o2 Institute Birmingham, 10/12/21
21-year-old Thomas Headon has been on his first headline tour around the UK since the beginning of this month, a tour that, like many others, has been rescheduled multiple times, as a result of this thing called Covid (you might be familiar with this, by now). This tour was due to end last Wednesday, however, as a result of Headon losing his voice and ending up on vocal rest, these were rescheduled, making Birmingham his final tour date of the year.
This interview has been scheduled in since August, and originally was supposed to have taken place at the Oxford show (27/11/21), however, as a result of Headon’s vocal rest, we rescheduled it to Southampton three days later. The tour was then called off, before revised dates were announced. Yesterday (10/12/21), I travelled to Birmingham to watch the final night of tour and have a catch-up with Thomas backstage, before the gig.
We had a slot of half an hour to complete the interview in, however, we both talk a lot, so a half an hour interview very quickly became a one-hour interview, which I’m very grateful for (prior to having to transcribe our conversation – that was the less fun bit, by a mile). I was also very intimidated by him - he's 6 ft 10 (is that ok, Thomas?)
Silence & Sound: Hello Thomas, thank you so much for joining me for a chat! How are you?
Thomas Headon: I’m good. That’s ok, Katie, anytime. I am slightly cold. This is not the nicest dressing room to be in, but we move. Really high budget here – champagne, flowers everywhere!
S&S: So, we’re currently in Birmingham, ahead of your show this evening at the o2 Institute. How are you feeling about tonight’s gig? Do you have any expectations from the crowd or the general vibe of the show?
TH: Um, not really. We’re in the midlands, aren’t we? Is this the midlands? I guess this is the midlands. I think the crowd’s going to be good. It’s quite a big venue, I’m quite scared people won’t turn up, but it’s fine.
S&S: There’s people queueing up outside, already!
TH: Is there? Ok, that’s good stuff. Oh, actually I know that because I tried to go get a coffee before, but I couldn’t – there were people queueing. Um, yeah, so I’m excited. How am I feeling about it? Good, it’s the last show of the year, so it’s gonna be big and like fun, um, and party, but um, I just cancelled a few shows, not too long ago, I’m slightly worried that my voice won’t hold up, but we move, it will be fine!
S&S: You’ve been touring extensively over the course of the month, and tonight is your last show - overall, how have you found the tour to have been?
TH: Tour’s been sick! It’s been good. It still hasn’t sunk in that this tour is like finishing, almost, there’s two shows left in March, but like, they’re not really related. Because this tour has been rescheduled so many times, it’s like slightly strange to me that it’s actually happening, I guess, because I remember even when we turned up in Brighton (the first show of the tour), in like a van, and like I got to the venue and I was just like, “nah, this show is not gonna happen”, and then it just continued to be that way every time we turned up at the venue, going forward. But it’s been sick, it’s been cool to actually, finally do it, and play to people and see people sing my words. It’s really weird, like where the fuck has everyone come from? There’s a lot of people [on] this tour, so, scary, but fun; I have enjoyed it.
S&S: I’ve been to a number of shows this year, and I noticed that at every one, you claimed the crowds to have been the loudest. Which date has been your favourite, and why, and also, which show really was the loudest?
TH: I think, ok, yes, I am going to have to claim that tonight, it’s fine, just ignore that, pretend I didn’t! Um, I think the loudest… It’s a bad judge because I changed my in-ears half-way through the tour. When I started the tour, I had these like really shitty ones, so everything could get in my ear, like the crowds were so loud, and then a little bit through [the tour], I got different ones, and I was like, “ok, I can hear more”, but the crowd’s still loud. We’d just started playing up north, I got these ones that are just like moulded to my ear, and those you can’t hear anything through, but when you can hear stuff, it means that the crowd is fucking really loud. So, I’m going based on that, I’m actually gonna say Manchester was probably the loudest, probably followed by Leeds and I think they were my favourite shows. Manchester was a sick venue, so I really liked Manchester. Leeds was like, I think, really fun because it was just like a university and everyone was just fucking wild. Same with Bristol; Bristol was quite a…Bristol was like a massive concrete venue-
S&S: Yeah, Bristol was like half outside.
TH: Yes! It was so cold but that was also quite loud, I think, and also like that crowd was really fun. Um, Cardiff as well. I think probably my favourites have been Manchester and Leeds, um, but there have been a lot of loud ones. None of them have been bad, though, sorry, I’m ranting, none of them have been like…I’ve had none that have been like, “ah, that was a shit show”, and if there was, it was because I did shit, and not because of the crowd. There’s my answer, thank you.
S&S: Back in the summer, you did a run of intimate shows, along with a slot on the Radio 1 Dance Stage at Reading and Leeds Festival. Did these lead you to have any expectations for your autumn headline shows?
TH: That’s a great question! Well, yeah, I actually thought that they’d be the same, but I haven’t done any touring, and I think people often forget that, on this tour, that like I haven’t really done any touring, besides those summer shows and Reading and Leeds, yeah, I kinda literally expected…it’s weird to see like 900-1000 people in a room, when like in those summer shows the biggest room was like 300 people in London, and in Manchester it was like 250, 'cause to me I was like, “ah, fuck, that’s a lot of people”, but then like, to get out here and there’s like almost every night, it’s like 800. So, I thought it would be really small, and I also thought that no-one would turn up the whole time, and I’m still holding onto that thought because then when people do turn up, I’m really happy. But, yeah, it hasn’t been like that. It’s been quite scary.
S&S: Considering you built up the majority of your fanbase over the course of the pandemic when touring and meet and greets were not possible, were you at all surprised by the size of the crowds at both your festival shows and headline shows, and did your prior shows help you to prepare for these larger scale gigs? I mean, it’s kind of like what you were saying, I guess.
TH: Yeah, no, it’s cool. Yeah, massively! I also think like festivals were interesting 'cause I guess we did those summer shows, and it was like, “cool”, it was like I went out after every time, and it was like, “well, I know you because we like interact online everyday”, and you occasionally met people where it was like, “cool, I don’t know who you are, but tell me your name,” and later you’ll see them like taking a photo, and it’s like, “ah, you’re you” and that’s cool. Festivals, and even like these shows, it’s felt weird because it’s like, “who the fuck are you, and why are you here to see me?”, which is cool, but at the same time, it’s like, “you’re like four years older than me, why do you want a photo with me? Who are you?” But like, it’s cool, I love it, so I’ve been very surprised, but like, fun.
S&S: Do you have any pre-show rituals to help you prepare before you go on stage?
TH: Not really. We do a group hug. Casper, Stella and I do a group hug, I warm up. I used to not drink before shows, but now I do. Not recently, though, because my voice was fucked and then in Glasgow, I had an allergic reaction, so I didn’t drink then, either. But now I do 'cause at like every show - I’m not drunk, but like I get on stage after having like one or two beers, and then I’m like, “oh, I can do this better now!”, and I feel good, um, so not like drink, but that’s something that I do before I go on stage. I don’t eat before I go on stage, so then I finish the show at like ten, and I’m like so hungry. Yeah, not really, no.
S&S: What would you say have been your favourite and least favourite aspects of touring and tour life?
TH: Well, I got sick – that wasn’t fun. Favourite is playing the show, I think, definitely. Also, the lead up is fun, like doing this [interview] is fun because like there’s so much waiting around. Every time I talk to someone it’s like, “I want to be a tour manager” or something, and I’m just like, “I hope you’re ready to be bored all the time” because it’s so boring. But at the same time, it’s fun to just like be in the dressing room and like throw Doritos at your drummer or like, I discovered this tour that [shows the drink that is in his hand] this is boiling water and ginger beer. Strange combination, but it’s fucking incredible! It’s like warm ginger beer and it’s fizzy, it’s amazing! So, yeah, that is a lot of waiting which is fun, especially the lead up. Least favourite, yeah, it’s so easy to get sick. Also, in the fucking winter, you’re hugging and like meeting so many people, and you’re eating shit, like Doritos every day and water and ginger beer, so probably that.
S&S: If you were to sum your shows up in 3 words, what 3 words would you use?
TH: Really fucking good. Had that one in the bag!
S&S: That was good!
TH: What would you say, Katie?
S&S: I don’t know! I did think that was what you were going to say, to be honest!
TH: You did think? Yeah, nice, maybe I should be more original. Um, let’s say unexpected, life-changing and spiritual. Let’s say that!
S&S: You were born in the UK, but later moved to Australia, before moving back to London a couple of years ago. What made you want to make this move?
TH: I said to my mum when I finished high school that, it’s a long story, but I knew my managers; they were like the only people in the entire music industry that I knew, and I have a British passport, so I can come here and live here. And then, I finished high school and was like, “well, I wanna try and do music”, so the plan was to come to London for a year and see if it works and then if after a year it doesn’t work, I’ll literally just move back to Australia and go to uni. So, I did that, and it was cool and they put me in like…I worked in a gay bar serving drinks for money, and that was great, so that’s how I got money and how I paid rent. And then they [his managers] put me into like writing sessions and then, yeah, Grace came out and I was like, “Fuck, I’ve got a job!”, which is great, and I’m still riding it so far…as long as you keep turning up to shows, I have a job. Please keep coming!
S&S: What’s the Melbourne music scene like, and how does it compare to that of the London music scene, or even just the UK in general?
TH: I mean, Australia is big physically, but also a very small country, so I could probably name five people right now that you never would have heard of, you’d probably like their music, but you probably wouldn’t have heard of them, which is because it’s so far removed. I think Australia is great, but it is quite literally, because of its location, its own world. It’s very similar to like the UK and the US, but it is just its own world and London and the UK is like the global hub of the whole world and so some of the biggest acts in the world will go to Australia every two, three years, if they’re lucky, recently especially. And here, that’s just where everyone is, so it doesn’t really feel like there is a roof here, it feels like you can be as big as you want to be, you just have to do it, and in Australia, if you want to be bigger than you are in Australia, then you have to leave at some point. That’s probably the main difference, other than that, everyone in Australia is in like a surf indie rock band and here it’s like pop music. That’s the difference.
S&S: You did a few shows when you were in Australia back in December/January time - how did you find that tour, considering it consisted of some of your first shows back, coming out of lockdown?
TH: It was just so bad, because I was bad, I was so bad. You know, I’m actually so glad that these shows are happening now because I am so much better than I was when they would’ve gone on. Um, it was good to play at home, I guess. It’s different, it’s weird because it was quite amazing to me that I could play shows in Australia because I started getting a following and an audience there, but the biggest, main difference was that they were shit shows, really, but cool. It is still weird that people went to those shows, and we’re just like sitting here. What are they doing right now? Are they like sleeping, do you think? Probably like sleeping.
S&S: And how have the Australia crowds compared to the UK crowds? Do you feel that you get the same kind of reception and energy?
TH: I can’t really say because I didn’t play with a band, I just played acoustically [in Australia]. Ah, but I did play acoustically here. Yeah, good, I guess. I guess it was the same. It’s weird, the summer tour we did here, which was acoustic, it felt like I knew everyone at those shows, whereas the shows I did in Australia, were kinda just like, “hi, I exist in your country.” So, I guess it was probably the same reception, but I can’t really compare it.
S&S: So, when writing your setlist for your concerts, is the process based on fan favourites and what they ask you to play on social media or during livestreams, or do you put it down to your own personal preference?
TH: It’s definitely personal preference. There’s a lot of songs that I don’t play. I didn’t realise this until the other day: I don’t play my song Bored, which I think at the moment is my number 2 song on Spotify. So, I don’t play Bored, mainly because I’m also missing half the person that sings the song, but, nevertheless, we don’t play Bored. Probably personal preference, but also fan…like there’s songs on the setlist that I hate singing-
S&S: Which ones?
TH: No! (Laughs) Well, I hate singing Loving You. Loving you sucks to sing! I found out the other day because Casper is like Charlie Puth – you can be like “what note’s that?” and he can be like, “B” – he realised the whole track of Loving You is like, when it was produced, it’s been like detuned. Josh, that I did it with, is like super experimental and does all of these like weird things; he detuned like everything in his studio, so we made Loving You and I was like, “cool!” and then it’s come to playing it live and we’ve always been like, “it sounds weird” and then Casper figured it out and was like, it’s completely off tuning and we’re all like off-key to the song. So, I hate singing Loving You, but we move. There’s not really a lot of pressure from fans online…I mean, there is, but I can’t really like…there’s songs that I have on Soundcloud that I can’t really like sing at these shows because like 75% of the crowd will be like, “what are you doing, like I don’t know what this song is.”
S&S: With that in mind, can we ever expect to hear you play any of your older, unreleased tracks live?
TH: I’d like to, I just don’t know how it would work. I think, maybe one day? Maybe when I’m like old. I don’t know, maybe not. If like Covid didn’t happen, and I’m touring the way I was always meant to tour, then probably, but at the moment, probably not cause this tour is just my first tour, way bigger than anyone expected it to be, which is cool and amazing and I love it, but still like, I think one day, definitely. Near future? Probably not. Sorry, Katie.
S&S: It’s alright! I was hoping for Bridie (an old Soundcloud song of Thomas’s), though! No, I wasn’t - I’m joking!
TH: No! Fuck Bridie! (laughs)
S&S: You obviously have built up quite a large following over the past couple of years, and a lot of your fans are relatively young. Do you feel as though you have a responsibility to be a role model and to be on hand to offer advice, especially on your weekly livestreams, and if so, has this created any added pressure on you as an artist?
TH: Wow. Did you think of that question? That’s fucking deep, man. Um, I guess I do, but at the same time, I’m also a big fan of, like I used the internet from a young age. I think I started going on YouTube in like 2010, which was still so early days of like YouTube and shit, so I’ve like watched things that I, not like horrible things, but like creators that definitely were not suitable for like ten-year-olds to be watching. Ten-year-olds were watching it, because that’s just how the internet works, but definitely wasn’t suitable. But at the same time, I’m a big fan of like parental control and censorship, [and] in ways, [it’s] needed. That’s way deeper than you asked, but point being, yeah, I think there is pressure that I need to be a role model, but at the same time, I’m not going to change who I am because of it. Yes, that is a good answer. Thank you. I am not media trained, at all.
S&S: I actually discovered your music around 2017, when you only had about one hundred YouTube subscribers. Since then, your following has significantly grown and you’ve had mainstream radio play. Would you regard yourself as a famous person, and how would you say that your life changed, since the earlier days in your career?
TH: No, I wouldn’t say I’m famous. I think fame is when you’re like Justin Bieber or like Billie Eilish, um, I definitely wouldn’t say I’m famous. Has my life changed? I don’t think my life’s really changed. I feel no different, that’s one thing. The only difference is I think I use social media differently and I have a different relation with it since I started doing this, it’s a lot more, it’s got really deep, it’s a lot more stressful now. But, that at the same time, I think it’s just getting older, as well. Like, you realise that like when you’re seventeen, it’s just like, “oh yeah, look at all of these pretty people on the internet”, and then you get older and it’s like, “fuck this place!”, sometimes. That’s probably the only difference, really, nothing else has changed. I still really like music, the same way I always have, more so now, I think, the way that I can do it and it can be a job and there’s people that like care. No, I don’t think anything has changed and I’m not famous. Thank you. (laughs)
S&S: Have you been recognised anywhere by fans, and if so, what’s the weirdest place or situation that someone has spotted you in?
TH: The only one that I can think of off the top of my head is I was at a nightclub in Australia and I was in the state you’re in when you’re in a nightclub at like 2 o’clock in the morning. That wasn’t great. It was fine, but obviously I was just not prepared, I was like…all my friends were like, “oh shit!” and I’m taking all these photos like, “ahhh” (laughs). Oh! Shit! No, I remember! I was in the middle of nowhere. This was like summer of 2020, where pubs were only like outdoors, still Covid. Me and my girlfriend at the time went to the middle of nowhere, to escape London, like middle of fucking nowhere, and there were like three people around us. This [man] comes up and he’s like, “excuse me, are you Thomas?” and then he’s like, “yeah, my daughter’s a big fan” and I was like, “no fucking way!” We were genuinely like in the middle of nowhere, I don’t remember where it was, but that was really weird. That’s probably it – nightclubs and the middle of nowhere.
S&S: When did you realise that you wanted to be an artist, and was there anything or anyone in particular who inspired you? And if so, how did you come to find them, and what was it about them that you particularly liked or felt influenced by?
TH: I don’t think I realised like, “I wanna be an artist”, but like I realised that I wanted to make my own music when I was like probably fifteen. I was a big Ed Sheeran fan. Is that like cringey to say now?
S&S: I don’t know? I was a massive Ed Sheeran fan. I don’t listen to him as much now, but I was like a hardcore fan before.
TH: Yeah! Totally! I was an absolute hardcore Ed Sheeran fan. I watched people like him. My sister got me into music like properly. She took me to a bunch of gigs when I was like fourteen or fifteen, until I left Australia, so like eighteen, and I always went to shows with her, and then that started out being like Ed Sheeran to, you know, one hundred people, then The 1975 to two-hundred people, Twenty One Pilots to two-hundred people, and then like a year later, they were like [playing to] three thousand people and then a year later after that, it was like twelve thousand. So, I was like, I think, there probably wasn’t one moment where I was like, “I wanna do that!”, but just like over the course of like a year and a bit, following them online, I was like, “you’re doing that, that’s cool! And now you’re big – wow!”
S&S: So, you’ve just announced your new EP, Victoria, which is set for release on 11th March. Were the six songs that made the track listing all written specifically for this collection, or something else entirely?
TH: Go pre-order it! No, they weren’t. I don’t really do that. I’m not a very good musician – I don’t really like write for a thing, I just write a bunch. No, I had like a breakdown after my second EP, had a bit of a breakdown, and didn’t know what I was doing, and then I just wrote heaps and heaps and kind of realised how I wanted to make music again, and then, yeah, so there’s probably like ten songs that I was like, “these could be part of this”, and so I picked these six. But it’s hard to pick, though, because you’ve got to, I do think in projects it’s not like six random songs, they all do technically interconnect in some way, or have like a recurring theme. Yeah, that’s that, I think. You should go pre-order it! (The beauty of editing – here’s the link, no excuses! https://thomasheadon.tmstor.es/products/menu/Music You’re welcome, Thomas!)
S&S: How did you choose which songs were going to feature? Was it an easy process or are there some that didn’t make the cut?
TH: The songs that didn’t make the cut suck! I signed a record deal, like the EP was done and I was like, “cool! This is it, this is how it’s going to be” and started making artwork and everything, then like things started to change a bit, but not too much [when he signed the record deal], like everything was still the same, but then I added a bonus track to like the physical, and then physical became an option and all this stuff. So, it wasn’t hard to pick, and it was quite clear what songs would be on it, but then all of the things that came with signing a deal, like we need a bonus track or we need to do this for Apple Music, because they want their own track, [so then] it was kind of difficult to pick, but we got there in the end.
S&S: Do you think there are any general themes on this EP, and if so, what are they?
TH: Very suburban. It focuses a lot on boredom. Boredom in suburbia. And everything that surrounds that – that’s the main idea.
S&S: Did lockdown help you creatively and allow you to really polish your new material, or did you find it to be really uninspiring and difficult to write new songs? And in what ways do you think it changed the creative process for you?
TH: I think it was super uninspiring, but it was so good because I realised I mainly don’t like writing with other people; I write everything just by myself. Yeah, I think so. It sucked, obviously, but it gave me the space to be able to be like, “no, I don’t want to do that with that person, I just want to do that by myself”, and then I did, and then everyone was like, “oh ok, you did that, well done, keep that up!” So, probably that.
S&S: So, the first track from the EP that we heard at your intimate shows, Nobody Has To Know, has a really early 2000s alternative rock sound to it, taking on a slightly different musical direction in comparison to the sound on your previous two EPs (which I absolutely love, by the way). Was this a conscious decision to change your sound up a bit, and what inspired you to take on this sound?
TH: Great question! I mean, I do like my other EPs, they’re cool, but like, I think…that this EP is the music that I grew up listening to; I grew up listening to bands like Blur and Busted and McFly, [which all] have that early 2000s Avril Lavigne kinda sound to [them], it’s [The Victoria EP] not like hardcore that, but it’s still more in that direction than like my second EP, for example. And that, I think, is why lockdown was great for me creatively in some way, because I didn’t have to go into a recording session with someone and…so it was just me and a guitar, and that’s what it kinda stemmed from. Yeah, I think it was a conscious decision, definitely, and I’m glad that I took it. Now, I’m just going to keep doing that.
S&S: In addition to this, the storytelling on this track really reminds me of the novel and TV series, Normal People, by Sally Rooney. First of all, if you’re not familiar with this, you should definitely check it out! But would you say that your songs and lyrics within your tracks are autobiographical, or do you tend to base the concepts on characters or experiences that you’ve heard about from people around you? Or is it a mix of the two?
TH: Normal People was actually a reference for the music video, which I did with Jordan Curtis Hughes, and yeah, he was like, “it’s so Normal People, you should watch that” and I was like, “yeah, cool!” It’s [the lyrics] a mix of the two. It’s usually more biographical. But then, you know, sometimes a song comes out and I’m like, “well, don’t read the lyrics, just 'next!'. Don’t look at that one.” Anyway, I usually say biographical.
S&S: Do the currently unreleased tracks from your upcoming project follow a similar musical direction to your most recent singles, or do they differ in any way?
TH: No, they’re totally the same. I’m so happy now with where I am musically and when I am doing stuff with other people, I’m just there being like, “I want it this way” and it’s great because I’m so stubborn about that, as well. Yeah, no, they’re not really different, I don’t think. It’s still all the same box, you would say.
S&S: Can we expect to hear any of these songs prior to the release of the full EP, or are we going to have to wait until March to hear any more?
TH: I can’t say that. I can’t say that, but the playlist tonight – it’s the same playlist, but I’ve put a couple of unreleased songs in there, so if you come to the shows, everybody, you can hear everything! (laughs)
S&S: You’ve also recently released Strawberry Kisses, which really seemed to be the fan favourite following your run of summer shows, and the music video is really fun with you with your friends on fairground rides. How was the process of filming that music video, and do you have any funny stories from the shoot?
TH: Dude, it was a fucking nightmare. I had a camera strapped to me the whole day, it was a twelve-hour shoot, ah, it was a fucking nightmare. Also, those cameras are fucking heavy! And obviously we were on a ride, with that digging in to my abdomen, ah! It was fucking terrible! The shoot itself? Sure. My friend, Ailbhe [Lower], was there, he’s a nightmare, Stella was there, too, she’s a nightmare! Like, love ‘em both, but fuck! Great day, but also worst day ever!
If you’ve made it this far, then thank you very much! To round off our interview, Thomas and I did some not-so-quick-fire questions for fun (but I’ll let him be the judge of that!)
S&S: Name an album you could not live without?
TH: (Thomas starts singing Sparks by Coldplay, trying to remember which album it’s on. I have no idea. Already it’s not very quick fire. We spend almost two minutes trying to figure it out). Coldplay - Parachutes.
S&S: If you weren’t a musician, what would your job be?
TH: I’d want to be a pilot, I really like planes! And that is true, thank you very much!
S&S: Do you have a stamp collection, though?
TH: Well, no I don’t, but let’s keep telling everyone I do. I did an interview once, and I did a lot of quick-fire questions, so I just started making up the answers.
S&S: Have you ever been starstruck, and if so who by?
TH: I met a certain member of One Direction on a boat once, that was enjoyable. Oh, no! Backstage at Reading, I saw The Kid Laroi! That was the most fucking hype moment of my entire life!
S&S: What was the last lie you told?
TH: That I have a stamp collection.
S&S: What song is in your head, right now?
TH: Coldplay – Sparks (Thomas starts singing again)
S&S: What’s your favourite form of potato?
TH: I think roast. (we high five). Fried is like too versatile, it’s so easily accessible. Roast is like, “this is fucking good.”
S&S: What’s your favourite lyric that you’ve ever written?
TH: (Thomas starts singing his Soundcloud track, Uncultured). It’s just an empathetic symphony that plays when you cross my mind. I fucking wrote that. What a guy. That one, probably, I think that's my favourite.
S&S: What’s your favourite lyric written by someone else?
TH: Oh, good question! It's probably...I don't know! Shit! It's probably a [The] 1975 one, or like Phoebe Bridgers.
S&S: What’s one topic that you could talk about for hours and hours?
TH: Planes. Definitely planes. [laughing] It's not a joke, I love planes, man!
S&S: What’s a random fact about yourself that might surprise some people?
TH: I always carry toothpicks on me. All the time.
S&S: Really?
TH: Yeah, got them on me right now.
S&S: Really?
TH: Yep, see.
S&S: Is that a lie?
TH: Nope, see?
S&S: Ah, ok. Wow! That's a lot of toothpicks!
TH: I know! So many toothpicks!
S&S: Sorry, what did you say was the last lie you told?
TH: (Laughs)
(ironically, Thomas later walks on stage in an "all men are liars" t-shirt - fitting, really.)
S&S: What’s the most rock and roll thing you have ever bought?
TH: Just before, actually, I bought my own song on iTunes, so I could put it in a TikTok. I couldn't find a file, and then I tried to rip it off YouTube, but it wasn't working. I had to buy my own song on iTunes. That wasn't very enjoyable.
S&S: What’s your favourite/most recent new music discovery that you think everyone should be checking out?
TH: Wet Leg. (we high five again - everyone needs to check out Wet Leg) Absolutely, Wet Leg.
S&S: Are you more of a sunset or sunrise person?
TH: Sunset. Fuck sunrise! I get it, sunrise is great, but I'm not fucking getting up in the dark! Fuck that, man! No thanks. Wait, what are you?
S&S: Sunset! I don't wanna get up early!
TH: No, yeah! Fucking horrible!
S&S: What’s your favourite board game?
TH: This German one, which my manager introduced me to, called Mensch ärgere Dich nicht, which basically translates to like, "don't get angry". You roll the dice, get on the board, when you like roll a six, or something, and you've just gotta make your way around the board, and you've got like one corner. You each have one corner, there's up to four players, and you've got to make your way around the board, but you can get each other out, and then you have to go back to your corner, and try to roll a six to get back in. First one to get like four pieces around the board or like in your zone wins. Can genuinely take like three hours, sometimes. It's so much fun, though 'cause you just hate all your friends.
S&S: If you could see any artist, living or dead, in any place, who would you see and where would you see them?
TH: Wet Leg in... no! Fuck that! I'd go see like Mozart in like the o2! Mozart o2 concert. Yeah! Who would yours be?
S&S: Like The 1975 in Paris, probably.
TH: That would be cool, yeah. Ah, that is actually quite cool, yeah!
S&S: In a box of Celebrations, what’s your favourite and least favourite chocolate?
TH: Cancel me, I don't know what's in Celebrations. I don't buy them. What's in them?
S&S: So, you've got Bounty
TH: No, that's like coconut. Fuck that.
S&S: There's Snickers, but that's nuts, so that's probably not a good one.
TH: My favourite
S&S: Galaxy, Milky-Way, Mars...Twix?
TH: Ah, Twix! Definitely Twix! I fuck with Twix so hard.
S&S: Who’s your celebrity crush?
TH: Madison Beer.
S&S: Last TV show you binge watched?
TH: Thomas The Tank Engine - I'm a big fan!
S&S: What colour is your toothbrush?
TH: Blue! My roommate has a green one!
S&S: Thank you so much Thomas for joining me today! I’m really looking forward to seeing you bring your fantastic show to Birmingham tonight!
A massive thank you to Thomas Headon, Max Von Ameln, Titus Winterstein and Gerry Morgan for all helping to make this possible through all the challenges. I appreciate it so much!
Thomas Headon’s third EP, Victoria, is set for release on 11th March 2022, and you can pre-order it here.
You can catch Thomas on tour with his final two (rescheduled) headline shows in Southampton and Norwich in March 2022 (tickets here) or on tour supporting Sigrid, also March 2022 (tickets here).
Thomas’s social medias:
Instagram: @thomasheadon
Twitter: @thomasheadon
TikTok: @thomasheadon
Facebook: ThomasHeadonMusic
KATIE HILLIER