TOM MANN Featured Artist

TOM MANN Featured Artist

Having promoted some of today’s best known and hottest music acts from when they began their journey, we’re pleased to showcase the amazing talent of solo star: Tom Mann

Tom Mann is a 19 year old singer/songwriter with a pop/soulful voice from Southampton

He impressed TV Judges with his rendition of ‘Let Her Go’ by Passenger whilst auditioning on the X factor earlier this series. His musical influences include Ed Sheeran, Glen Hansard, Damien Rice & Joe Brooks.

At MarkMeets, our passion, online presence and reputation for promoting fresh new talent offers artists offers a great platform for artists to be seen by even more people to succeed.

Tom Mann is the latest thing to be labelled as one of the UK’s most promising up and coming artists. By the age of 15 years old, Tom had already opened a London show for Jools Holland where over 5000 people watched on. Just months later, he featured live on-air with Nick Grimshaw and Annie Mac as part of BBC Radio 1’s Introducing show

In 2012 we saw the release of his debut EP “Decisions” onto iTunes, since then he’s released two tracks  “What Love Is” and “Falling For You” and is now about to hit the big time!

We caught up with Tom just after a new recording session where they gave us an exclusive interview.

How would you sum up your sound musically?
I think that’s a hard question for an artist you answer. You’ve obviously got the pop genre but there are so many different types of music that fall under that. Singer/songwriter is too vague.
If I had to compare myself to other artists, it’s quite Ed Sheeran-like, but I like to think there is a bit of a soulful voice in there as well also. I take inspiration from Paolo Nutini and artists like that. I do think my voice is a bit different and quirky.

Little Mix star Perrie Edwards is a fan of yours, do you get excited when you hear about famous people liking your music?
Absolutely, it’s amazing! She’s been through the whole experience on The X Factor so knows better than anyone what I’m going through at the moment. To get appreciation from someone like that who has done so well is a massive confidence booster.

Gary Barlow is very excited about your potential? Would you like to work with Gary if the opportunity arose?
Yeah, he’s the main judge I wanted to get on my side as he is the head-judge figure. From a personal point of view I look up to him as a songwriter. He has made a long career out of music as is the best person on the panel to judge talent as he is very honest and stern when he needs to be. I would definitely want to work with him.

Your cover of ‘Let Her Go’ by Passenger now has over 350,000 figures…do you check stats like this, do you Google yourself?
When it first went out I was checking the views, in a situation like mine you only compare yourself to the other contestants with their views and stuff.
It’s just crazy. Before X factor came along I was just doing covers and it was a few hundred or a few thousand views; then suddenly I am on national television and I get views like that!

As you were growing up, what bands and artists did you listen too?
My music in the past was a bit different as I was in a few bands and they were edging towards Indie-Rock; so when I was 13/14 I listened to a lot of stuff by
The Killers, Artic Monkeys and all the music that was cool. AT 16/17 I wanted to pursue music more acoustically and so I started listening to artists like
Jack Johnson and Damien Rice as I knew that was the kind of music that I wanted to make.

Who is the most played person on your Ipod now?
At the moment it’s Labyrinth.
Yes you did a medley of covers
I just think maybe there isn’t a lot of similarities between myself and him but he’s not just a singer, he’s a songwriter and every song that he releases is different to the previous one and I absolutely love that. I don’t see the point of bands and artists releasing songs that sound the same and he makes each song his own, each one is different and not only that he produces loads of stuff and he works with loads of upcoming talent and things like that.

Do you have a celebrity crush?
It’s too cliché for me to say Nicole…but my ultimate celebrity crush is Jennifer Aniston! I grew up watching friends and have watched every episode.
She’s perfect for me.

Do you have a name for your fans?
Yeah and it’s only a recent thing because I hadn’t been able to come up with one though I knew I needed one. A few people suggest ‘MannFans’
Which is the most obvious one
Exactly. After my Arena audition X factor tweeted and gave me my nickname…Tom’Mannimal’Mann. It’s really random and I don’t know where it came from!
I love it.
It is! They quoted something like a singing panther with an outrageous quiff.

Who would you most like to collaborate with if you had the opportunity?
(Has a little think…12 seconds later).
Maybe Katy Perry if you had to pick a female or someone like Tom Jones as a male singer or the Killers?
I can’t really give a specific answer but when you said Katy Perry Mark I would like to work with a female pop singer but not to necessarily sing with them  but to write them a song. I think I could write some good songs for them and I would love to do that eventually.

What is next for you over the 6 months?
It’s hard to say I’m trying to capitalise on all the support that has come my way and plan to do some gigs.
I would love to do a UK tour as I want to get around the country. There is someone so intimidate about seeing an artist live.

Thanks Mark for having me as your featured artist and supporting me.
It was your fans who put you forward. Good luck Tom and I can’t wait to catch up with you soon.