Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A: Tom (Meno Air) – I’m a plumber living in Bristol, UK but my main passion is music production. Originally from Glastonbury, I was introduced to music quite young; Aged 10, my parents enrolled me on a weekend of Didgeridoo and West African Drumming workshops. Unconventional, and highly addictive, here laid the roots to my musical journey. Always interested in the link between sound and emotions, I fast got into electronic music having moved to Bristol
Luke –
As a child my father would play the piano everyday, and he’d often accompany my older brothers as they played their violins, being too young to learn I didn’t wanna miss out so I created my own instrument with an elastic band and a piece of wood, I developed the ability to pull it tighter on high notes and looser for low notes, I guess it’s no surprise I’m a professional guitar teacher and vocalist today. I then got a harmonica and used to play it on the wall as people walked by, the girl one house down would often come out when she heard me play, which told me from a young age music doesn’t only benefit me, but brings joy to others as well. Another neighbour told my mum “Luke’s gunna be an entertainer”, and… well here we are 30 years later.
Q: How are you planning on growing your fan base and sharing your music with the world? What message do you have for anyone who is about to discover you?
A: Tom – I’m not tech savvy funnily enough so I gravitate towards the more organic approach (friends through friends) but I understand the role social media plays in maximising exposure so I try and produce meaningful content
Luke – I plan on continuing to post content on social media that helps people get to know me, my music, my sense of humour, and feel a part of my journey. Regularly singing songs with my guitar, talking about my life, struggles, and ideas on how to overcome them so others can grow too. I also love being interviewed on podcasts and radio stations which I do frequently, from being a live performer and a teacher I’ve developed a very strong public speaking ability. My message is that authenticity is everything, and pretending to be perfect is not unique, everyone else does that and it doesn’t work. If you wanna see people throw money in the air and say “put your hands up”, this isn’t for you. I talk about real things people can relate to.
Q: Who is the most inspiring artist for you right now? And where do you find inspiration for making music?
A: Tom – I really like techno artists like Coeus and Arash Shadram for their intelligent progressive tracks. Pop such as Orchestral Maneuvres in the Dark for their endless catchy melodies. My inspiration comes from everyday working; In my van I like to play my unfinished tracks between jobs and if I have any ideas I will pull over and write notes. I also love to try and dissect tracks I like and understand why they draw me in; there’s so much more going on if you just listen!
Luke – I’m really inspired by David Guilmore, especially songs like Comfortably Numb and Wish You Were Here, these songs are so powerful and really bring out strong emotional reactions in myself and those listening. My inspiration often comes when I’m driving, and I’m in flow state. I usually pull over at the next possible opportunity and voice message Tom with the idea.
Q: Can you tell us about the story or message behind the song, “o.c.d (millenia).”?
A: Luke – It’s about my struggle with OCD, which a surprising amount of people live with. It highlights the condition; the main hook being ‘round and round’ a term which is synonymous with intrusive thoughts people who live with it have.
Q: How would you describe your sound in one word for potential listeners?
A: Tom – Heartfelt
Luke – Authentic
Q: Did you face any challenges while writing or recording “o.c.d (millenia)”?
A: Tom – Getting the track from idea to studio was quite drawn out. The song was born when we were surfing 3 years ago. Then shortly after we got some material down, I took off for 3 months doing a Divemaster qualification in Honduras. Upon returning though we soon got the creative flow going and the track built up some momentum
Luke – staying patient when all the recording was done but it still needed mixing, mastering, artwork, and getting the distribution sorted. Everything else was fairly straight forward.
Q: What is the message of your music? And what are your goals as an artist?
A: Tom – My music showcases that you can have fun and release material no matter who you are, I could be described as a technophobe but I took the time to learn music software. I know of no other tradespeople that have delved into this craft but I feel music transcends all boundaries.
My goals as an artist is to build a fanbase I feel understand me through the journeys I take people on. As I age I would like to do less of the manual work, and collaborate more with other musicians.
Luke – Music is a great way to express yourself and send powerful messages without needing to create destruction on the streets. It transmutes beauty from pain, and in a certain sense allows you to heal through expression “feel it to heal it”. My goal is to reach my full potential as an artist and change the world at the same time, by enabling people to be who they are and love themselves unconditionally, to help find peace and balance in a world dominated by extremes.
Q: Who is your dream artist to collaborate with? (dead or alive)
A: Kate Bush
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
A: Tom – Feel the fear and do it anyway, concentrate on writing music solely for your own enjoyment; the authenticity will always shine through no matter where your journey takes you.
Luke – Find someone who’s already walking the path, book lessons with them or offer some value in return for coaching or mentorship, do exactly as they say for many years while also developing your own sound, expression, and identity. Do everything with an open heart, genuinely love your crowd and those who support you, whilst staying true to your message, and you’ll be just fine.
Q: If you could go back in time and give a younger you some words of wisdom, what would they be?
A: Tom – Make time for doing what you love, don’t be afraid to take risks or fail; you’ll long be in a state of growth this way.
Luke – Listen very carefully to your guitar teacher and have regular lessons, stay consistent and trust the process, there is only cause and effect, it’s what you do, not who you are. Talent is actually a weakness if it’s not accompanied by hard work.
