SLEEPY TOM IS DREAMING OF DISCO
Vancouver-based talent Sleepy Tom released the title track of his forthcoming EP, This Thing Called Life, on the 22nd of September. Both the single and the EP mark the continuation of the producer’s evolution as he expands into disco music. He previously collaborated with Diplo on platinum-certified release ‘Be Right There’ which became #2 on the UK Dance charts • Top 10 on the UK Charts • #8 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic charts and has worked with well-known labels such as Spinnin’ Records, Fool’s Gold and Mad Decent, collecting over 200 hundred million streams on his Spotify top ten.
Thanks for joining us today, we love your music, so to start things off, tell us about your journey with music?
After I decided that piano lessons weren't for me (my teacher was a little too strict) my parents said I needed to play another instrument. There was a guitar in the house, so I picked that up and it became a big part of my life! I played in bands throughout high school, and once I got to university I was infatuated with electronic music. The Sleepy Tom project started in my SFU dorm room.
Career highlights so far?
Certainly releasing "Be Right There" with Diplo tops the list. It brought me so many cool opportunities, one of which was being able to open for Madonna a couple times on her Rebel Heart tour. Playing the Warehouse project in Manchester was another amazing experience, one of the best dj sets I've ever had.
Greatest inspiration and influences?
I am inspired by walking my dog in the forest. Hearing a song from my favourite artists for the first time. Watering my plants gives me good energy too, not sure why.
Tell us about your latest release, and creative process.
My song "This Thing Called Life" is a collaboration with my friend Parker Bossley. It's about getting through life, the ups and downs, step by step–it's a jam though! The song started from a bassline of another demo, then we expanded on that and created a whole world of sounds around that idea.
What's next for you?
Good things I hope! I have the "This Thing Called Life" EP coming out mid-November. Then I'll be continuing to release more music and probably some more club-friendly songs to support my live shows.
What does well-being mean to you and what do you practice?
Well-being for me means not listening to my negative self-talk and keeping myself working on the projects I love. I do kundalini yoga most mornings–it's a combination of breathwork and meditation. It really got me through the pandemic, keeping my head screwed on straight.
Image credit: Brandon William Fletcher
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