Interview: Tom Read
As Worship Central's leader in Asia, Tom Read has been a worship leader at the thriving Vine church in Hong Kong for some time. With the release of his first album 'Compass', featuring co-writes with Tim Hughes and Ben Cantelon, LTTM spoke to the British-born singer/songwriter to find out more.
For those who haven't heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got involved in making music?
Well I was born in the UK (Watford) but my family moved to Hong Kong for my father's job in the 1980s and we have lived here ever since. My wife is from Hong Kong and my kids were born here so it's really home for me now. For as long as I can remember I've always been involved in music, but my songwriting began in my late teens and progressed from there. I recently found an old notebook that contained the lyrics to some of my first ever songwriting attempts. They were embarrassingly bad.
Tell us a little bit about your new album 'Compass' and what the inspiration behind it was?
This album came at a crossroads in my life. After leading worship for over 10 years I found myself in a place of frustration and I felt like I had lost my direction. I made a decision that I was going to walk away from the whole worship thing. That very same day I had a random meeting in Hong Kong with the president of Kingsway music and out of the blue he offered me the chance to work with them. It was definitely a 'God moment' and I knew that this album way my chance to do things differently than I had in the past. I called the album Compass as a reminder for myself to be conscious of what I use to direct my life.
Which is your favourite track on the album and why?
We also did a fun and quirky little music video for the song, and it's been getting a great response (see right).
What's your song writing process?
I'm definitely a melody person. I find that the melodies of songs come much easier than the lyrics, so normally I'll have the music and melody all written first, and then I'll labour for ages (sometimes years) over the lyrics. I'm very picky when it comes to words and I can't stand lazy or overused lyrics. I'm always asking myself if there is a better or more interesting way that I can express what I want to say. The downside to that is that it can sometimes take a long time before I'm finally happy with it.
You're based in Hong Kong, what's the situation for the Church and Christian music like over there?
The Christian music scene in Hong Kong is virtually nonexistent. To be honest, the fact that I've been given the opportunity to record this album with Kingsway/Integrity is a miracle in itself given that there really is no Christian music industry in Hong Kong or even Asia. I actually see that as a positive thing because it forces me to take my music outside of the church-walls and into the real world. I've been doing gigs recently in the club scene in Hong Kong and it's been an interesting and generally positive experience. Through this I'm challenged to write songs that work both inside and outside the church. There are always going to be some people who object to what you do, but I think as long as your music is good and you are authentic in your approach, people will respect you.
How would you describe your style of music and what are your influences?This is a tough question. I've asked loads of people how they would describe my music and it's hard to get a concrete answer. The word I'm most comfortable with when describing it is "Organic". When I recorded the album I wanted to keep it natural, and so I avoided using electronic sounds like loops or samples, even electric guitars and pedals were kept to a minimum. I've been listening to a lot of singer-songwriter stuff recently such as James Vincent McMorrow, and one of my all time favourite albums is O by Damien Rice, and so I think those influences are obviously reflected in my music.
In your opinion, what makes the perfect worship song?
I think my concept of worship songs has changed over the years. When I first started out I focused too much on making the song congregational in the hope that perhaps I could write the next big worship hit song. For me now, the most important thing in a worship song is that it's honest. When I read the Psalms they are just so raw and honest, and even uncomfortable at times. But they are real and heartfelt. Personally, I feel that a lot of worship songs these days play it too safe, both musically and lyrically. I like worship songs that are born out of personal experience, whether that experience is a happy one or an unhappy one - I think it's through our shared experience of life, faith and God that we are able to understand Him more.
What advice would you give to any aspiring worship leaders or songwriters out there?
My number one piece of advice would be to be authentic. I spent too many years trying to be other worship leaders and songwriters, so much so that my music was stripped of any of my personality. I finally decided that I had to stop writing music and songs that I thought other people wanted to hear, and start writing songs and music that I wanted to hear. Obviously the hope is that other people will like it too, but even if they don't, at least I can be proud of what I've done and know that it's authentically me.
You're stuck on an island, it's hot, you only have enough battery life left to listen to one song on your mp3 player. What track is it?
The impossible question! Probably either Blackbird by The Beatles or Cannonball by Damien Rice… I'd really struggle to choose just one.
What does the next year hold for Tom Read?
I really don't know. The album comes out on September 17th and I haven't really thought much beyond that yet. We have the Worship Central conference in Hong Kong in November, and then I'm playing at a big music festival in Hong Kong in December. Everything else I'll just take as it comes.
