Tommy All Along On the Making Of 'Things I Wanna Do'
What was the creative process like for this particular 'Things I Wanna Do?'
So much stuff goes on my mind on a daily basis that it’s hard to describe how I came up with the EP. There would be days when I’d be able to think or say some clever line, and I’d think, “Hey, this would be a good lyric”, and then build a song around that. Other days, I’ll have this melody stuck in my head, and do sort of a trial-and-error thing to see if it works better on a synth or on a guitar, and then the rest follows. And then other days, it’s a beat or a drum pattern that I get fixated on and see what type of chords work over the beat. There are also times when I’d watch some music theory video about chord progressions, and then I’d pick up my guitar and see how I can apply the things I’ve learned. The common thing with all these methods is I wanted to make sure I was writing songs based on my personal experience. That way, I can convey my thoughts and feelings through my music in a 100% genuine manner.
Can you talk about the recording and production process for 'Things I Wanna Do?'
Everything was performed, recorded, and produced from my bedroom (except drums and mastering). It’s messy. I don’t have a particular workflow, and I think going forward I should have one lmao. But for this EP, there wasn’t a standard process for each song. A song that had a synth melody come first (like the title track ‘Things I Wanna Do’) had a different workflow than a song that had the guitar riff come first (‘Roxy’). I’d start with whatever the main element of the song is, then I’ll add stuff in layer by layer until I have a rough demo track. I’d then send this to my drummer to record the drums. Once I get the drum track, I’d re-record anything that needs to be glued more to the drums (usually the bass and rhythm guitar), and then add some more elements to the song, such as lead synth and guitar parts. The mixing is the hardest part, as I’m not very good and I am still learning proper mixing techniques for the style I’m going after. Once I feel that the mix is done (and there have been many, many times where I thought it was done, but felt the need to adjust something anyway), I’d send it to the mastering engineer for the final output. I think due to the lack of a proper workflow, the entire process became more difficult than it should, but I gained a lot of knowledge and experience over the course of the EP’s production. No regrets, just lessons learned. I can still say it was a fun experience.
Which song do you like the best and why?
It’s got to be the title track ‘Things I Wanna Do’. I think it’s just a very in-your-face declaration of “Hey this is what I want”. I’m particularly also proud of that guitar solo (I know, it’s simple but I like it anyway), as well as the line “gotta feel how they feel, take what they take”, a reference to one of my favourite songs from The Chemical Brothers. I think it’s also a good summary of the album – all of the songs talk about things I enjoy or miss doing. The cherry on top is that I also get to drop an F-bomb lmao!
What inspired you to pursue a career in music?
I’ve been a musician for close to two decades now. Started in high school playing nu-metal stuff, went on to college playing keyboards for our reggae band, and in my early 30s, a bit of psych-flavoured reggae. This was also around the time when I started listening to indie music, courtesy of a local radio station that played these songs. When I moved abroad, I lost my sense of musical identity, if that makes sense. I tried playing reggae with some friends, and we got lucky to land a few local gigs. But then the pandemic happened, and everything came to a screeching halt. So I thought, “I’ve got nothing to do, and I really love how Real Estate, Beach Fossils, Turnover, Tame Impala, Mild High Club, Tennis, and all these other indie bands. They’re my heroes, and I should follow my heroes’ footsteps”. I picked up a cheap Squier offset from the Facebook marketplace, and Tommy All Along was created. It’s really just a continuation of my musical exploration from the past few years; a personal purpose renewed.
Looking ahead, what are your long-term goals and aspirations as a musician?
I’ll be honest, I’m not sure I want to get so big that I’m headlining festivals and stuff. My anxiety probably couldn’t handle the fame and the pressure that comes with it lol. I just want to continue writing, producing, and releasing songs. I’m working on putting a band together, so I also hope to play some local gigs and festivals once we’re ready. Then from there, we’ll see where we end up. Maybe by then, I'll feel more confident to go take on bigger gigs, bigger stuff. It’d be also nice to release music on vinyl records lol. I just hope to be able to make music until I can no longer physically or mentally do so. For now, I’m keeping my feet on the ground and just start small, and see where it takes me.
