Tom Hannay is a musician who has been on a journey to find his voice and place in the world. Born and raised in Bolton, in the North of England, Tom dropped out of college and ended up selling fridges in an electrical store, dreaming of being a musician but afraid to make the leap.
However, after visiting a music festival in the remote westfjords of Iceland, Tom was inspired to leave everything behind and move to Iceland to become a songwriter. Since then, he has developed his musicianship and songwriting, travelled the world playing music, and lived in a motorhome for over a year before Covid, playing concerts and busking.
Now, Tom is back with a new emotionally-penned offering, the single “Fade Out Of View.” The track showcases moments of vulnerability for Hannay, with infectious drums, heavenly keys, and riff-roaring guitars merging together to create a colorful melting pot of music. These elements all work hand in glove, crafting the perfect canvas for ethereal vocals to be laid down and for emotionally-penned lyrics to be heard.
Tom wrote the song during a strange transitional period in his life when he felt disconnected from reality and as if he was fading away into oblivion. As a way of keeping his sanity, he decided to start writing a song a day, which was a way of keeping a diary since he would write about experiences or stream of consciousness type stuff. “Fade Out Of View” was one of the songs that came out of this experiment, and it struck him that this was in a different league from most of the other songs he had written up until then.
Shortly after writing the song, Tom was given the opportunity of moving to Iceland to become part of a music collective, and it was here that he started to record the album. A few of the songs he had written during his time on the road made it to the album, and “Fade Out Of View” was one of those songs.
Tom’s inspirations are wide-ranging, and he prefers not to stick to any genre specifically. His first album was predominantly a country/alternative album, while the next is more lo-fi/soft rock. He loves songwriting and producing and the craft of creating a song and soundscapes. His influences lie in the old school songwriters of the 70s, namely Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, and Steely Dan.
Tom moved back to Iceland in 2020 to start a production trio with Faroese musicians Janus Rasmussen (kiasmos) and Sakaris. Most notably, the trio have written and produced an album for YouTuber Sorelle Amore, which is scheduled for release in 2023.
“Fade Out Of View” is a beautiful, melancholic track that showcases Tom’s talents as a songwriter and musician. It’s a song that will pick you up and fully entice you in, leaving you feeling emotionally moved and connected to the music. As Tom continues to grow and develop his craft, we can’t wait to see what he’ll create next.
