Hailing from Barnsley, Tom Hale has spent the last six months writing and recording his debut EP In The Night, which is out now.

Title and lead track In The Night is filled with sweeping, cinematic melodies that flow alongside Hale’s deep drawl and a soaring romanticism. Reminiscent of fellow South Yorkshire crooners Alex Turner and Richard Hawley, the track tells the story of a man falling in love in his dreams; it’s an epic, musically rich ballad filled with uplifting strings and an emotion-strewn power.

In this interview spotlight, we chat with Tom about the new project, influences, navigating the digital music world and more.

Full Q&A along with links and a stream of In The Night below.

Let’s dive a little deeper into You, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre(s) or style(s)?

Well, leading up to recording the EP I was listening to a lot of soundtrack music, more specifically Henry Mancini. I was fascinated by the melodies and percussion. I heard a song on an old airline advert when I was a kid and I remember being obsessed with it, I later found out that it was inspired by Mancini’s work so that’s how I got into his music.

What led you into this journey with music? And further, what drives you to push it out to the public?

I decided to go solo because I was slowly loosing interest being in a band. Even though in the future I will be playing live with a new band, I feel like I can concentrate more on myself and be more creative.

Who or what influences your creativity? Have your tastes in music changed over time?

Listening to new music definitely makes me more creative, I could listen to a track or band that I’ve never heard of before and the very next day record something with a similar vibe. I think that’s also a great way to work as you’re not restricted to one style of music for a long period of time.

Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?

I stepped out of my comfort zone a little on this new project. At first, I was just going to release the title track ‘In The Night’ as a single but I thought I could try and be clever by writing a story leading up to the final track. Therefore, I started writing the EP backwards and out came 5 tracks. It tells a story throughout the EP but it’s also open for the audience’s own interpretation.

What was the last song you listened to?

In Your Eyes by BadBadNotGood and Charlotte Day Wilson.

Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?

Vinyl.

How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?

Well, I use Spotify when I’m out and about so I’d have to go with that. It’s not the best way to make money as a band or artist but I think it’s great for when you’re on the move and it shouldn’t always be about the money anyway.

Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what is the biggest challenge you face when trying to connect with or find new fans?

From personal experience in the past I’d have to say gigging. You could turn up to a show and end up playing to no one depending on how the night has been promoted. However, it’s all experience and you have to start somewhere.

Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more music?

Probably Facebook, I’ll be on there frequently giving updates on upcoming material and future content. My music will also be on all streaming platforms so you can find it there.