The Gig Cartel - Artist profiles: Tom Mcrae

 

Tom's fantastic live reputation is hard won and well-deserved, in the 12 years since the release of his Mercury and Brit nominated debut, he has toured regularly all over the world, garnering a fiercely loyal audience, especially in Europe and North America. Having moved from Suffolk, to London, to LA, then New York, and now living in the lowlands of Somerset, Tom's song-writing has remained similarly restless and searching.

 

Says Tom: "when I started out, my label gave me a bunch of train tickets and sent me off to play school assemblies, it was the first touring experience I'd ever had. I thought I was living the dream, staying in Bed and Breakfasts and playing to kids happy to be dodging double maths. Thankfully I graduated to the tour bus, the full band and the bigger theatres, but it was those first shows that gave me a love of touring and playing live. There's nothing like a solo show for forming a relationship with your audience. My favourite gigs I've ever seen have been solo shows, there's something about them, there's nowhere to hide - I love the spell that you can cast.”