Tommy Wallach Interview for Wicked Spins Radio

Tommy Wallach is a truly talented man being a musician plus a writer of both books and musicals. I Meant It To Be Sweet is Tommy’s debut album, Wicked Spins Radio got a chance to catch up with the talent that is Tommy Wallach and here is how it went.

WSR – Thank you so much for giving Wicked Spins Radio this interview, can you tell our readers a little bit about yourself?

Tommy – I’ve been playing music pretty seriously for more than twenty years. I started playing classical piano when I was eight years old, and went so far as to compete (I should say here that I got totally crushed). I also studied guitar, mandolin, and voice. As a teenager I got pretty seriously involved in theatre, performing in professional productions around Seattle (including one show that ran for over 100 performances). I’ve written a couple of musicals as well, including a really terrible bio-musical about the Brother’s Grimm and an adaptation of the Swedish film “Together.” I began to perform my own music when I was an undergrad student at NYU, doing regular gigs at the Sidewalk Cafe (Antifolk forever!). After college I moved to L.A. and began posting regularly to YouTube, where I’ve racked up more than half a million views on my original songs and covers. YouTube even invited me to perform at the Guggenheim Museum with big name acts like OK Go.

WSR – You are an extremely talented man, of all your many talents what one would you say is your true passion?

Tommy -After winning a contest online, I ended up signing with Decca Records, who put out my debut EP. Working with Decca was a great experience, but it made me realize that I had to stop dividing my time between music and writing. If I really wanted to succeed, I’d need to focus on one or the other.

I made the tough decision to put the majority of my energy into writing. To that end, I decided to attend grad school at Stanford. I also write my fifth, sixth, and seventh novels. It was this seventh novel (“We All Looked Up”) that finally sold, back in August of 2013. The book will be published by Simon & Schuster on March 31, 2015. With a planned 35,000 copy first run of the hardcover, the novel will have a significant marketing and publicity push behind it. I’m also recording a full-length companion album that will release along with the book, which will also be heavily marketed by S&S.

The success of my novel has finally given me time to work on music again, and I Meant It To Be Sweet is the result. I wrote all of the songs on the album, and play piano, guitar, and mandolin throughout.

WSR – You write music but also books, what is the differences in the writing of music and books

Tommy – Writing books requires you to sit down in front of your computer for a certain number of hours every day for years on end. There’s no getting around it. Writing music, for me at any rate, is much more inspiration based. You don’t need to write more than 10-15 decent songs a year (if that), which means you can go a few months without much of anything happening. I like that difference.

WSR – Have there been any times when the writing of the two has mingled? Have you ever written a song about a story or character in a story that you have created?

Tommy – I’m releasing a whole album to go with the book that Simon & Schuster is publishing in March of next year. There are characters in the book who play music, and some of the songs they play are actually on the record.

WSR – Would you please tell us about the music videos you have created and where they have been exhibited?

Tommy – I used to make videos all the time, back in the early days of YouTube (before it became a “thing” to try and make a career through such things). One of my videos (a collaboration with Tallie Maughan) was displayed at the Guggenheim Museum and got me a sweet show playing at the Guggenheim with folks like OK Go and Michael Showalter. It was fun.

WSR – So, I Meant It To Be Sweet, can you tell us a little but more about your first full length album and also who worked with you on your album?

Tommy – It’s been in the workings for many, many years, and I’m so glad it’s finally out in the world. The record was produced by the inestimable Giulio Carmassi, who currently plays as multi-instrumentalist in Pat Metheny’s Unity Group (which makes it sound like I play free jazz; I do not play jazz…at all…ever). I also had help from tons of other great musicians, such as Ben Davis (of Cuddle Magic), Jeremy Gustin (Albert Hammond Jr.), Lizzy Loeb (now Lizzy Cuesta), and others.

WSR – Whilst you were in college you wrote a couple of musicals, what were they about and what came of them?

Tommy – The first musical I actually collaborated on while still in high school. It was about the lives of the Brothers Grimm. And it was not good. The second musical was an adaptation of the Swedish film “Together.” Unfortunately, I lost the film rights before I could produce it, which was pretty heartbreaking for me.

WSR – Image is important to the majority of us all, what is the most important piece of clothing you own and why is it so important?

Tommy – I like a nice pair of tight black jeans. Whenever I wear a nice pair of tight black jeans, I think to myself, “Self, you are definitely wearing this nice pair of tight black jeans. I bet that girl over there thinks you’re super hot.”

WSR – What do you feel it is that defines you as a person?

Tommy – The music of ELO.

WSR – Do you obey the rules or are rules there to be broken in your life

Tommy – I obey all rules at all times. All hail our corporate alien overlords.

WSR – Thank you so much for giving Wicked Spins Radio this interview, is there anything you would like to add?

Tommy – My book is called “We All Looked Up” and it comes out in March 2015. Preorder in places that such things are done, or read more about the cover and such here. My album is on iTunes and Bandcamp and such. Don’t use Spotify if you can help it. It’s a bad thing. Love your neighbor.

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