Tom Odell does not fit the image that people have of him: “There’s a feeling that my music is a product of the big labels,” he says, sighing. At the beginning of his career, perhaps because he appeared fully equipped with the Brits’ Critics’ Choice Award, a ubiquitous hit single (“Another Love”) and a big-branded contract, critics questioned whether he was “authentic” \u2013 as if his talent for making melodies sang by everybody was something negative. “I don’t mind people not liking my music, but those who said I was a creation of certain labels had no idea how hard I had worked,” he says. In addition, no one knew where to put him: “Alternatives think I’m pop, and pop enthusiasts think I’m too much of an alternative.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After leaving Sony, he found a sense of liberation and relief. “As an independent artist, I feel liberated. There’s a lot of relief in writing exactly the music I want, in doing exactly what I want. At this stage, I wasn’t looking for an accumulation of hooks, nor many obvious choruses dominating the tracks; I just wanted to create an environment where the listener would enjoy the music and breathe.” The result is the album Best Day of My Life, which he considers his best, a creation of minimalist beauty consisting of voice, piano and perhaps the creaking of a stool from time to time. Life, family, stress, love and despair are the thematic core of an album that unfolds meaningfully within 24 hours. “There are issues on the record that I didn’t even intend to write about,” he continues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I had never recorded an album with just one piano, and I thought it would be exciting, so there’s nothing here, no instrument other than piano and voice. It was really incredible to work with these self-limitations.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Odell is an incredibly skilled pianist who effortlessly conveys a wide range of emotions in his pieces, whether uplifting or melancholic. He draws inspiration from a variety of sources, including Erik Satie, Philip Glass, and Studio Ghibli’s films, which he and his partner Laurie Blundell enjoy watching. Together, they strive to create not only beautiful compositions but also a sense of erosion and sadness, much like the emotions conveyed in animations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The artist’s latest album is his most personal work yet, as it delves into his past struggles and painful experiences. “I didn’t want the album to look too emotional, but more vulnerable, like a rough diamond \u2013 I had to ensure there was soil around it.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I’ve had a tough time, I’ve lost any sense of stability, and in a sense, this record is a liberating journey. In the last part, I honestly felt I had gotten somewhere better than before.” Odell has been meditating for the past six years and finally let go, allowing its benefits to guide his music. “I see a calm, a serenity, not the momentum I saw in the previous album, where I wanted to destroy things somehow, tear the canvas. It’s painful and hard to hear it myself \u2013 but here, now, there are beautiful moments that make me proud and that I predict will continue to make me proud when, in the future, I return to this album.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
www.athens-technopolis.gr<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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