Tom McRae, long regarded as one of our finest singer songwriters takes to the road this Autumn to promote the release of his sixth studio album, From The Lowlands, the second part of the critically acclaimed 2010 release, The Alphabet of Hurricanes.
Tom's fantastic live reputation is hard won and well-deserved, in the 12 years since the release of his Mercury and Brit nominated debut, he has toured regularly all over the world, garnering a fiercely loyal audience, especially in Europe and North America. Having moved from Suffolk, to London, to LA, then New York, and now living in the lowlands of Somerset, Tom's song-writing has remained similarly restless and searching.
Not content to be pigeonholed as just a lone balladeer, he usually tours with his long time group, which after many years have now been given their own name, The Standing Band. This year, however, sees Tom's first ever solo European tour.
Says Tom: "when I started out, my label gave me a bunch of train tickets and sent me off to play school assemblies, it was the first touring experience I'd ever had. I thought I was living the dream, staying in Bed and Breakfasts and playing to kids happy to be dodging double maths. Thankfully I graduated to the tour bus, the full band and the bigger theatres, but it was those first shows that gave me a love of touring and playing live. There's nothing like a solo show for forming a relationship with your audience. My favourite gigs I've ever seen have been solo shows, there's something about them, there's nowhere to hide – I love the spell that you can cast.”
From The Lowlands Tour offers Tom the opportunity to showcase the new songs perfectly. Characteristically raw, powerful, and with a strong narrative theme, they demonstrate a confident songwriter growing in stature with every album. Always entertaining, with a self-deprecating sense of humour, Tom is adept at taking his audience on a journey, which promises to make these shows a lot more than a simple gig. Not to be missed.