Multi-instrumentalist Neil Thomas is currently working on his debut album. A late bloomer, he began playing music at the age of sixteen and over the past ten years has blossomed into a consummate songwriter and musician. His songs are varied in style but all originate from a deep love for melody and feeling. His solo act is based on him and a guitar, but he also has a few unusual vocal abilities which come into play with the use of a loop pedal. Expect the unexpected, as well as some classic songwriting and heartfelt vocals.How would you describe your music?
i try to make music my heroes would enjoy listening to. so there's some folk to keep joni happy, some jazz for chet, soul for stevie, blues for ray and some big vocal harmonies for lewis. i haven't put very much guitar frippery in there for jimi yet, so p'raps i should get on the case! nor have i got all sampletastic for dilla/tribe. hmmm... what have i been doing?!
When did you discover you passion for music?
i was a mad elvis fan when i was a kid. i used to sit with my headphones on and the elvis songbook, gleefully singing along to mix tapes my uncle made for me. that was until my next door neighbour's daughter told me she could hear me through the wall. i was about 10... cue years of self-conscious adolescence. i started playing guitar at 16, drums at 19... gave up karate. got a bit disinterested at school. decided i didn't care about oxbridge. didn't get the grades necessary as i was doing much more music than anything else... hey presto, music was suddenly what i was best at! in the words of steve lukather, if i didn't make it work, i'd be saying "want fries with that?!?!".
Who are your musical inspirations?
see question 1 for some of my heroes. i don't really believe in inspiration. i think if you come at it from an interesting angle, you can turn any lyrical pine cone or musical acorn into a big ol' tree. i get excited when i hear good production but really it's all about the concept of the song; the lyrical voice. if you tell a good yarn, it's engaging.
When did you write your first track?
when i was about 8 years old. i rewrote the lyrics to "homeward bound" as "space bound", about being an astronaut and missing me missus. i've since heard rocket man by elton john and i'm convinced he nicked the idea. he must have a time machine. then i didn't write anything till i was 17, when i started making hiphop with school friends. i wrote my first "song" song at the age of 21. late bloomer i guess.
My favorite track is Before the Bells Ring. Is the song about a personal experience?
yep. i went to see a flat in notting hill before christmas and ended up having a bit of a thing with one of the current tenants. yes, it started there and then. "ah, you've come to see the flat, have you? well, this is the bedroom" etc... we then debated for a few weeks whether i should move in ("just so long as nobody knows it..."), and decided against it. no, we're not still seeing each other. she turned out to be a bit weird.
If you had a plane ticket to anywhere, where would you go and why?
Barbados. in a heartbeat. I haven't been since i was about 18. went with the family and it's my idea of paradise!!! you offering? ;-)
Check out Neil's music on MYSPACE....you won't be dissapointed!
Interview: Natalee Connally
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