Tom Grennan Talks No. 1 UK Album 'Evering Road'

Tom Grennan is enjoying his well-deserved success.

Weeks after scoring his first UK number one album with his second studio album, Evering Road, the British singer-songwriter, chatted with iHeartRadio, via email, about his recently released LP, his dream collaboration, his planned 2022 tour, and how the last year has impacted him as an artist.

Keep scrolling to read our full Q&A with Tom Grennan!

You just released your second full-length album, Evering Road. For someone who hasn't listened to the LP, how would you describe it? And what do you hope listeners get out of it?

For the people who haven’t listened to the album yet, I would say – this is a breakup album but not your usual breakup album as Evering Road is an uplifting one. My album tells a story about previous experiences in my personal life. I think it’s a cinematic experience, and when you listen to this album it makes you stop and think about what story the lyrics are really telling you. What I hope that people get out of it, is that it’s okay to make mistakes and that it’s the process of accepting and admitting those mistakes which make it better.

What did it feel like putting Evering Road out into the world? 

It was buzzing and felt so amazing. Of course, it was scary, and I was letting a lot of people in and listen to some of the things I’ve done. I wasn’t sure how people would receive the stories that I’m sharing, but so far, the response has been absolutely amazing. People are loving it and I feel so grateful.

How does this album compare to Lighting Matches? And how do you think you've grown as an artist since you released that LP?

I think that Lighting Matches was an album where I was still finding my voice. Since then, I’ve definitely grown into the artist that I’ve always wanted to be, and where I saw myself going. ‘Evering Road’ has been the most honest I’ve ever been and it’s not just a collection of songs like Lighting Matches was. This album shares experiences that have really happened in my life and show how I felt in those moments. They helped me realize a lot of things, and I feel that I’ve become a better artist because of them.

Would you say the eventful year that was 2020 shaped Evering Road in any way? And how would you say the year impacted you as an artist? 

The year 2020 did not shape Evering Road at all as I finished the album prior to the pandemic. However, it did shape me as an artist because I allowed myself to take time out and to take time to get myself healthy both physically and mentally. Now that I feel so much healthier, it has changed everything. My work ethic, the way that I was thinking, and it just made me want this even more and pushed me to become a better artist.

Now let's talk about a few tracks on the album. "Little Bit of Love," "This is the Place," and "Amen" are a few of my personal favorites. What songs on the album do you play the most/are your favorites? And why?

I listen a lot to ‘Sweeter Then’ and ‘Love Has Different Ways to Say Goodbye’ is one of my favorites. I just love these songs, I feel that I would listen to those tracks even if I didn’t write them myself. There are loads of different musical influences within these tracks like soul, pop, and gospel which is what I love.

You included your collab with Ella Henderson on the album. What was it like working with her on "Let's Go Home Together"? And who else would you like to collab with?

Working with Ella on this track was amazing, she’s amazing, and working on a project like that together was just great. She’s got one of the best voices out there I think, and I feel very proud to be on that record with her. She’s a great person too, and we’ve become really good friends.

In the future, I would love to collaborate with Tony Bennett and write a song with him.

You recently released your 2022 tour dates. What are you most excited about in regard to getting back on the road? And what can fans expect from a Tom Grennan show? 

I’m really looking forward to just seeing people smile, seeing people dance to my music and being able to embrace one another again. I want to have as much fun as possible on stage and I think live music has been greatly missed by everybody. It’s going to be amazing when I get on that stage again. What can you expect from a Tom Grennan show? An immersive experience and one that you’ll never forget, I will always try to make it the best show anyone’s ever seen.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Photo: Getty Images