Since launching his Teenage Tom Petties project in 2022, Tom Brown has swiftly captured the hearts of the indie blogosphere with his scrappy and heartfelt brand of indie rock and power pop. This Friday, Safe Suburban Home and Repeating Cloud will release the third Teenage Tom Petties album, which, like their debut, is self-titled. We’re thrilled to offer an exclusive stream of the full album two days before its official release.
While I’ll share my thoughts in a separate post (spoiler alert: this is my favorite TTP record yet), I encourage you to press play ASAP and form your own opinion first. Once you’ve hit play, scroll down for a quick Q&A with Brown, who graciously offered insights into his prolific songwriting process, the unique and potentially awkward experience of having his label bosses in his band, while also teasing new musical endeavours in the forseeable future.
A Q & A with Tom Brown of Teenage Tom Petties.
Teenage Tom Petties is presented as the sequel to your self-titled debut. Can you explain what has changed from your debut two years ago?
“The big difference is that we’re now a proper band. The first record was just me in my bedroom making a garage punk album – I was trying to capture that teenage feeling of discovering music. Through some miracle (or, more precisely, thanks to Jim and Galen, I ended up playing those songs live and it became this ‘real’ thing.
We made the second record in the studio but, as we’re separated by an ocean, I knew this record would likely be me on my own again. That’s why I wanted it to have a bit of a theme again. My ambition was to make a grungy summertime power pop record, something you would have had glued into your Walkman in 1996. So, when I say sequel, I think that’s what I’m getting at: trying to capture a sense of time and place.”
You are an extremely prolific songwriter. This is your third TTP record in three years, and earlier this year you also dropped a fantastic new Rural France LP. How do you do it? Do you have a specific routine, do ideas just hit you randomly, do you release everything you write?
“People say that to me a lot, but it doesn’t feel like some big effort to write a lot of songs. I’m just constantly chipping away at things, jotting down lyric ideas, making mumbly voice note demos. Then, when I get an idea for a record, things ramp up a bit and I start putting tracks together that seem to fit. Then I fill in the gaps from there.
That said, sometimes it can get a bit confusing about what songs are for which project…and there’s always going to be some overlap. To add to the confusion there’s another project I’ve been working on for years that will finally see the light of day later this year. It’s quite different to the TTP and RF stuff, but I’m really excited about it.”
If you had to pick one song from the new album for new listeners to start with, which would it be and why?
“Probably Tuff Top. It’s probably the most melodic song on the record but still has some real grit in the guitar. It has that summery feel but with real momentum. I basically wanted it to be our Survival Car – a song that kicks off with acoustic then gets nice and fuzzy.
The title came from my brother, James, who plays in the band. When we were 9 or 10, our school said parents should buy bike helmets for their kids and recommended the Tuff Top. When it arrived it was this huge, ugly massive foam thing that threw you off balance with how heavy it was. Needless to say, it never got worn. Anyway, a few years ago James was like ‘you should write a song called Tuff Top…and here we are.”
Your two bandmates are also your label bosses. Sounds like that could be awesome but also awkward. How does that work? Is this like having your best friends as a landlord, or like having your dad coach your team? Are they pushing you to write radio-ready mainstream rock tunes?
“It’s nothing but awesome. Both Galen and Jim are on the new record, which is cool – and they always have their preferences for singles but we pretty much agree on everything. When we play together, with James and Jeff, it’s just 100% fun. We’re all old enough to not take any of it too seriously. I’m so excited for the upcoming shows with the other SSH bands.
To be honest, I would never have taken TTP out the bedroom if it wasn’t for them both. It’s given me loads more confidence with my writing. I’m actually just demoing the next TTP record which we are hopefully going back into the studio for. I’m writing it as a live record – I want it to be quite wild. So being this ‘real’ band has opened up something cool avenues.”
Teenage Tom Petties will be out on Safe Suburban Home and Repeating Cloud this Friday August 2.
Add to wantlist: Bandcamp