"The blues is a universal music, so it doesn't matter where you come from you still have the same feelings and problems. The guys like Eric Clapton and Peter Green, Jeff Beck, Zeppelin, took it and made it something else I think they basically re packaged it and sold it in a harder form."

Tom Killner: Southern Rock meets Blues 

Tom Killner who straddles the line between genres with soulfully infused blues, southern rock, country, and Americana is proud to announce his new 10-tracks album ‘Borrowed Time’ due for release April 12. "Cosmic Sounds", is the first single from the upcoming album! The 28 year old Rotherham UK born award-winning powerhouse vocalist and guitarist, who straddles the line between genres with soulfully infused Blues, Southern Rock, Country, and Americana, winning over audiences across the UK and Europe with their highly dynamic show, that takes you on a rollercoaster of hooky riffs and soulful songs from Tom's back catalog. Signing with L.A.-based label, Cleopatra Records early in his career, Tom released two albums "Hard Road" and "Live". His recent independent releases "Get Back Up", "Church House Sessions", and the latest single, "Home", were received to critical acclaim, featured in many publications, receiving great reviews with international airplay, including BBC radio.

(Tom Killner / Photo by Mark Ellis)

Winning over audiences across the UK and Europe with their highly dynamic show, Tom and the band featuring the blistering Wes Brook (keys, Hammond), Callum Houghton (bass) and Rich Hunter (drums) who throw down a memorable showcase of guitar slinging, emotional and foot-stomping hell-raising songs.

Interview by Michael Limnios                   Special Thanks: Wes O'Neill (O'Neill PR)

How has the music influenced your views of the world and the journeys you’ve taken?

Music has been there all through my life for as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved it! When I was around 7 years old, I used to mime to Status Quo records with my dad’s Telecaster. I think that's when I got the bug to play guitar and knew it was something I wanted to do. It’s a wonderful thing where you can gain a view into other people’s worlds, feel what they're feeling and you can take influence from them and grow by learning from it.

How do you describe your sound and songbook? Where does your creative drive come from?

The sound of the new record ‘Borrowed Time’ comes from a lot of places. From early blues, country, folk, and rock - there's an influence from all sorts of things I’ve listened to over the years. There's a heavy americana feel to my writing with influence from guys like Jason Isbell and Tom Petty down to Sister Rosetta Tharpe. My drive to create comes from everyday experiences, getting things off my mind to imaginationary worlds that tell a little story and if anyone can get something from my songwriting then I’m glad. I’m very excited for people to hear my new songs and how I’ve evolved as an artist from my last albums.

What moment changed your life the most? What's been the highlights in your life and career so far?

I think probably the thing that had the most impact was getting my first electric guitar, after that I've not put it down since and it was my gateway into doing what I do now. Highlights for me are when a venue or festival wants to book you and people want to come out to see a gig and go away and they've had a good time. Releasing my new album ‘Borrowed Time’ April 12 will be also so check out the first single ‘Cosmic Sounds’ which is the opening track of the album too.

"Just keep going! It can be easy to look at someone else and think ‘why can’t I be doing that?’ The industry can be a hard and cruel place and it can leave you feeling beaten up, but if you keep in your own lane and keep on going and striving for what you want eventually, you’ll get somewhere you want to be." (Tom Killner, UK born award-winning powerhouse vocalist and guitarist / Photo by Mark Ellis)

Are there any memories from gigs, jams, open acts and studio sessions which you’d like to share with us?

The first time I played in Europe will always stay with me. We were playing a Rory Gallagher Tribute festival and one of the band members saw our set earlier and asked me to get up and jam with his band. More recently from our first tour in Spain there were lots of memories from that trip. From playing while a hurricane blew through to nearly getting the van stuck down the narrow streets of Seville while locals were waving their hands at us telling us not to go down them! As well as ordering the only thing we knew how…coffee and lots of it!

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future?

Being born in 1996 I missed out on what I think people call the good old days of music. So for me I miss artists that we’ve lost and I never got to see in concert. I think even in the last 10 years I also miss the venues that I got to play starting up that no are no longer there. I believe that's a big concern with the amount of grass root venues that are closing down just in the UK right now. It’s becoming harder for bands in any genre to get into these places and work on their craft. I hope that more people will see the value of going out to shows with a room full of people they don't know and have a really good time.

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?

Just keep going! It can be easy to look at someone else and think ‘why can’t I be doing that?’ The industry can be a hard and cruel place and it can leave you feeling beaten up, but if you keep in your own lane and keep on going and striving for what you want eventually, you’ll get somewhere you want to be.

"I think probably the thing that had the most impact was getting my first electric guitar, after that I've not put it down since and it was my gateway into doing what I do now."

(Tom Killner / Photo by Mark Ellis)

What's the balance in music between technique and soul? What is the role of music in today’s society?

I think one of the best quotes that answers this is one from Hubert Sumlin, “It don’t matter how fast you are, how good you play, if it ain’t got no soul it ain’t good enough.” That rings so true to me, I see phenomenal instrumentalists online that I could only dream of being half as good technically, BUT it doesn't leave me feeling any emotion and that's one thing you cannot fake. That's what music is about, conveying the emotion to the listener and if it isn't doing that what's the point?

What were the reasons that made the UK -since 60s - to be the center of blues/rock researches and experiments?

I’m probably not the right person to answer this as I wasn’t there, hahaa! I think the UK has always looked at what its cousins in the USA have done and picked up their influence. The blues is a universal music, so it doesn't matter where you come from you still have the same feelings and problems. The guys like Eric Clapton and Peter Green, Jeff Beck, Zeppelin, took it and made it something else I think they basically re packaged it and sold it in a harder form.

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