We recently had the chance to connect with Tom Morrow and have shared our conversation below.
Tom, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Being in the studio transports me somewhere else entirely. It is so rewarding so work for hours on something and piece together art that exists in the world from your brain with nothing but a vision. My favorite things is when I walk into the studio a blank session and come out with a nearly finished song. It always leaves me wondering, “where the heck did this come from?”
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Tom Morrow, I’m a Nashville-based musical artist, songwriter, producer, and session player. I’ve been in the industry for years as a touring/session guitarist for artists such as James Blunt, Chase Matthew, Iam Tongi and many others, but now I’m stepping into my own spotlight putting out solo records and performing live. In my solo work, I blend haunting vocals, gritty guitar work, and evocative songwriting to create a sound unique to me. I also write, produce, and play on recording sessions with/for other artists, contributing daily to the creation of music. I released my debut EP, “We Are,” in June 2025, and I have two more singles coming out this fall, the next of which comes out October 3rd! I’m excited to talk to you all and share a little more about me and my work.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who taught you the most about work?
My parents are the hardest working people I’ve ever met. They each individually gave me a very clear example of what it means to have a vision and take steps towards executing it. My father owned businesses for over 2 decades and my mother has risen through the ranks of sales and marketing firms over her career. As an only child, I often would just sit and listen to them talk about what they were thinking and feeling about their work, ideas, plans, directions they want to take things. The most valuable thing I learned regarding work from my parents is that ideas can only take you so far. What really separates successful people from non-successful people is creating small, actionable steps and carrying them out. This is the only way to realize an idea into a thing that exists rather than it continuing to be an idea. I do that every single day and it’s the reason I’m able to do what I do.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering very quickly informs you of what is, and more importantly, what isn’t working in your life. The times where I have felt the worst about myself and what I was doing were when I was working extremely hard at things that I had convinced myself were very important. Music school busy work, dead end gigs with artists who didn’t respect me, touring 150+ shows per year for not very much money, stuff that seemed so huge and pressing in the moment but in the long run didn’t mean much at all. It all stressed me way out and made me miserable until I stepped back and realized that none of that stuff was what I got into music for. So I pivoted, and now I do the work I actually want to do, and it’s very fulfilling despite it being much more challenging.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
In the music industry, it feels like everything is pretty backwards. People running the big companies; record labels, promotion, ticketing, and AI music creation very seldom have much concern for the art itself. It’s the classic story of bottom line oriented people in powerful positions making decisions that put money in their own pockets rather than help an artist carry out their vision meaningfully. But they like to put on this ‘artist friendly’ facade in which they act like they have the best interests of the music at heart, which is rarely the case. Having business oriented people working alongside creatives is very important so that each can focus on what they are best at. However, when artists are told nice sounding things to their face, then other decisions get made behind their backs, that’s when problems start to arise and when things start to feel totally backwards. Labels, managers, etc are supposed to work FOR the artist, not the other way around, but so often it seems like things are headed towards the artists being employees rather than business owners.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
Absolutely. Last year I was playing dozens of arenas and festivals shows at 22 years old, often in front of 20,000-30,000+ people…and feeling totally empty about it. Ever since middle school I’ve wanted to be a guitar player and go on tour. Once I finally did that in my early 20’s it was incredible and everything I’d ever wanted for about 6 months. After the newness faded, once I was left out there on stage with the objective reality of where I was, I realized that I didn’t care about most of that stuff anymore. Big crowds, tour busses, the partying, all that rockstar stuff was so fun when it was shiny and new! But my interests had changed since I was a kid, and just being up on stage night after night wasn’t all I wanted anymore. Hopping on someone else’s stage and pretending it was mine no longer worked for me, I had to actually have a hand in getting there and creating something. I’m still very early on in that journey, and I wouldn’t trade it. All the time, I get asked if I miss touring like that, and the answer has always been no, because when I wake up and make music for myself or my small fanbase, it’s entirely mine and the numbers cease to matter! It’s about the process as well as the experience rather than the numbers, and it’s so much more fulfilling. Your dreams will change over time, and I learned that in a very big way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://musicoftommorrow.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musicoftommorrow/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/musicoftommorrow
- Twitter: https://x.com/tomothymorrow
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Music-of-Tom-Morrow-61572828553799/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@musicoftommorrow
Image Credits
Nick Jackson
Sydney Harris
Kara Lewis
