EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Bailey Tomkinson Talks Touring and New EP

Fast-rising country-influenced singer/songwriter Bailey Tomkinson is one of the most exciting young talents to be breaking through tight now and her newest single ‘Deja Vu’ is an excellent representation of her outstanding artistry and it gives a delightful taste of what’s to come from her upcoming EP.

Here we chat exclusively to Bailey to discuss her latest release, forthcoming music, and debut headline tour:

Congratulations on wrapping your recent tour, how was the experience? 

It was honestly such a rewarding experience. I met some genuinely lovely people and got to play at some amazing venues. I feel like not everyone talks about it all that much, but it’s quite daunting as well because it was my first proper solo tour and it’s a big step up to go from filling pubs where I started out, to getting people in towns and cities you’ve never even visited to want to part with their hard-earned money to come along. I definitely came back with a huge appreciation of how hard promoters and venues work – they’re the absolute unsung heroes of this industry. But I loved every minute of it!

On the back of that, you’ll shortly be sharing your EP, how excited are you to release this record? 

I cannot wait for people to hear these songs as a body of work. It’s the first time, I’ve taken the band into the studio with me because I really wanted that authentic sound and energy that they bring to our live shows. I think people expecting just a ‘girl and a guitar’ will be in for a bit of a surprise!

What was the writing experience like for you?

I wrote quite a lot of this record over lockdown so some of the writing has been around for a while. With some of them, I’d write the song and then talk to Scott Fleming who has taught me a lot about songwriting and we’d take a look at elements of them to see where it might need a bit more shape or whatever. I suppose the thing that’s been most different about this experience has been the time spent on it. We live in a world where Spotify in particular who are fundamentally a content aggregator, reward artists who produce a lot of content and release every six weeks or so. I think the downside of that is that sometimes you can feel like things are more rushed than you’d like. So it was nice with this record to let it breathe a bit, take my time and I think the record is better for that.

Who have you worked with to bring this vision to life? 

I’ve had such an awesome team around me on this record. Firstly, the band consisting of Jordan, Jake, Joe and Jacob brought so much to the table, then adding Michael from Rex Orange County on Sax for a couple of tracks just added levels to the sound too. We recorded at the Cube in Truro which is a top-class facility and Gareth there really helped shape the record. Then, after that, we asked the legendary John Cornfield who worked with Oasis on ‘Definitely Maybe’ to mix and master. It really does take a village to make a record and I’m so lucky that my village happens to be full of massively talented people.

Is there one song, in particular, you’re most excited to share? 

If you asked me this question on a different day you’d probably get a different answer, but I’m really excited to share my next single “Déjà vu” ahead of the EP release because it has some elements of surf rock in it that just really feel like a Kernowfornia summer!

You recently released that song, so what can fans expect from it?

Yep Déjà Vu is out now. It’s pure Kernowfornia! It’s got a chorus that I hope will live in your head for days and kind of Mazzy Star/Beach House shimmering guitars. To me, it feels like hazy summer days, sun-soaked romance and surf, fond memories, good vibes only!

Looking ahead, what else does 2022 hold for you? 

It’s already shaping up to be an exciting year! I’m back on the road straight away. I’m playing Brighton for the first time on the 17th of April at The Folklore Rooms, then back to the South West for the Cornish EP launch party at The Old Bakery Studios on the 23rd followed by Rough Trade Bristol on April 28th, both of which are a chance to see the band live! Back in London at The SoundLounge in May with the band which is a venue that I love. I’m also playing both Wilderness and The Great Escape this year which are literally dreams-come-true level festivals. I’m announcing shows all the time at the moment which is so exciting. On top of that, there are a couple of new tracks in the works as well, which you’ll be able to hear before they are released if you come along to one of the live shows!

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