Following a life-changing car accident, London vocalist and producer Tom Tripp found his future as an artist thrown into jeopardy.
During the months of depression that followed, Tom had a sudden moment of clarity. Rather than languish in sorrow, Tom decided to turn this life-altering experience to his advantage and set out on a path of self-care and creative recalibration. The journey saw Tom overhaul his style and direction, scrapping the first version of his second EP, Black, in the process.
The EP still exists. Just not as it once was.
Now retitled to FLAG, it documents Tom’s phoenix-like rise from the ashes – celebrating the process of his suffering as necessary for his symbolic rebirth into the artist he has now become.
On the new project, Tom recalls: “My inner soul was like, ‘Nah, you don’t like this. ’I thought, ‘Let’s just reset, let me have a fresh start and look again at what I want to do with music, and what I want people to know about me.’”
Enter ‘TAM’ – the first single from the new EP. ‘TAM’ started life as a bedroom beat on Tom’s laptop in 2016. Since then, the track has seen its share of tweaks and iterations. The now finished product comes as the result of a session with DJ and producer extraordinaire, Graves.
Taking some inspirational cues from electro legends Daft Punk, ‘TAM’ is a heady mix of scratchy funk and brooding R&B.
A music video – directed by James Callum and the first of Tripp’s career – also accompanies ‘TAM’s release.
Drenched in red and black, the video acts as a visual testament to Tom’s transition into a more self-assured artist.
You see, Tom was once an artist who used who sang live as if bolted to the stage floor. But a performance with Mura Masa at 2017’s Coachella and being hand-picked as support for Jungle‘s tour last year brought him out of his shell.
For the video, Tom weaves in-and-out of the shadows – revealing what he wants you to see, but always making sure to remain just out of reach, retreating every so often to dance alone in the dark. A position where he is most comfortable.
These visuals serve as a reminder that what Tom reveals is, first and foremost, insight into his healing process. Us, the listener, is just fortunate to invited along for the ride in this deeply personal journey.
As Tom summarised on ‘TAM’ and the forthcoming EP to which it belongs: “It’s a release for me. It’s kind of selfish actually; it’s not for you, you can enjoy it, but this is for me.”
Check out the video to ‘TAM’ here.
‘TAM’ is also available to stream and download on Spotify and Apple Music.
