Emerging artist Tom King (ATC Management – Biig Piig, Nick Cave, ALMA) releases his new soul inspired single ‘Honest’, out now. Listen HERE.
Tom King may only be 19-years-old, but with his sky-scraping, soul-drenched voice paired with heart-bursting anthems to lost love, the Gen Z-er already looks set to be the UK’s next rising talent. Tom’s first low-key releases – billed by Wonderland as “changing the face of Sad-Pop” – combine his emotive lyrics with a distinct sound that sits between theatricality and power ballads, while retaining a healthy amount of teenage angst.
Recorded with Nick Hahn (L Devine & Tinie, Georgia Twinn), the horn-laced strut and brutally sharp lyrics of ‘Honest’ is from a place of newly found confidence, looking back at one’s first experience of real love, with all the power and maturity that comes with time, conveying a youthful exuberance and showcasing Tom’s soaring vocals and natural flair for creating ultra-sassy, soulful melodies.
Tom says about the track:
“I got to spend a lot of time over these last few lockdowns writing new music, and I’m very excited to put out this first track ‘Honest’. The song was a reaction to being lied to by someone I was in love with, which brought out this vexed and sassy side of me. I guess it’s about being cheated on, but I’ve never been in a proper relationship before, so I don’t know whether I can call it that.”
Grabbing people’s attention from a young age, Tom grew up in Guildford where he’d often put on shows for his family, whether they liked it or not. The performances usually involved ABBA, Lady Gaga, or the soundtrack to Fame – rollicking around the living room in his favourite princess dress. The freedom of these living room-based concerts soon ran parallel with a strict performance regime after Tom landed a place at the prestigious Guildford Cathedral Choir aged 7. In 2014, when he was just 13, he won BBC Radio 2’s Chorister of the Year Award, before leaving the choir when his voice started to break. As well as strengthening his vocal cords, the choir also taught him deep-rooted musicality. While he seems new to this, singing and performing – be it as part of a choir, dressed up in his living room, or belting out songs on TikTok – has been his purpose for a lot longer.
