Tom is one of the most famous and successful DYI songwriter in the UK
Londonian thirty-three-year-old Tom Rosenthal is about to release his sixth album and has been releasing music on the internet since 2005. He’s racked up Spotify streams of around 225m, 85m YouTube views, and been courted by major labels keen to release his gently epic ballads, which channel Brian Wilson-esque whimsy through the mind of the classic British kook. But « why would I change everything » Tom says. “If you want to be the next Ed Sheeran, it might be beneficial. But I don’t.”
Tom puts his success down to several factors: a penchant for songwriting, obviously. But most crucial are a constant stream of content (he’is being released a video for every song), and building a granite-strong fanbase. “This last year, I’ve sent out thousands of personalised notes to people. It’s nothing to do with songwriting, but it connects you to people in a (hopefully) lovely way. If you build the foundations of a strong house, it’s hard to knock down.”