I could've gone rootsy or go pop but I thought, ‘F*** it I'm going to give pop stardom a real go, says Tom Grennan
'AIMING HIGH' I could've gone rootsy or go pop but I thought, 'F*** it I'm going to give pop stardom a real go, says Tom Grennan
TOM GRENNAN has turned heartbreak, hard lessons, and his mum's wisdom into the most revealing album of his career.
It was his mum who told him his sensitivity was his superpower.
3
Tom Grennan lays his feelings bare on his new album
Credit: Supplied
3
Tom has turned heartbreak and hard lessons into the most revealing record of his career
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The down-to-earth singer from Bedford lays his feelings bare on his new album, the aptly titled Everywhere I Went, Led Me to Where I Didn't Want to Be.
'I've luckily had a mum, who has always seen the sensitive side of me and told me to never shy away from it,' he says. 'My mum is the best. She is like an angel, and my rock.'
We meet in Brighton, where he's preparing for an intimate acoustic album launch at the city's Chalk venue. Outside, fans — mostly young women — have already been queuing for hours.
It's no surprise though as following the success of his previous albums, his most recent two — Evering Road (2021) and What Ifs And Maybes (2023) — both crashed in at the top of the UK album charts.
Advertisement
Now age 30 the singer says he's done a lot of growing up in the past few years and you can hear it on his fourth album which Grennan says was an 'intense period of three months of writing'.
He says: 'I literally had to face my demons head on, and revisit things as well and have the acknowledgement of who I was and who I don't want to be. And my mum was one of the people who made me see it was OK to wear my heart on my sleeve.'
He smiles and says: 'I'm comfortable being me now.
'I'm always battling against myself'
'I have a good fanbase and I've always made albums that have different colours and sounds in them.
Advertisement
"So, for this one I sat down with my producer, Justin Tranter, and we talked and talked. He was really on board with the music I wanted to make and the message I wanted to put out.
'I could've gone rootsy, where I started, or go more pop. And I thought, 'F*** it. I'm going to give being a pop star a real go'.
Tom Grennan surprises fans at local Tesco store
'I wanted to make anthemic songs which were still the essence of me — I'm a deep thinker. And I've done that. I've made songs which you can have a dance to or you can sit and relate to them.'
Shadowboxing was the first of the album's songs to get things moving for the singer.
'It's probably not my favourite song on the record, but it's got a story that really shaped and was the DNA of the record,' he explains.
Advertisement
'I was like, cool. This is the lane I'm in now. This is where my vision is and this is where I'm going. And I got to work with some of the biggest songwriters in the world, and they understood my vision.'
This first release also influenced the artwork for his album cover which shows an overhead view of a boxing ring where two versions of Grennan appear to be fighting each other.
"One wears blue shorts, the other has red gloves, suggesting a confrontation between different versions of himself.
He says: 'That's why the front cover is what it is. I'm always having that battle against myself and I think I always will have it.
'Revisiting things and having to acknowledge who I was and who I don't want to be from the ages of 21 to 29 was tough.
Advertisement
'I have an addictive personality so with drinking, if I have a drink now I see a glimpse of who I don't want to be.
'All I'm looking for is peace of mind. For a long time, I felt like I was drowning whereas now I just need to keep treading water. This album revisits all the emotions in me, who I am and who I'm not.
Boys Don't Cry was another song where Grennan dug deep emotionally and was written after he met up with his oldest mates from home.
'That song came after a liberating conversation between friends about 18 months ago,' he explains.
'There's still a stigma about men and feelings'
'I went back to Bedford, and, as a friendship group, we probably had the most adult conversation we've ever had about being men and having feelings.
Advertisement
'I'm from a working-class town and a working-class background and my friendship group are boisterous lads. We've never ever spoken about actual emotions or cried in front of each other, unless somebody died.
'We were talking about the sh*t we were all going through and how it affected us, and it was the first time we'd ever opened up like that.
"We all went, 'Wow! Why didn't we ever speak about this when we were younger? It would have brought us closer as friends' — even though we're tight anyway.
'The idea for Boys Don't Cry stemmed from that. There is still a stigma about men and feelings.
'London is different — everybody is who they want to be and not afraid to show it — but when you leave London and visit little towns in England, they are still very behind the times. A lot of my friends are still in these towns.
Advertisement
I had to reflect and understand how sometimes you think you're going to be best friends forever but unfortunately people change
Tom Grennan
'I come from a building background — my dad is a builder — and if you go on to a building site and even sniffle, you're looked at as being weak.
"It's like football — in the changing room, you can't show weakness. Man up, and all that kind of stuff.'
The theme of friendship also runs through the next track, Somewhere Only We Go, which reflects on how relationships can change over time and the impact that can have.
Grennan says: 'I had to reflect and understand how sometimes you think you're going to be best friends forever but unfortunately people change.
'I had to accept that I've changed and so have some friends and if either of you holds a grudge or if there's anger then you have to let go of it — it's the first step towards peace of mind.
Advertisement
'Somewhere Only We Go is that story about me and a friend and being able to let go of a friendship and that change is a part of your journey.
"That song is saying that one day I hope we can go back to the place that only we know. Thankfully, we are friends again now. He's had kids and they change you.'
A big part of Grennan's life now is his fitness and sobriety, along with his wife, Italian Pilates instructor Danniella Carraturo, who he married on Majorca last year.
'Talking therapy helps. I'm so hard on myself'
'My fitness has saved me,' says Grennan proudly who completed the 2024 London Marathon in an impressive three hours 45 minutes, tackled the London T100 Triathlon the same year, and finished the Ironman 70.3 in Marbella last November.
He says: 'I got into Hyrox [an indoor fitness competition] before it was Hyrox, so I've done a few of them.
Advertisement
'I've also done some triathlons and then Iron Man. I've had an injury this year — I tore a tendon in my foot and not been able to train the way I'd like to. I have got an Iron Man booked for October and then I'm doing the New York Marathon.
'Cool With That is about how me and my wife met, and that feeling of euphoria and that feeling of, 'Wow! Nothing else really matters. And I am cool, because I am with her'.
He adds: 'My wife has been a great influence on my sobriety. The way my brain is tuned is I can't sit there and enjoy a glass of wine. It's like I'm drinking to get hammered.
'Being married is the coolest thing and my wedding was amazing — you get to be with your best mate and have everybody who loves you there at a big party to celebrate.
'My wife looked a million dollars and I was blown away by her beauty — I'm very lucky.
Advertisement
'But I'm definitely on the right road. And talking therapy helps me.
"At first I thought I didn't need it but I've started speaking to somebody frequently and I've realised there's beauty in speaking and in humbleness.
'And I'm understanding that I am a nice person and I'm not all bad, but in my head, I think I'm bad — I'm so hard on myself.'
Grennan has also been opening up on his BBC podcast You About? with Roman Kemp.
'Roman is a very, very, very lovely boy,' he says smiling. 'He's smart and genuine. And I think me and him, we've been mates, and we got the opportunity to do a podcast together.
Advertisement
My dreams are to be able to do this for a very long time. Wembley Stadium has always been in the forefront of my mind
Tom Grennan
'I don't really have many friends in this celebrity world. Like, I'm not that person who goes looking for that. He's probably one of few that I'd chill with, outside of all this sh*t.
'The podcast has gone really well. It's just two boys having a chat about the things and sometimes that goes deep. Nah. Me and him, we chat daily.'
Next month Grennan kicks off his arena tour, which he is looking forward to. Though he's got his eyes on stadiums.
He says: 'My dreams are to be able to do this for a very long time. Wembley Stadium has always been in the forefront of my mind. I'd love to be able to say that I sold out Wembley Stadium at one point in my life.
'I went to see Oasis there recently and I saw something special happen that night. I was like, 'Wow! This is going to be hard to beat by anybody'. It was emotional. Men were f**ing crying — it was cool.
Advertisement
'Wembley Stadium is a dream of mine. You have to always keep aiming high as when you get comfortable, you've lost it. I'm always striving to do better, and I have the biggest ambitions to where I see this going.
'I just want to keep making music — good music and hopefully have a long career. Longevity is my mantra.'
Everywhere I Went, Led Me to Where I Didn't Want to Be is out today.
TOM GRENNAN
Everywhere I Went Led Me to Where I Didn't Want to Be
★★★★☆
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RTÉ News
2 days ago
- RTÉ News
Tom Grennan: 'I've grown up in an Irish home - it's just not in Ireland'
Everywhere I Went, Led Me to Where I Didn't Want to Be is the new album from Tom Grennan. The "Bedford and Ireland" singer tells Harry Guerin about making it in the music business to album number four and the pull of home. Harry Guerin: When you talked to RTÉ Entertainment in 2018 before your debut album, Lighting Matches, was released, you said you were looking for "longevity". Here you are seven years later with your fourth album. Tom Grennan: I'm still looking for it, for sure! At the moment, things are going alright. I've had my head screwed on and I've known what I've wanted for many a year. But I think it took me a while to get to the place where I'm at now, where I'm like, 'Do you know what? Things are cool'. I'm just keeping busy and [I] just keep putting the songs out and see where they go. Everywhere I Went, Led Me to Where I Didn't Want to Be is a brilliant album title. Where did it come from? I was listening to Paul Simon. Paul Simon was a man who inspired me, and that title came from that (Paul Simon used a similar phrase to describe how he wrote Bridge Over Troubled Water). For me, that whole sentence just summed up everything about me, and where I've been at, who I've been, and who I am now. What I've done and what mistakes I've made - and how I've learned from them. Also, just being at peace with who I am. There was a long time where I was like, 'I don't want to be this person or I don't want to be that person'. Now, I'm kind of in a place where I'm like, 'Actually, there's loads of different sides of me'. I know what the good ones and what the bad ones [are]. It's a pretty deep album title. I wanted people to think on it and see how they related to it in their own life. It's an interesting juxtaposition, though, because if I had to pick one adjective to describe the album, I would say it's joyous. Definitely - and that's the album I wanted to make. I wanted to make a joyous album. I wanted to make an album that celebrated. Lyrically, if you wanted to sit down and investigate and go through what the songs are about, then there's thought and there's times for people where they go, 'Do you know what? There's a deeper meaning behind these songs'. But also, if you're a person like many who just wants to have a good time, then they (the songs) cater for everybody! What headspace were you in after finishing the tour for your last album, What Ifs & Maybes, and then going into the studio to make Everywhere I Went, Led Me to Where I Didn't Want to Be? I was just very much, 'I know what I want to do'. I was working with Justin Trenter (Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Chappell Roan), who's a massive songwriter, and various different [song]writers who I looked up to. I said I wanted to write an album that... I wanted it to be like a journey from being 21 in the music industry to 29 and how I navigated myself through that. But I want it to be the album that people go, 'He's a real popstar now!' I don't know whether it's done that yet and whether it will, but I think I put everything into it. I'm at a place in my life where I'm like, 'Well, it is what it is'. I'm putting out music that I love. Some people will love it, some people might not like it, but I'm cool with that too. Whereas back before, I used to be like, 'Everybody needs to love this'. I'm at peace with the fact that not everybody's going to like me. You talk about the journey from being 21 in the music industry to being 29, what was the biggest ask during that whole time for you? What do you look back on and say, 'I thought I had a sense of something being like that, but in reality it was like this'? I never got asked to do anything. It was more just like you're in this weird world and how do you navigate yourself through it? I got swirled up in it, and I also realised who I didn't want to be. There's a lot of fake people in it and there's a lot of smoke and mirrors in it - and not to get lost in it. You're playing the 3Arena on 13 September. What have you planned band- and stage-wise for this tour? It's going to be a big show! I'm not missing a trick on it! I'm going to put everything into it. Like I said about the album, I want people to be like, 'Wow, he's being very ambitious and very much believes in himself'. A lot of people coming to the shows have been fans from day one. I want them to also feel like not only have I done it, but we've done this [together]. People who would have seen me in a pub, and now I'm in these big arenas. And I'm there because of them, too. I want it to be a celebration for everybody and a win for everyone. You did Electric Picnic last year in your Ireland jersey. Would you hope to be back next year? At Electric Picnic? I'd love to! Wherever the wind takes me and wherever these songs take me, then I'll go! For me, I think that was a big moment. Somewhere where I consider home and it's across the sea - it's pretty special. I was reading Ed Sheeran recently saying that as he gets older, he's feeling more of the pull of his Irish identity. Is it the same for you? I mean, when you talked to us in 2017, you described yourself as 'Tom Grennan from Bedford and Ireland'. Do you feel your Irish roots more powerfully as you get older? I think it's always been powerful. It hasn't changed. I think, for me, I've always known who are my Irish roots and I've always been kind of drawn into them. And I think I've grown up in an Irish home - it's just not in Ireland. I'm someone with an English accent, but I'm very much Irish. What's the one thing you'd really like people to take away from this album? I think I want people to take from this record that it's ok to make mistakes, and there's always going to be a brighter day behind another door. Be happy with where life's at. Life is short, so try not to waste any minutes. Of course, we're all human, and anxiety will set in, but remember to smile when you can. And be very aware of your emotions because when you're not aware of emotions, that's when you can get lost. And I think that's where I was lost for a while.
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- The Irish Sun
I could've gone rootsy or go pop but I thought, ‘F*** it I'm going to give pop stardom a real go, says Tom Grennan
The singer says he's done a lot of growing up in the past few years and you can hear it on the most revealing album of his career 'AIMING HIGH' I could've gone rootsy or go pop but I thought, 'F*** it I'm going to give pop stardom a real go, says Tom Grennan TOM GRENNAN has turned heartbreak, hard lessons, and his mum's wisdom into the most revealing album of his career. It was his mum who told him his sensitivity was his superpower. 3 Tom Grennan lays his feelings bare on his new album Credit: Supplied 3 Tom has turned heartbreak and hard lessons into the most revealing record of his career Advertisement The down-to-earth singer from Bedford lays his feelings bare on his new album, the aptly titled Everywhere I Went, Led Me to Where I Didn't Want to Be. 'I've luckily had a mum, who has always seen the sensitive side of me and told me to never shy away from it,' he says. 'My mum is the best. She is like an angel, and my rock.' We meet in Brighton, where he's preparing for an intimate acoustic album launch at the city's Chalk venue. Outside, fans — mostly young women — have already been queuing for hours. It's no surprise though as following the success of his previous albums, his most recent two — Evering Road (2021) and What Ifs And Maybes (2023) — both crashed in at the top of the UK album charts. Advertisement Now age 30 the singer says he's done a lot of growing up in the past few years and you can hear it on his fourth album which Grennan says was an 'intense period of three months of writing'. He says: 'I literally had to face my demons head on, and revisit things as well and have the acknowledgement of who I was and who I don't want to be. And my mum was one of the people who made me see it was OK to wear my heart on my sleeve.' He smiles and says: 'I'm comfortable being me now. 'I'm always battling against myself' 'I have a good fanbase and I've always made albums that have different colours and sounds in them. Advertisement "So, for this one I sat down with my producer, Justin Tranter, and we talked and talked. He was really on board with the music I wanted to make and the message I wanted to put out. 'I could've gone rootsy, where I started, or go more pop. And I thought, 'F*** it. I'm going to give being a pop star a real go'. Tom Grennan surprises fans at local Tesco store 'I wanted to make anthemic songs which were still the essence of me — I'm a deep thinker. And I've done that. I've made songs which you can have a dance to or you can sit and relate to them.' Shadowboxing was the first of the album's songs to get things moving for the singer. 'It's probably not my favourite song on the record, but it's got a story that really shaped and was the DNA of the record,' he explains. Advertisement 'I was like, cool. This is the lane I'm in now. This is where my vision is and this is where I'm going. And I got to work with some of the biggest songwriters in the world, and they understood my vision.' This first release also influenced the artwork for his album cover which shows an overhead view of a boxing ring where two versions of Grennan appear to be fighting each other. "One wears blue shorts, the other has red gloves, suggesting a confrontation between different versions of himself. He says: 'That's why the front cover is what it is. I'm always having that battle against myself and I think I always will have it. 'Revisiting things and having to acknowledge who I was and who I don't want to be from the ages of 21 to 29 was tough. Advertisement 'I have an addictive personality so with drinking, if I have a drink now I see a glimpse of who I don't want to be. 'All I'm looking for is peace of mind. For a long time, I felt like I was drowning whereas now I just need to keep treading water. This album revisits all the emotions in me, who I am and who I'm not. Boys Don't Cry was another song where Grennan dug deep emotionally and was written after he met up with his oldest mates from home. 'That song came after a liberating conversation between friends about 18 months ago,' he explains. 'There's still a stigma about men and feelings' 'I went back to Bedford, and, as a friendship group, we probably had the most adult conversation we've ever had about being men and having feelings. Advertisement 'I'm from a working-class town and a working-class background and my friendship group are boisterous lads. We've never ever spoken about actual emotions or cried in front of each other, unless somebody died. 'We were talking about the sh*t we were all going through and how it affected us, and it was the first time we'd ever opened up like that. "We all went, 'Wow! Why didn't we ever speak about this when we were younger? It would have brought us closer as friends' — even though we're tight anyway. 'The idea for Boys Don't Cry stemmed from that. There is still a stigma about men and feelings. 'London is different — everybody is who they want to be and not afraid to show it — but when you leave London and visit little towns in England, they are still very behind the times. A lot of my friends are still in these towns. Advertisement I had to reflect and understand how sometimes you think you're going to be best friends forever but unfortunately people change Tom Grennan 'I come from a building background — my dad is a builder — and if you go on to a building site and even sniffle, you're looked at as being weak. "It's like football — in the changing room, you can't show weakness. Man up, and all that kind of stuff.' The theme of friendship also runs through the next track, Somewhere Only We Go, which reflects on how relationships can change over time and the impact that can have. Grennan says: 'I had to reflect and understand how sometimes you think you're going to be best friends forever but unfortunately people change. 'I had to accept that I've changed and so have some friends and if either of you holds a grudge or if there's anger then you have to let go of it — it's the first step towards peace of mind. Advertisement 'Somewhere Only We Go is that story about me and a friend and being able to let go of a friendship and that change is a part of your journey. "That song is saying that one day I hope we can go back to the place that only we know. Thankfully, we are friends again now. He's had kids and they change you.' A big part of Grennan's life now is his fitness and sobriety, along with his wife, Italian Pilates instructor Danniella Carraturo, who he married on Majorca last year. 'Talking therapy helps. I'm so hard on myself' 'My fitness has saved me,' says Grennan proudly who completed the 2024 London Marathon in an impressive three hours 45 minutes, tackled the London T100 Triathlon the same year, and finished the Ironman 70.3 in Marbella last November. He says: 'I got into Hyrox [an indoor fitness competition] before it was Hyrox, so I've done a few of them. Advertisement 'I've also done some triathlons and then Iron Man. I've had an injury this year — I tore a tendon in my foot and not been able to train the way I'd like to. I have got an Iron Man booked for October and then I'm doing the New York Marathon. 'Cool With That is about how me and my wife met, and that feeling of euphoria and that feeling of, 'Wow! Nothing else really matters. And I am cool, because I am with her'. He adds: 'My wife has been a great influence on my sobriety. The way my brain is tuned is I can't sit there and enjoy a glass of wine. It's like I'm drinking to get hammered. 'Being married is the coolest thing and my wedding was amazing — you get to be with your best mate and have everybody who loves you there at a big party to celebrate. 'My wife looked a million dollars and I was blown away by her beauty — I'm very lucky. Advertisement 'But I'm definitely on the right road. And talking therapy helps me. "At first I thought I didn't need it but I've started speaking to somebody frequently and I've realised there's beauty in speaking and in humbleness. 'And I'm understanding that I am a nice person and I'm not all bad, but in my head, I think I'm bad — I'm so hard on myself.' Grennan has also been opening up on his BBC podcast You About? with Roman Kemp. 'Roman is a very, very, very lovely boy,' he says smiling. 'He's smart and genuine. And I think me and him, we've been mates, and we got the opportunity to do a podcast together. Advertisement My dreams are to be able to do this for a very long time. Wembley Stadium has always been in the forefront of my mind Tom Grennan 'I don't really have many friends in this celebrity world. Like, I'm not that person who goes looking for that. He's probably one of few that I'd chill with, outside of all this sh*t. 'The podcast has gone really well. It's just two boys having a chat about the things and sometimes that goes deep. Nah. Me and him, we chat daily.' Next month Grennan kicks off his arena tour, which he is looking forward to. Though he's got his eyes on stadiums. He says: 'My dreams are to be able to do this for a very long time. Wembley Stadium has always been in the forefront of my mind. I'd love to be able to say that I sold out Wembley Stadium at one point in my life. 'I went to see Oasis there recently and I saw something special happen that night. I was like, 'Wow! This is going to be hard to beat by anybody'. It was emotional. Men were f**ing crying — it was cool. Advertisement 'Wembley Stadium is a dream of mine. You have to always keep aiming high as when you get comfortable, you've lost it. I'm always striving to do better, and I have the biggest ambitions to where I see this going. 'I just want to keep making music — good music and hopefully have a long career. Longevity is my mantra.' Everywhere I Went, Led Me to Where I Didn't Want to Be is out today. TOM GRENNAN Everywhere I Went Led Me to Where I Didn't Want to Be ★★★★☆
Irish Independent
5 days ago
- Irish Independent
Carlow to host Ireland's first ever vegan music festival – ‘We all know vegans love to dance'
While the idea of combining veganism with music is a new phenomenon to Ireland, vegan music festivals are already prominent in other countries around the world. For three whole days, starting on Friday August 15 and running until Sunday August 17, Lisnavagh House & Garden in Rathvilly, Co Carlow will be transformed into a vegan's paradise for Féile Vegan – Ireland's first and only vegan music festival. From live music to thought-provoking talks, delicious vegan food, non-food vegan vendors, cooking demos and wellness sessions, there is lots to do and see, whether you are a seasoned vegan or someone who is just curious about cruelty-free living. The legendery Sharon Shannon, who is a lifelong advocate for veganism and animal rights, has also just been announced as a suprise guest and is set to headline on Saturday night of the festival. 'This is the very first vegan music festival in Ireland ever,' Féile Vegan organiser Denis Nealis told the Irish Independent. 'It's never been done here before. 'We have had vegan festivals but this is the first time we have combined a vegan festival with that musical element so it's very exciting.' When asked why veganism and music needed to be combined into a festival, Denis had one very simple answer. "Well we all know vegans love to dance,' replied Denis. With veganism growing in popularity in Ireland, Denis and the rest of the Féile Vegan team said that now feels like the right time to launch a vegan music festival "There is definitely demand in the market for a vegan music festival,' added Denis. 'Veganism is becoming more popular in Ireland and there are far more vegan products available in the mainstream shops like Dunnes Stores, Tesco, Aldi and Lidl. "Vegans and people on the veggie spectrum have been looking for something different like a vegan music festival where veganism, music and wellness is combined into one singular event for like-minded people.' Veganism and vegetarianism has a strong history in Ireland, although Denis argues that most of it has been 'airbrushed' out of history. George Bernard Shaw, who has Carlow connections through inherited property, was an early vegetarian. Meanwhile pioneering Irish scientist, John Tyndall, who was born in Carlow in 1820, is commonly referred to as the 'father of climate science'. During his career, the Carlow man proved the greenhouse effect and became the first scientist to explain why the sky is blue among a number of other notable achievements. "George Bernard Shaw was a Dublin native but he inherited property in Carlow, that's his Carlow connection and he was heavily involved in vegetarian societies, which were known as Pythagorean socities back then,' explained Denis. "He was a vocal advocate for vegetarianism and spoke and wrote widely about its benefits.' As the first day of the inaugural event rapidly approaches, Denis says that anyone can attend Féile Vegan with participants even encouraged to bring their dogs along for the weekend. "Féile Vegan is family and even companion animal friendly,' said Denis. 'Attendees are encouraged to bring their dogs along with them and we will also have a wide variety of different animal charities there at the festival that you can connect with. "Children under the age of 12 also go free and we will have lots of activities on offer for the entire family across Friday, Saturday and Sunday.' For a full line-up of live music, events and activities at Féile Vegan, you can visit the Vegan Society of Ireland website and the Féile Vegan 2025 social media pages on Facebook and Instagram. Tickets are available to purchase through eventbrite with a variety of different ticket types available from day passes starting at €54.60 to weekend glamping tickets costing up to €430. Children under the age of 12 go free.
