NE Volume. How are you?
Good thank you
For some of our readers who are yet to hear your music, how would you describe your sound?
It’s mostly an acoustic pop sound, similar to say Sam Fender or James Bay. I idolise their music and try to make my music sound close to theirs.
Wow, they’re both well respected singer songwriter with great voices. Would you like to sing as well as them or play guitar as well?
A bit of both to be honest, they’re both brilliant musicians and players. I’m working hard to try and improve my own playing and singing.
And are they both the people who’s music you listen to the most?
I do play their music often but I enjoy Shed Seven, Cattlefish and of course the Charlatans.
In terms of your own music, what’s next?
I’m about to record a new song called ‘What do you expect’ at a really famous studio in Bristol called Real World studios and I think that will be a fantastic experience. I won a competition to record at the studio when my song was picked to be played. I’ll release the track on Facebook, I-tunes and Spotify when it’s finished. It’s really about having fun though and not taking things too seriously. I may be playing some shows in the summer, but I’m not allowed to say what they are just yet.
And then the big show, supporting the Charlatans, are you excited?
Absolutely. I’ve played the Newcastle o2 Academy a few times and I really enjoy playing there, it’s an amazing venue and will be an amazing experience. I can’t wait. (Laughing) Who wouldn’t enjoy playing at the Academy, it’s one of my favourite venues to play.
You’ve performed in large venues for a while, do you get nervous before a show?
Most of the time I get more excited than nervous, but sometimes if it’s a really large venue I might feel a bit of nerves before I go on. Once I’m on stage I just love it.
Do you tend to bring a fan club with you as well?
I tend to bring my family and they tend to stand out in the front and watch so that they get a good view.
And what about the Charlatans, are you a big fan?
I am, I really enjoy their material. In the past I’ve covered ‘The only one I know’ and ‘Just when you’re thinking things over’ which I think are both great songs. I’ve supported them before in Manchester at the launch of their last album ‘Different days’ so I played in a shoe shop and then at the Lowry.
That’s amazing, so you’re pretty good friends with the lads?
Yeah quiet well. I’ve played a few times at Tim Peaks Diner also.
And you’ve done some shows with local favourite Barry Hyde also
I have yes, Barry has been giving me music lessons. He’s a great teacher and I love his music.
We do too. It’s been great to talk to you, thanks Tom, we wish you all of the best with the show and in the future.
Tom will play with the Charlatans at the O2 Academy on December 5th. You can find out more about Tom through his facebook page https://en-gb.facebook.com/TomMouseSmith/