Neil Thomas
Neil Thomas is an incredibly talented and cute singer/songwriter. If you love John Mayer, I guarantee you will fall in love with this mans music. His sweet voice will warm your heart like hot chocolate on a cold day. Checkout his music, vote for your favorite song and become a fan today!
Behind The Scenes With Neil Thomas:
Q: What state did you grow up in?
A: I grew up in twickenham, west london, which famous for its huge rugby ground. i didn’t really hang out there much growing up as i went to a school in central london. it was a bit of a bummer living so far from most of my classmates but it meant that i stayed in and messed about on the guitar rather than go out and get drunk!
Q: What style of music do you play?
A: tough question to answer. you tell me! i try to write songs that have a definite idea behind them, but the style changes according to the theme. i don’t come from a musical ‘scene’, so i like to try a bit of everything.
Q: Who is your biggest inspiration?
A: It’s between three people:
1. Jimi Hendrix. everything that man did was amazing. effortlessly cool,
2. Stevie Wonder: one of the greatest musicians of all time
3. Joni Mitchell: her song Both Sides Now made me want to write songs.
Q: At what age did you start performing/playing/singing?
A: When i was sixteen, my mum taught me a few chords on a spanish guitar she bought in the 1970s for £5. i bought a bashed-up Les Paul copy (by Avon who make cleaning products, makeup etc!) in a second-hand shop and I started to learn Alanis Morrisette songs, ac/dc riffs and solos… and then i discovered hendrix. his guitar playing and imagination blew my mind. i bought a drum kit when i was 19, became obsessed with Bernard Purdie, legendary session drummer, and am still trying to master his grooves even now. i never considered myself a singer until i was 21 but my friends seemed to think i could do a decent impersonation of chet baker and stevie wonder and there didn’t seem to be many tuneful male singers around.
Q: What goal do you hope to accomplish in the next year?
A: Put a record out, play a bunch of shows, meet some lovely people. the usual!
Q: If you could interview with any guest dead or alive who would it be and why?
A: They say you should never meet your heroes so I’ll pick someone outside of music… Louis CK. He’s the funniest standup comedian alive and incredibly clever.
Q: What piece of advice would you like to share with people looking to break into the entertainment industry successfully?
A: Work on your craft. there’s an amazing interview i saw on the internet with michael jackson explaining that he used to study his heroes obsessively, note for note, move for move. that said, don’t make the best album anyone’s NEVER heard… get your stuff out there. play shows, make your recordings available on the internet… if you believe in what you do so will other people.
Q: How many years were you fighting to get to where you are today and what was that time in your life like?
A: I’m nowhere near where i want to be right now but i’m on my way. i’m still fighting and it’s tough to keep yourself motivated sometimes when you’re doing it all on your own. you don’t have the moral support that you have in a band, but i believe in my music and i know it’s just a matter of hard work and dedication.
Q: What course/classes would you recommend someone take if they want to be a professional singer?
A: I’m a self-taught musician but i did come across a singing teacher on youtube called Dileesa Hunter. look her up. she knows what she’s talking about!
Q: What education did you take that got you into the career you are in today?
A: I didn’t study music at school. i wanted to be a lawyer, but when music took over from my studies i didn’t get the grades i needed to get into oxford university, so i decided to do a music course. i got a diploma in popular music performance which in turn got me onto a course at LIPA in Liverpool (set up by Paul McCartney in the mid-1990s). i loved living in liverpool and being around so many creative people but i still consider myself self-taught.
Q: Does music run in the family?
A: my mum has a very musical ear, getting a tune out of anything: ukulele, accordion… Hawaiian nose flute (seriously). she can sight-read on the piano but she has no patience for practice. i still hear her play the same pieces with the same mistakes in the same places! my dad played the trumpet and got to grade 8 theory (i have no idea what that means!) when he was young but he’s more or less tone-deaf (sorry dad but you know it’s true!)… my sister’s got a great ear too. in fact, two of them. she used to play cello and had a good feel for it, and i seem to remember from long car journeys that she sings very sweetly too…
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