tunesday – a yarn with thomas headon

We're a bit chuffed to have had a chat with Thomas Headon about his newest EP, and we also talk about the best (and worst) parts of performing live, how to keep the inspiration juices flowing and much more, down below. 

What, or who, are your biggest sound influences? I’m super influenced by all of my friends. I’m so lucky to be surrounded by such creative people all of the time, they always keep me listening to new things and keep me inspired by them. As well as Bach and Beethoven, of course. 

How do you keep yourself inspired? I spend a lot of time on the internet. I also love going on walks, reading and running. I think I’m mainly inspired doing the most mindless tasks since that’s where song ideas, visual ideas and creative ideas all come up.

What’s your favourite and least favourite parts of performing? I think the best thing is how I feel when performing, there’s no way to explain it but the feeling is just phenomenal. You get a real genuine connection from people in real time and I think for the audience and performer there is no way to be more present in life than to experience that feeling. The least favourite part is probably more on the logistics of touring side…it’s super tiring. Every night slightly blends into one and although some things stick out, it’s annoying that you get so see many places in the world but you don’t really feel like you’ve actually seen and experienced the cities.

Talk to us about your most recent EP, six songs that thomas headon likes and thinks you would like too. How did this name come to be? To be perfectly honest, I originally said it as a joke but it just seemed to stick. I really wanted something that wasn’t serious and view the music at face value for exactly what it is. It purely is exactly as the name says, just six songs I like and I genuinely hope other people will like too.

How personal are your songs? It’s super dependent on the song. I don’t really feel like my personal songs are specifically tied to me anymore, they just exist in the world for other people to listen to. I do think that’s the beauty of music, it exists solely on how you perceive it.

What’s been the biggest highlight of your career, so far? Not to be lame, but what hasn’t been?! I’ve genuinely achieved almost every dream I’ve had at 16. From working with people who made music I adored, to playing the same venues as them and then to playing at festivals I only ever saw online. I think a more important one (especially for my family) was supporting Elton John, that was just super cool! But other than that, I don’t think there’s been a moment in my career so far that I haven’t seen as a highlight.