Writing music for most of her life, TOMI’s evolution continues to thrive in creativity. Also writing and producing for a variety of other artists, her own work harnesses her own sound and her own voice. Striving for a sound that boasts self-empowerment and self-love, her new single “Open Road” is one for embracing self-identity and feeling happy within your own body. We caught up with TOMI to chat about the new single.
Hey TOMI, thanks so much for spending time with us. How’s the last few months been for you?
Wow, the last few months have been a whirlwind! I played FORMAT Festival which was a freaking blast and released “MADBITCH” and “Open Road” two very different songs that both have a special place in my story. I’m now preparing for my debut album “Late Bloomer” to launch in Spring 2023.
You’ve just released your new single “Open Road”, which is fantastic btw. What can you tell us about the single?
Thank you so much! I wrote “Open Road” as a way to talk about the struggles of self acceptance especially with sexuallity and gender. It is my LGBTQ+ anthem!
Speaking of self-identity, you found your true self at the age of 12, but you lived in a very conservative neighbourhood in the US. How did your community process your sexuality?
It was a long and hard road processing my own sexual identity and watching those around me process who I was. Nothing had really changed in me but to everyone else I could see the change in their eyes reflecting back at me. It made me feel pretty low and disconnected and I started to retreat and write music to cope with those feelings of loneliness.
What have you learnt about yourself from those experiences?
Through those experiences I’ve learned resilience and self love. It sounds cheesy but love really does begin with yourself. It is so important to take time every day to practice love. Love is a muscle and we must keep it strong in order to endure life’s obstacles.
You’re donating a percentage of revenue form the single to nonprofits supporting LGBTQ+ youth. How important is it to you to support those within the LGBTQ+ community?
It is incredibly important to me to give back to the community that held me up when I was feeling down. The LGBTQ+ community has never wavered and has always been there to take me in and to remind me that we are all human, that we can feel free and that we can be happy as we are.
Not only are you an artist yourself, but you’re also a producer who has worked with the likes of Tove Lo. How does your artistry differ when working on other artist projects?
As an artist myself I feel deeply connected to the process of working with other artists. When I am in the room working on my own songs, I need space and encouragement in order to feel safe enough to explore my deepest thoughts and feelings. I bring that into the studio with other artists – giving them space to be free with themselves. I am simply there to help bring out their best and to tell a story that is honest and true to them.
And finally, what song’s stuck in your head right now?
Wow, where do I begin!? At this moment it’s “Open Road” since it just came out haha! But on any other given day I find myself singing “Ain’t nothing but a hound dog” to my dog Tonks with various lyric changes to tell the story of Tonks.
Thank you so much!
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