North London’s Tom Tripp returns to reassure those who feel alone, with his brand new single ‘Running’.
The Grammy-nominated multi-hyphenate artist follows up his 2019 Flag EP with the poignant song about being present for one another in spirit, while physically distant.
Initially written for a friend that he wasn’t able to see during lockdown, Tom soon realised that while the brooding track spoke directly to their eroding friendship, it represented something more universal: “‘Running’ is a song/ letter of support to anyone that feels like they’re alone in this crazy world,” he says. “I hope this song can show them that they’re not alone on that journey.”
‘Running’ was born out of a studio session in January, while the UK was deep in lockdown. “It was quite a bleak and lonely time. My mum got diagnosed with a terminal illness in 2020 and I couldn’t meet up with family or friends. Mentally I wasn’t doing too good,” he recalls of the difficult time. Fortunately, studios were open, and a basement in Hackney became Tom’s refuge.
The track was written as the late night transitioned into the early morning, alongside producer Hermxn and co-writer Khalil Madovi. “It felt like a therapy session for us all,” says Tom. “It was effortless… I’m proud that we wrote such an honest song in a time where so many young people are fighting internal battles. Not to mention the struggle creatives and musicians are facing.”
A proud Caledonian Road, North London native of Nigerian descent, Tom Tripp is a singer, songwriter, producer and self-taught multi-instrumentalist, who has been writing and recording his own music since the age of 12. His blog favourite ‘Aurelia’ caught the ear of Nao, who gave the song its official release via her Little Tokyo label in 2017.
The following year Tom received a Grammy nomination for his appearance on Mura Masa’s ‘helpline’ and joined the producer for a star-studded Coachella performance alongside A$AP Rocky, Damon Albarn and Christine and the Queens. He’s since released a pair of cult classic EPs, including his Polydor debut Flag which boasted the tastemaker favourite ‘Glow’ which appeared on Netflix’s On My Block soundtrack.
Photo credit: Jai Toor
