I’ve 2 girls, 15 & 17. They’ve grown up listening to Tom McRae and, because of that, had assumed that Tom was a huge star. Just not their demographic. They only found the truth out recently when seeing the Spotify monthly followers was ‘only’ 75,000 or so. They literally listen to no-one with that few followers (sorry Tom). They are shocked and confused. Extremely. They know lyrics to the songs. We’re going to see the solo tour and my youngest will be wearing a T-shirt I picked up on tour 10 years ago (we’re going to Colchester).
Their experience of Tom McRae how Sony probably visualised it - just without the selling out musically part.
Make sure you come and say hi! Well - fame and fortune may have passed me by - but I’ve been very lucky! And you’ve single-handedly doubled my east Anglian fan base! So thank you! Tom
It’s wild to think that a DVD box set was £120. If it were a movie, the part of the story where you were given that money for the top ten, feels like it should have ended with a middle finger and possibly a punch to the face. I enjoyed your metaphorical approach.
The album was and is wonderful. Looking forward to listening on vinyl & on a newly packaged CD.
These memoirs are going to be a special read. Thank you.
I was a holiday rep in Mallorca in 2001 and my now father in law brought your album over and left it with me. I would say it’s my all time most listened to album followed by all your others lol. I got to meet you once in the strangest location in Wetherby. Great memories please keep making them.
Been listening to your albums since the first one, when it was featured in a French press article. Went with a friend to a CD store (yep, those ones) and he bought it, we came back to our student rooms, listened to it, and the next day I went back to the same store and bought it for myself. To this day, that’s the only time I did that - that’s how your music speak to people ! (Also gave the album to my brother that weekend and we have both been life-long fans, he goes to all your shows in Paris - but you usually don’t tour where I am 😁)
I remember going to the same exact store for All Maps Welcome on the week of release, gave a quick listen to the first few songs to see if I would like it, got stuck on How The West Was Won, duly purchased the disc and went home to get the same effect listening to it than the 2 previous ones.
Up to this day that album is still on heavy rotation, probably once every two months minimum. Despite what Sony might have told you, it works because it is cohesive, it is indeed uncompromising but in all the right way and the musical progression of the second half towards Border Song still gives me chill - weird to read about Packing for the crash and how it was imposed to you, I do like that one quite a lot!
I still have a digital recording of one shows you did on French Radio with the Olis for that album (the famous Black Sessions of France Inter) with a glorious version of Silent Boulevard.
How much do I like this album? When my brother offered me your collected songs book, first song I went for to play is How The West Was Won!
Happy for the re-release, I will listen to it … on CD
“All Maps Welcome” is the first album I ever heard, it had an impact on me, I couldn’t stop listening to it over and over again… from then on I bought all your albums. All beginnings are difficult, but now you have a lot of followers who are loyal to you. Thank you for telling us your story.
All Maps Welcome was the first album by you I bought with my own money. I remember having to save up (a stark contrast to now, when anyone can get music for free). Before this I had only borrowed your albums from a friend.
You played Rockefeller in Oslo that autumn, my first time listening to you live. I'm so sad that I can't come to any of your Norway shows this year 😢
This was a very enjoyable read. I love learning about the process of how an album gets made, what were your thoughts going in to this, during and after. And my impression of the music industry is pretty much spot on - merciless, cynical and certainly not for everyone. I'm so happy you're still around for us to enjoy, both your music and your "upbeat" McRaetheisms.
Been in from the start, my two children have grown up hearing your music and both love it. We've seen you live so many times now and are so looking forward to Leeds in September.
At least you have good taste, Aaron Sorkin's The West Wing is an incredible series. You here seem confronted at that point in time with the Faustian bargain - making music for the sake of selling it as a product versus an expression of the soul. Clearly, you chose the latter, as purists tend to do. It is an age-old battle between artistic liberties and the business of being a musician.
Are you saying that just like blood was a commercial failure? I discovered you with it, and although I like many other of your songs, it's your best album for me. It is a non-skip forward album. If i put it on, I can't get anything else done for the next 41 minutes. I can't think of another artist or album with such an impact on my work productivity...😉
I'm with you, Peggy. Just Like Blood must be in my top 10 most played albums of all time, and the plinky-plonk song (or A Day Like Today as others like to call it) magically soothed all four of my children.
On a 6-hour train journey, I take a break from reading a book on Human Rights (my job is to read thousands of pages on the things humans do to humans to teach students the imperfect international legal response, wondering whether I still believe in it...). I put my earphones on and listen to all maps welcome. Even the saddest songs lift me up, as I feel hope under the surface. I focus on the beauty of the voice, of the cello and for a moment this futile thing that music is represents the best of humanity.
Sounds as if you’re doing something massively important and probably massively underpaid. Academia - a whole world of struggle. But you’re part of the resistance - so thank you! I’d like to think we can be the one planet to prove Fermi’s paradox wrong.
I’ve 2 girls, 15 & 17. They’ve grown up listening to Tom McRae and, because of that, had assumed that Tom was a huge star. Just not their demographic. They only found the truth out recently when seeing the Spotify monthly followers was ‘only’ 75,000 or so. They literally listen to no-one with that few followers (sorry Tom). They are shocked and confused. Extremely. They know lyrics to the songs. We’re going to see the solo tour and my youngest will be wearing a T-shirt I picked up on tour 10 years ago (we’re going to Colchester).
Their experience of Tom McRae how Sony probably visualised it - just without the selling out musically part.
You do you Tom 👊🏼
Make sure you come and say hi! Well - fame and fortune may have passed me by - but I’ve been very lucky! And you’ve single-handedly doubled my east Anglian fan base! So thank you! Tom
It’s wild to think that a DVD box set was £120. If it were a movie, the part of the story where you were given that money for the top ten, feels like it should have ended with a middle finger and possibly a punch to the face. I enjoyed your metaphorical approach.
The album was and is wonderful. Looking forward to listening on vinyl & on a newly packaged CD.
These memoirs are going to be a special read. Thank you.
I was a holiday rep in Mallorca in 2001 and my now father in law brought your album over and left it with me. I would say it’s my all time most listened to album followed by all your others lol. I got to meet you once in the strangest location in Wetherby. Great memories please keep making them.
I saw you play with a cellist (I think) in the FNAC at La Défense in 2001. “She Cut Your Hair”, been hooked ever since. Yes I feel old.
Hi Tom
Been listening to your albums since the first one, when it was featured in a French press article. Went with a friend to a CD store (yep, those ones) and he bought it, we came back to our student rooms, listened to it, and the next day I went back to the same store and bought it for myself. To this day, that’s the only time I did that - that’s how your music speak to people ! (Also gave the album to my brother that weekend and we have both been life-long fans, he goes to all your shows in Paris - but you usually don’t tour where I am 😁)
I remember going to the same exact store for All Maps Welcome on the week of release, gave a quick listen to the first few songs to see if I would like it, got stuck on How The West Was Won, duly purchased the disc and went home to get the same effect listening to it than the 2 previous ones.
Up to this day that album is still on heavy rotation, probably once every two months minimum. Despite what Sony might have told you, it works because it is cohesive, it is indeed uncompromising but in all the right way and the musical progression of the second half towards Border Song still gives me chill - weird to read about Packing for the crash and how it was imposed to you, I do like that one quite a lot!
I still have a digital recording of one shows you did on French Radio with the Olis for that album (the famous Black Sessions of France Inter) with a glorious version of Silent Boulevard.
How much do I like this album? When my brother offered me your collected songs book, first song I went for to play is How The West Was Won!
Happy for the re-release, I will listen to it … on CD
(And eagerly waiting for the memoirs, now)
Thanks for sharing that! What a great story. We’re getting old now! 😊
“All Maps Welcome” is the first album I ever heard, it had an impact on me, I couldn’t stop listening to it over and over again… from then on I bought all your albums. All beginnings are difficult, but now you have a lot of followers who are loyal to you. Thank you for telling us your story.
I love how we are a loyal little community. Wouldn’t trade that for fame!
All Maps Welcome was the first album by you I bought with my own money. I remember having to save up (a stark contrast to now, when anyone can get music for free). Before this I had only borrowed your albums from a friend.
You played Rockefeller in Oslo that autumn, my first time listening to you live. I'm so sad that I can't come to any of your Norway shows this year 😢
Oh no - where in Norway are you?
I'm in Ålesund.
I want to come back there! Soon I hope!
This was a very enjoyable read. I love learning about the process of how an album gets made, what were your thoughts going in to this, during and after. And my impression of the music industry is pretty much spot on - merciless, cynical and certainly not for everyone. I'm so happy you're still around for us to enjoy, both your music and your "upbeat" McRaetheisms.
Been in from the start, my two children have grown up hearing your music and both love it. We've seen you live so many times now and are so looking forward to Leeds in September.
At least you have good taste, Aaron Sorkin's The West Wing is an incredible series. You here seem confronted at that point in time with the Faustian bargain - making music for the sake of selling it as a product versus an expression of the soul. Clearly, you chose the latter, as purists tend to do. It is an age-old battle between artistic liberties and the business of being a musician.
Are you saying that just like blood was a commercial failure? I discovered you with it, and although I like many other of your songs, it's your best album for me. It is a non-skip forward album. If i put it on, I can't get anything else done for the next 41 minutes. I can't think of another artist or album with such an impact on my work productivity...😉
I'm with you, Peggy. Just Like Blood must be in my top 10 most played albums of all time, and the plinky-plonk song (or A Day Like Today as others like to call it) magically soothed all four of my children.
On a 6-hour train journey, I take a break from reading a book on Human Rights (my job is to read thousands of pages on the things humans do to humans to teach students the imperfect international legal response, wondering whether I still believe in it...). I put my earphones on and listen to all maps welcome. Even the saddest songs lift me up, as I feel hope under the surface. I focus on the beauty of the voice, of the cello and for a moment this futile thing that music is represents the best of humanity.
Thanks for this.
Sounds as if you’re doing something massively important and probably massively underpaid. Academia - a whole world of struggle. But you’re part of the resistance - so thank you! I’d like to think we can be the one planet to prove Fermi’s paradox wrong.
I am no Philippe Sands, but thanks for the support! I wish you the best for the months to come. Take care and have fun.
Ps: I have not made up my mind yet on the answer to Fermi's problem but I recommend Taxi from another planet to dream about outerspace