ABOUT TOM HUGO

There is always a way. For every problem, there is a solution. And for every obstacle, there is a means of surmounting it.

This realisation is really nothing new; a universal truth, as a matter of fact - so to say. And yet, this truism is often enough forgotten, requiring repeated and vocal reminder to call our attention to it. Singer-songwriter Tom Hugo has been through all this before and can tell a thing or two about it – which he does on his current single „Open Up Your Eyes“, employing captivating melodic lines and a smooth infectiousness, airing the theme of the singular beauty of that spark of hope hidden in every situation, no matter how hopeless, a golden opportunity there for the taking for those who only need to get up the courage to do so. „Open your mind for new adventures“ goes one of the lines of the song – and it almost seems as if none other than Tom Hugo seems to have taken up his own word for it, meeting the challenge he has posed himself and embarking on his valiant quest for some Olympian height of pop music.

It was already as a child that Tom Hugo, who was born in Norway, had dreamed of trading the Scandinavian chill of his home country for the tropic heat of a career in the limelight. Family festivities, school parties, the age of growing pains spent in his own bands – one cannot avoid designating the salad days of Tom Hugo’s artistic flowering as to be quite typical - and yet, his promising career had been in danger of coming to a lamentable halt even before it had properly started; then as is common among many parents, Tom’s father initially advised his son from pursuing the dream of an international career in music, enjoining him instead to come to terms with the undeniable and inevitable hardships of real life. And he might have succeeded with his well-intentioned fatherly advice, had it not been for Tom’s tenacious will to break the bonds of a bourgeois lifestyle, trading its numbing security for the exciting adventure of a professional musician’s precarious existence. As already mentioned; there is always a way. And Tom Hugo had found it.

And this way has lead him out of his small Norwegian hometown of Kristiansand to the teeming city of over a million souls, Hamburg, where the 31-year-old has lived for four eminently creative years now. The move to Hamburg had been a sea change which subsequently left its unequivocal mark on Tom’s art. Not that he disavows his Scandinavian origins on his current debut album, ‚Sundry Tales‘ – it’s just that he simply refuses to be restricted to them. The record is one cut above the rest for reason of a distinctive vibe of consummate cosmopolitanism which nonetheless does not lessen Tom’s endeavour to make it a personal album.

„This personal aspect has diverse origins: family affairs, problematic relationships, and moments of indescribable joy or encompassing sadness. Sometimes, this personal aspect comes about when I put myself in one of my friend’s shoes and put his feelings into a song“, states Tom, explaining his approach to writing new songs and adds, smiling, „I often change their stories a bit or add my own experiences to make sure my friends could still sleep nights and not be afraid that their highly personal affairs are exposed for all the world to see.“ Now that’s true a true friend for you!

Tom Hugo’s musicianship does full justice to the diversity of themes showcased in the album, a fact that is already evident even judging by the title alone. „I named the album ‚Sundry Tales‘ because I think that sweet little slip of a word ‚sundry‘ perfectly and concisely describes the multifarious nature of the diverse songs in the album“, explains the impassioned angler and amateur cook in connection with his choice of title for the album. „What more can I say, the tracks are like days in my life. There are hopeful and joyful ones. There are also those which are sad and pain-filled.“

The amplitude of Tom Hugo’s emotional world is so great, the creative imperative behind his music so strong, his creative power so intense, that he could permit other artists to take part. These are his musician comrades in arms which he regales with his ideas, with whom he collaborates and for whom he writes songs with the same exceeding passion he writes them for himself. Though it is also Tom who benefits from working with his confreres; the likes of musicians and songwriters such as Emma Rohan of London or the American John Lewis Parker who has successfully worked with Chicago and Dolly Parton – not to mention the exciting collaboration with a-ha’s Morten Harket, idol of Tom Hugo’s youth and important influence to Tom’s conception of pop music. „Whenever I join forces with other songwriters the pieces take a different direction in contrast to pieces I work on alone. Other predilections, new influences and experiences come to the fore adding suspense to the songs - not only for me, but also for the listener.“ And this fact has led to the expansion of Tom’s musical horizon – this you could hear distinctly in his debut album – even though Tom wrote the major part of the songs by himself. Nonetheless, the rich diversity of style and themes, the interplay of talent with other musicians and above all, the unbeatable intensity with which Tom Hugo presents himself and his art to the world in ‚Sundry Tales‘ would certainly have not achieved such heights of excellence without constant interaction with his musician associates.

Hugo’s debut album is a labour of love which took four years to complete - four years in the course of which he had been through different stages of life and in which the most diverse stylistic influences were brought to bear on the creative processes of this Norwegian-born artist. And, of course, the results are well worth hearing, such as, not only the first single release, "Open up your Eyes" but also the catchy ‚Wildest Man Alive‘ a tongue-in-cheek take on macho-manhood and being a mama’s boy, or the driving ‚Be Somebody‘ in which Tom Hugo sings about the consuming desire for self-realisation which slumbers in all of us. This song is as personal as it gets, as it portrays the true reason for Tom’s artistic aspirations and endeavours in addition to manifesting an unassailable general validity which appeals to and speaks for each and every one of us. This song is an infectious tune whose joyous harmonies go straight for the heart, filling it with a levity which helps us get through the gloomiest day.

Little wonder that one of Tom’s favourite German words is ‚Ohrwurm‘ (literally ‚earwig‘!) which means ‚hook line‘. „German’s got a whole lot of really cool words, but I like ‚Ohrwurm‘ best of all“, enthuses Tom. „It just happens that Norwegian hasn’t got a word like that at all.“

Anyone who is lucky enough to hear Tom’s debut album ‚Sundry Tales‘ will quickly discover that Tom has taken this vivid term to heart so well that it sounds as if he’d invented it! Even though this word does not exist in Tom’s native land doesn’t mean that he hasn’t mastered the meaning behind it and put it to brilliant work.

What was it we were saying right at the beginning of this piece; there is always a way.

Right. And for Tom, the only way is straight up!