by chris richmond
photo by robbie wheeler
Thomas Day has been writing songs since he was in the fifth grade, and you can tell — there's a maturity to his penmanship usually found in artists much older than him, and at just nineteen years old, his musical voice is tender and heartfelt. He evokes the musical strokes of some of the best balladeers of our time, but is equally unafraid to tackle a track with a more rigorous rhythm. He's spent the last few years building a following on TikTok with his emotionally-charged displays of vocal talent, his follower count currently sitting just shy of 7 million. It's all been in build up to his first full collection of songs, Love Me For Another Day, which is to be released on October 27th. The package is shaping up nicely, with each of the pre-release tracks being as accomplished as the last, the latest of which is entitled “Gravity.” There's a big future ahead for Day, and it's exciting to catch him at the beginning of his rise — it feels like his name is only going to become more and more esteemed as the future unfolds.
Your latest single “Gravity” is out now — and it's beautiful! What can you tell us about it? What's the meaning behind the lyrics of the song? What was the inspiration behind writing it?
Thomas: “Creating ‘Gravity’ was such a beautiful process. I sat down and wrote the song in one afternoon with my friends and co-writers Madi Yanofsky and Steve Rusch. It’s a song about feeling accepted and realizing what it means to truly be in love.”
I love your song “VICIOUS.” What's the meaning behind that song? Is there a difference when it comes to writing ballads compared to up-tempo tracks? Is it the lyrics that drive that distinction?
Thomas: “I also LOVE my song ‘VICIOUS.’ I started writing this song seconds after I got off the phone with my ex-girlfriend, which maybe wasn’t too good of a decision on my part [laughs]. I don’t think there is much of a difference when it comes to writing ballads compared to up-tempo tracks, I just want the song to hit home for listeners.”
Your single “not my job anymore” is your biggest hit so far with over 20 million streams on Spotify. Why do you think that one in particular has landed so well with listeners? When you recorded it, did you feel confident that it would do well?
Thomas: “I recorded ‘not my job anymore’ on a super hot day in Los Angeles. It’s definitely one of the songs that hits closest to home from me. I think that the song allows people to relate to it in many different ways, so it’s not a surprise that so many people love it! I wrote it to be a supportive song for people who are going through heartbreak. I’m honored that people love it.”
You're an incredibly modern type of popstar in that it was TikTok that first brought you to the attention of record labels. What was going through your mind when you first started taking off on TikTok? Was it always the plan to become a singer, or was it a happy accident?
Thomas: “I’ve been doing my music for my entire life. I started sort of accidentally songwriting when I was in 5th grade, actually! When my music started taking off on TikTok, and beyond, it was super, super exciting!”
You recently toured with David Kushner — what was that experience like? What did you learn from hitting the road?
Thomas: “The tour with David Kushner was so much fun! I loved being able to perform live in front of an audience. I’ll be heading on my own headline tour very soon too!”
Who are your musical inspirations? Who did you grow up listening to and who inspires you today?
Thomas: “I grew up listening to what my parents played, which was The Beatles and The Four Seasons, and many others. My biggest inspirations personally are actually probably all rooted in jazz and classical music!”
Who are your dream collaborators? Who would you love to duet with?
Thomas: “I would love to write a song with JP Saxe!”
Would you ever like to write a song for another artist to sing? If so, which artist, and what sort of song would you write for them?
Thomas: “That would be very fun! I would absolutely LOVE to write a song for Shawn Mendes!”
What music have you been listening to this year? Whose albums are you enjoying?
Thomas: “I have been listening to so much new music this year! JP Saxe’s album recently came out so I’ve been listening to those songs a lot.”
You're based in Nashville. How does this inform your music? Are you Nashville born-and-raised, or did you move there later in life?
Thomas: “Yes, I’m Nashville born-and-raised! I love it so much here. The music scene here is very beautiful!”
What are your goals and aspirations for the next few years? What would you like to achieve?
Thomas: “I would absolutely love to have a song on Billboard Hot 100!”