Tom Grennan

of the charts. His sophomore album, Evering Road, debuted at number one in England when it was released in March. The record takes its name from the street where he once lived with his now ex girlfriend. Their breakup is the theme of the album, but as he emphatically says, this is not a breakup album. There are no modelin moments or roof of recriminations to be heard. No. Instead, he turns his critical eye on himself, his past mistakes

in ways that he wasn't always a good partner. Much of the music is about owning up to his failings and trying to be better. Rather than an album of bitter animosity and vengeance, Evering Road is packed with soulful songs of redemption and hope. It comes through in his album's recent single little Bit of Love, a song about unconditional acceptance of both himself and others, and his new song with Ella Henderson, Let's Go Home Together, suggests a

happy ending. I'm so thrilled to welcome Tom Grennan. Thank you man. Honestly that this is crazy for me, is so crazy. I can't believe. Like the song is kind of working in America, and my dream is to kind of crack America. So I to be able to talk to you man, is is amazing. Take it aback a little bit. Your new album, Evering Road is a it's about it's about a breakup, but it's not a breakup album.

In fact, in a lot of ways, it's a it's an anti breakup that album you you're taking this really compassionate view of your ex partner and a really thoughtful view of yourself and your time together. Can you give me a little background on this record, like what went down at Evering Road? So Everying Road was it was

kind of it's based on love, heartbreak and redemption. Really and really for me it was kind of holding my hat as me holding my hands up and saying, listen, I've done some bad in this relationship, but I needed to love myself before I could love anybody else. And unfortunately, like I hurt someone during that time. But like I said, like I needed to find happiness in myself and I couldn't give that to anybody else until until I had

that myself. So it's all about that, really, and and it is a breakup album, but like you say, it's quite an uplifting breakup album. It's not kind of like let's cry about it and feel sorry for me. It's kind of be like, listen, I've done what I've done, but at the end of the day, I'm a human being and we all make mistakes. Just don't make the same mistake. Twice. I mentioned compassion earlier, and that really comes through on the song A little Bit of Love

to My Ears. It's about showing love and compassion to yourself, which is one of the hardest things to do in a lot of ways. Tell me to tell me more about that song. Yeah, So A little Bit of loves like all about unconditional love and knowing that you deserve to be loved and deserved to feel loved as well, no matter who you are away from what you are

is everybody deserves deserves it. And for me, like when I was going through this kind of mad time and where I was like at in my life, I moved back with my mom and dad and it was there where like I was like, oh my gosh, like I needed to come home and see like the unconditional love my mom and dads have for me and my brother has to for me for the for them not to kind of say do you know what, Yeah, I am worthy of love, And that's what it's all about, really,

And I wanted to make an uplifting record, and I feel like the time that we're in now and the world that we're living in right now, like this really has connected with people in that way, and like the best thing to do right now is to send a little bit of love to anywhere and anyone and just remind people that good times are coming and it's going to be great. Oh absolutely. I mean in the same way that that you went home to kind of reflect

and reboot. I feel like so many of us have been doing that m the last year by having this this time to really sit and think and reflect on ourselves and how we can be better, which I think is a really admirable thing that you're you're putting forward in the messages and your songs. For sure, like this whole like years, you know what I mean? Well, last year was a time I needed to kind of I still had a lot of demons I needed to kind of work out and kind of just face up to.

And this year and last year has definitely given me that time. And honestly, I've never been happier man. And life is so good and I wake up every morning with a smile on my face and I'm very very grateful, and I'm very very thankful that like my family and have got their health and and thinks I haven't been too bad. But was it clear early on that this was sort of going to be the theme in a way of this album or did you write your songs

and look back and sort of see the thread emerging through? Well, I actually finished this record ever in road before like coronavirus and stuff was a theme. So it was meant to come out last year March Corona then happened and I was like, this doesn't feel like the right time to put a record out because there's so much more important things to be getting on with and also like

to learn about, you know what I mean. So I was like, you know what, Let's hold off for a year and see where and if if this record still feels like it needs to come out, then it will come out. And to be honest with you, I didn't do anything with the records at all. I finished it

and and parked it for a year. And it's weird because it all kind of makes sense to to that, to the relationship that was in an every ing row, but then it all kind of I was like, oh my god, these songs are like making sense to what's going on now. And like I said, I want it's an uplifting, up tempo kind of records. So I was like, this was like the right time now, and I feel

like people need it. And when I was listening to the record before it was out, I was like, I can picture myself being at live shows and and if I was just I wasn't actually singing the songs, I'd be watching it and just being like, oh my god, like we are, we are living our lives and it's great.

It must be author for you to have it have all those not only the feelings, but just the songs and everything out there, I must feel, I must feel, like to be honest with you, like this relationship that I was in, like I was two years ago and I was I was afraid that I was like, oh my god, God, will people understand the story? Right? Well, they think that like I was just just too much of a bit of an idiot, and but people really really like, we're so positive about this record, and just

that's all I wanted. Man, I just wanted to make people. I wanted to make people to think. I didn't want this rector this album to be an album that you just put on and you kind of have in the background. Yeah, like I wanted people to think. I wanted people to smile. I wanted people to kind of go, let's forget about the bad days and just just move forward and just get on with life and just try and be a

better person. And that's what it's all about. And that's what I've done, and and the messages I've been getting is just just unreal, just crazy. Is there a single track on the album that really means the most to you? They all may mean their own little things to me, but for me, like the most there's a there's a song called Love Has Different Ways to Say Goodbye, and

it's the ending song. And for me, like it's a very cinematic kind of song where you sit down you're like, oh my god, I feel like I'm watching a film, and like lyrically, like I feel like they're all my best lyrics, and I feel like musically, I don't know, I just told the story in a song, you know what I mean, And like it ended the album so well, and and it feels like a bit of a James Bond Bond song, Yeah, And when I listened to it kind of always makes me think, you know what, love

does have different ways to say goodbye? And sometimes like there were people shouting, and there'll be people arguing, but sometimes that we people say and listen, this is what it has to be. And sometimes people aren't meant to be together. And that's all right, you know what I mean, That's that's okay, But good luck withever, whatever you do and whatever the other person does, you know what I mean. I love the song. It hurts I it's sad, but also it's funny that things can be both sad and

uplifting at the same time. And I think you do that beautifully on that track, Thank you. Yeah, well, this is it, Like the songs are really they are like if you get into like the lyrics and and what they're actually about, they are they are like deep, they are sad, They are kind of like, oh my god, I was going through a lot of crazy things and there was a lot of things going on in my head that weren't They were dark, do you know what

I mean? But they're uplifting with the music and and with like the beats and with with everything, you know what I mean. So, yeah, it's funny. It's probably a strange question. You know how they always say that every character in your dreams are actually you, and it's you kind of project all these feelings and emotions and your actions onto these characters and they work out whatever you're

going through. And because it's it's not you, it's other people that you're seeing, it's it gives you perspective in a lot of ways. When you were reading back your lyrics, was that almost the case for you? Did you learn anything about yourself by singing these songs that all of a sudden you thought, oh my gosh, this is what

I met. This is what I should have done differently, for sure, Like I I learned that I was doing some really like not the right thing, and I've learned that I was going through a bad spot and I couldn't talk to people about it because I don't know. I had had a lot of things that guilt on my on my soul. I had like hurt on my soul. I had like all these different things going on in in my my head and physically as well, like not just mentally physically, and I found it hard to talk

to to anybody. But when I was writing my lyrics, that's where I was like, that was my therapy. I suppose that was me, like I'm in a bad spot and I need and I need some help, and that help came from me, but it also did come from like when I was when like I was showing these songs to my friends, and when I was showing them songs to like my parents and my management, they were like, yo,

you're good. I was like, uh no, not really. But I had to write these songs to understand the emotions and and what kind of going through a breakup is and what kind of it is to kind of say to yourself, I need to stand up, and I need to make a change, and I need to admit to a few things that added that I had done wrong.

I actually I have several friends going through breakups at the moment, unfortunately, do you have any any tips for them or anyone listening right now who might be going through through a tough time romantically, either either emotionally or are there any you know albums that you listen to or movies you watched, the books you read. Do you

have any any advice for for those folks? For me, Like if I was to say, if I was speaking to a friend who was going through through a breakup, so everybody who's listening you are now a friend of mine, I would say, listen, just understand that sometimes these things happen, but to go with your heart and to tell the truth and listen to what you believe is the truth, and usually ninety at the time, you will make the

right decision. For me, I listened to like anyone house is my is the queen for me, and I feel like she understood what pain is and understood what going through these weird emotions were and I listened to her and she really did like kind of help me understand as well. So I would say, just believe in your believing yourself and and you will make the right decision.

And sometimes things don't seem so like clear at first, but when you take a step out of that situation, yeah, nine times out of ten, you will be leaving with a smile. And that's all you need to do is just smile, because you'll be happy. Amen to that. To quote one of your songs, oh Man, I mean God back to Black that. I listened to that so many times when I was going through tough times. I also

I love you. Eversee High Fidelity or read the book that's based on Oh It's It's an awesome It's a movie that was based on a book by Nick Hornby. I think that the book takes place in Camden record store and Campy. He's a guy who runs a record store. Oh it's all. The book is amazing. I mean, as is often the case, the book is way better than the movie. But the movie is awesome too. And it's a guy who runs a record story. He's a he's

a music obsessive. He loves music, and he's going through a breakup and him and his buddies in the record store always do top five lists like top five greatest you know Songs about Death, top five greatest songs about you know whatever, And he does a top five worst breakups, and then he decides he wants to learn and grow as a person. He gets in touch with all of his ex girlfriends to try to see where they're at now and what he did wrong and how it's it's

a really cool book. I'm gonna actually I'm gonna type it down in my notes right now so I don't forget. It's called High Fidelity. It's amazing and the books by Nick Hornby. The movie is from like I think it's from two thousand with John Cusack. Great movie, great, great movie. I'm looking forward to watching that now. I need a good film to watch. Man watching some crazy things recently. Yeah, what have you been watching Just Finish Your Honor? Have you watched it? No? No? Yeah, oh my god. It

is unbelievable. But it really like dives into like a lot of what's going on in the world and how bad like and how corrupt like police and stuff are. Man, you know, So, yeah, it's a good watch. Just finished. What is it car? I think it's called Surviving death. It's about all these people who have near death experiences and how it's changed them. Yeah, so it's it's it's amazing. Yeah, yeah, I've seen that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I've seen a few of It's it's a series, right, some of the stories

are crazy, Oh my gosh. And like the kids who are like born in a three or four years old and they have memories of living, you know, sixty seven years ago and people's names. I believe in that, man, I fully believe in that kind of totally. If you're not ready to leave this world, man, you'll you'll come back into like another soul and you'll believe in that trust. Do you think you are Did you have a connection with a with a pat of self? I would say no,

I think I'm quite like a new spirit man. But then like, but then again, my granddad would say to me, like sometimes like you've got you've got a very old head on you work in the sense of like I'm I'm quite I'm twenty five, but I've always been quite mature for my age. But then I am a new spirit man as well, like I'm just a bit of a I'll go where the wind takes me and I don't really like routine. Well, I don't really like routine.

I like being here, there and everywhere and kind of being in the mix of of of everything, you know what I mean. Yeah, yeah, which has been like to be fair, like, actually, this whole timing in like lockdown and stuff like that has given me time to kind of like relax and kind of saying, listen, you need to this is what's been going wrong? Is that you're

too much Ah, you know what I mean. It's kind of like just take a break and kind of get in tune with what's going on in here and up here, and and I've really done that, and I've really kind of like learned a lot about myself during that lockdown period. I was I was like a dog with a bone. I was like, give me this, give me that, give me this. I want it now, I want it now. But now I'm like, zen it out, met zen it out. Have you been writing much music during this time or

is it really more focused? In word? Since January? I was like, right the new year's here, I feel like I'm going to start learning how to play I don't really know how to play a piano, but I but I've been learning how to play piano because I want to play on stage. So I've been learning a lot of that kind of stuff. And then whilst learning, it's kind of opened up a new kind of creative writing space. So I have been writing. Man, I have been diving

into like what's going on in my life. But the thing is I'm happy, So I'm writing all these happy songs, which is what It's great, and like, I'm really excited about what's what's next now. But to be honest with you, I just can't wait to get to America now. Like I know that I've got a tour coming up over there soon en after soon we can get into the country and yeah, my my goal is to crack America and hopefully fingers crossed we do that. Bring it on, yeah,

I mean with this album, you can't go wrong. Oh man. It's so it's so funny because there's somebody bole that I talked to and and they say, you know, yeah, I knew and I was a little kid that music was what I was going to do with my life. I knew it this, I had this, this dream, I had this and from from my understanding, you came to music a little later in in in life, I did. Yeah, I actually played a lot of football soccer as you would call it, but I played a lot of football too.

I was like seventeen and then I was going to play in America. I got offer the scholarship to go to North Carolina and played football over there, but I kind of fell out of love of it. I was like, you know what, I don't feel like this is the right for me. So then I kind of was like, do you know what I'm gonna have. I'm gonna have my first bit And then like going out to parties and girls got involved, and my head was like I was like distracted, and I wasn't on football anymore. I

wasn't on that. I was like, give me the girls and give me the beer. And then I was at a party and there was a karaoke machine and I jumped on this karaoke machine and I was drunk at that time, because I would never have the confidence to do this if I wasn't drunk. And I started singing and people were like whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Where did that come from? And I was like what what? And then and then I realized that I actually loved singing and I loved just performing. So then I joined this

little band in like we call it A levels. It was just before you go to UNI. So I was in my last year of A levels and I joined this little band and we were doing like covers and stuff like that. But I was getting the I was getting the feeling for it. I was getting the bar. And then all the boys who I was in this band, we were like, we're going to university. And I was like, what, you're going to universe. We've got this wicked band in

no way like what you're doing. And they were like, no, we're gonna go do like maths and science and stuff like that. I was like, boring, I'm not doing that. So I moved to London, and because I'm from a small place called Bedford, which is about hour away from London, I moved to London and I actually went to university to study acting. So I did acting for three years, but in them three years. In my first year of UNI, I learned how to play guitar and literally hibernated for

a year in my room. Learned how to play guitar, and I wrote like five songs, five or six songs where I was like Okay, cool, these songs I feel like quite good. And I was playing him at playing him in my room to like people whould come come and visit and stuff like that. They were like this, these are good man. So I was like, right, cool, this is the time. I need to now go and gig.

So I picked up my guitar, went round the whole in London and I was like playing like open mic nights and I was playing little kind of venues anywhere I could get a gig. Really, I was busking. I was like on the streets just doing like these six songs. Because I actually didn't like to learn other people's songs because it couldn't because I couldn't play them. The only way I could play guitar was the chords that I

learned to play my songs. So I was at these places just keep I just kept playing these six songs or whatever. And in my third year of UNI, I was at a pub in a place called Finsbury Park, and there's a pub called Finsbury and I was in there and some guys from a record label were in there having a drink and they were like, at least your songs, and I was like, yeah, they are, and then I got signed, and then it was kind of

like what is going on? And then I was kind of thrown into the studio and they were like, right now, go and write an album. And to be honest with you, I had no clue what I was doing because it was intimidating. It was, but I was like, this is funny, this is just like what's going on. I was in these that studios. I've never been a stude. I'm like that I kind of if I get phone in a

deep end, I'll find a way out, swim man. So my first album was me kind of learning learning my learning my trade really and kind of like finding my voice, finding my feet, finding my kind of rhythm, just finding my rhythm. And luckily enough the first album did like pretty well in England and kind of set me up.

But going into my second record was really where I was like, I feel like I know what I'm doing now and these aren't just these aren't songs that aren't just being kind of fitted to just written, and then kind of like, okay, that'll go on an album. This second record, Everying Road was blood sweating tears, and I really understood what it was to be an artist and what it was to make a record. Had the tools. I had the tools, I had the hammer, and I had the had the nail. Do you know what I mean?

And I nailed it in. I gotta say this is the best drunk karaoke success story I've ever heard in my entire life. Ye mate, do you know what, Next time I'm over there, We'll go karaoke together. What's your karaoke song? Oh man? I tend to go for the big ones. I'm like, if I'm doing karaoke, I'm like, listen, I'm going to sing for you. I'm like an Adele sky fool. And then and then I just dropped the mic.

I mean, just to hear how I mean this is somebody coming from somebody who loves music with all his heart and can't write a song and save his life. I mean to hear you being told, okay, go write an album. That would completely mess with my head. The thought of Okay, I gotta go write songs, and I would just I would freeze up. I'm so fascinated by people who sort of who are blessed with the ability to create something from nothing, to create a song from nowhere.

I wanted to ask you. It's funny. I was reading about David Bowie and and his his music with with Brian Eno that he would make and whenever they got stuck, Brian Eno would have these cards called oblique Strategies and they had little funny sentences on them with things like use fewer notes, or work at a different speed, or what would your best friend do. They always had these funny little suggestions to kind of like take your mind

to a different place. And they the cards called they're called oblique Strategies, and I think you can still buy them. They're out there. They're like these little decks of cars, and that would be what they would do to kind of prime the creative pump if they ever felt stuck. What do you do when when you feel stuck, when a song's not coming or you just you aren't feeling it,

you know what? I tend to just leave it. I'm like, right, I kind of say, like whoever I'm in a studio with, or if I'm on my own and I'm like on a roll, and then if I get stuck, I'll kind of be like, right, okay, cool, Then you go for a walk, because I know that there's something happening. When I feel like there's something happening in me, I'm like it's bubbling his bubble in his bubbling. But I don't tend to kind of like rush it. If I get stuck,

I'll go for a walk. I'll take the fresh air in and then that will tend that will give me a clear mindspace. But also, like I talked to a lot people, so like I'll go and get get a coffee or something, and I'll start up a conversation with a random person who might tell who might tell me something or might give me like a line from that conversation,

and then I'm storing that information. And then I'll come go home or go to the studio and they'd be like, right, that person there sparked that another idea in me that then carries on the train. Basically, So yeah, I tend to do that, but I'm actually gonna look into the bleak cards. I like that athletic. So when it comes to like writing lyrics and stuff, I have this thing where it's a washing line, so like it's like all

these like words on the washing line. Sometimes it will be like a physical like I've drawn the washing line out or it will be in here, and I'll have all these words that have kind of listened to herd on the TV, heard people talking, and like I'm always on my phone kind of jotting down these words that

I've never heard before, don't understand. I'll put them all on a washing line and then I'll kind of pick out these words and try to make two odd socks become like a pearly white pair of socks, and like that's what how I write, and that's how I understand words and how I understand sentences and stuff like that. So yeah, I think it's so visual. That's so cool. I read. I'm not sure this is true that you you recorded at Abbey Roads Studios. I was in Abbey

Road not too long ago. It was crazy. John Lennon's piano was still in there, man, and like, to be honest with you, like all of these like cigarette burns are still still still on the piano and stuff, and like, to be honest with you, it looks like a school piano, like that that the piano we have in school. When you hit a couple of notes, you're like, oh my gosh, I can hear different songs, do you know what I mean?

I can hear the record in the piano, which is crazy, to be honest, if you wasn't just John, like, I'm a massive led Zeppelin fan too, and a lot of their records were made there too, and I don't know, loads of people have been in Abbey Roads like loads of great and you feel like you do, feel like the presence of greatness has been in this room, and great songs have come out, and songs that have changed

the world have have been created in here. So yeah, it's very I was very honored to be in there, man, and very privileged to be in there too, So I didn't take any minute for granted, for sure it was. It was crazy. I mean, sort of building on that. What is next for you? I know, obviously touring everything's still strange right now, although I guess in the UK you're doing a lot better than than we are, it sounds like, but yeah, what are you looking forward to

in the next few months? I think for me, like, I'm looking forward to kind of getting back out there. And I know that we just said about the live shows, but honestly, like live is where I feel like I'm better live than on records, So I can't wait to kind of put on a show. I've got all these ideas for how I want the show to be, but to be honest with you, guy, just want to see, Like I want to see people living their lives again, man,

and and embracing each other and loving each other. And I feel like there's gonna be a love in the air when when when things are back to like what they were. But I can't wait for people to I can't wait to see like how people have responded to this record. I feel like right now things are kind of really going really good for me in England and pretty good for me in America too, which is crazy. And I feel like I'm I'm in the eye of

the storm at the moment. I haven't don't really know what's going on, because usually you would be kind of here there and every promo their promo there in this country, in that state and stuff like that. So I feel like I'm caught up in the eile storm where I don't really know. So I can't wait to kind of see how how much this record has connected with people and man, just enjoy it. I can't wait. Like I've never been happier and like this is crazy for me.

Like I'm just I'm just a boy from bedfood. To know what I mean. It's crazy, It's so good. Enjoy that is the crucial thing. Enjoy every everyone listening, just hold on to that. That that that joy. Oh my gosh, my last question has been such a I'm still going to joy. It's been such a joy talking to you everying road. It was such a chapter in your life, and now that chapter is closed, it's out there. What is the most important thing that you've learned in that period.

I think the most important thing I've learned from that period is that I never want to go back to that period. I never want to be the person that I was. I had a lot of things going on with my head, and I had a lot of demons, and I feel like all them. I've got loads of weight that is off my shoulders now, and honestly, like I've wake up and I say my three gratefuls every morning and it sounds so like cliche, but like doing that, man,

it's like it puts you in a good mood. And and I am so grateful for the position I'm in and and for the family that I've got and the friends that I've got around me. I'm never going to take anything for granted, and I always want to be like the best human I can be, because I believe when you give off good, good energy, man, you get that good energy back. And I just want to be given give a good energy out man, and that's all I can do. Right on, Tom, Thank you, thank you

so much for all the support. Man. Honestly, like I cannot wait to be out there, and I feel like American America's they need a nice English point in their life and I am that guy. I am ready. Well when you come over, we're gonna do karaoke, promise me. Thank you. We hope you enjoyed this episode of Inside

the Studio, a production of I Heart Radio. For more episodes of Inside the Studio or other fantastic shows, check out the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcast,