Back in December we slotted Tom A. Smith as one of 2022’s breakout performers, and here we are months later watching the artist living his truth. The teenage wonder from Sunderland dropped his second EP this past Friday (August 5) in the appropriately titled EP2, and it continues upward momentum for the skilled British songwriter who has not only become a bit of a press and radio darling back in the homeland, but was also selected by Elton John to join his British Summer Time show at Hyde Park in June. Not a bad bit of leveling up.
“EP2 is a real progression lyrically for me and I’m so pleased with how it’s turned out,” Smith says. “All of the tracks I recorded with Larry [Hibbitt] are true to the original demos I recorded in my bedroom and for good measure we added a home recording of a lovely little acoustic song that’s a favorite of mine. So happy with how it’s turned out.”
The EP release is augmented by a pair of early-’22 singles — “Could I Live With Being Fake” and “Never Good Enough” — and a new spotlight track called “Man Overboard,” a fluid alt-rock yearner that’s showcasing his elevated sense of songwriting. It touches on the struggles many of us felt at the start of the pandemic and how resilience was the key to moving forward. We can all click with that.
Smith adds: “‘Man Overboard’ has without a doubt the best lyrics I’ve ever written. I struggled at the beginning of lockdown and it was songwriting and sending home recordings to my management that kept me focused. The first line summed up my mental health at the time — I put a brave face on it, I put on a front, but even the sharpest tools I have are feeling blunt. From start to finish I’m proud of the lyrics in that song.”
Get into it all below.