It perhaps feels just a little bit wrong to write about Tom A Smith’s Little Bits, but let me assure you this is just the title of the Sunderland 18 year old’s latest storming pounding single. If you ever need a bit of positive thinking and energy then look no further than this track.

Tom has said he is a huge fan of the Rocky films, and he was keen to produce something which would fit into that hard-work-pays-off ethos of those films. Tom is too modest, as to my mind it could also be a song about his own phenomenal work rate, picking up gigs and experience wherever he can, and his constant song production. It is certainly true that you will never travel far if you don’t have a bit of faith in yourself and make a bit of “luck” for yourself.

I know from a couple of conversations with Tom that he generally has that attractive confidence in knowing exactly what he is doing, where he is going and that it is right. The lyrics in the song feel rather like Tom’s general mindset. The little bits, relate to breaking up the journey or task into manageable chunks.

Little Bits has a massive beat which like the theme of the song bounces in front of your ears and demands you pick it up. My jogging days are over, but this is a tune at least I can run for the bus to. Firstbus 371 will never leave me in its slipstream again I swear. Tom wrote the tune at the point where he was playing support to Gang of Youths after discussing song writing with David Le’aupepe, the song-smith of the band . He is no stranger to the dramatic huge tune and would no doubt approve.

Little Bits is one of those records which is just so national play ready it’s unreal. The track is produced once again by Larry Hibbitt who knows a thing or three about an indie banger, having famously worked with the likes of Sea Girls, Nothing But Thieves and a band I used to bang on about and thought could have made it big, Full Colour. Tom has described how Larry generally totally gets how Tom wants a song to feel and sound, and makes it a bit bigger through his production skills.

What I adore about Tom’s lyrics is how they are clever in their deceptive simplicity – his message in each song just comes out so clear and true. This one is bursting in positivety. Coupled with that, there’s something of the delicious catchiness in the chorus of Tom’s earlier huge tune Never Good Enough here – it’s more the vibe of it rather than it sounding exactly the same. You are always onto a winning track if your gig audience can carry the chorus back to you, and never more so when those words sound totally authentic.

Tom A Smith and his band are amazing live, and I’m gutted I keep on missing them more than I catch. However, they are on the constant tour around, so keep a look out while the band are still doing the smaller venues and the little bits, rather than be little more than a dot on a huge stage in the horizon in the future. You won’t regret a minute.

Tiggerligger

* Images taken from Tom A Smith’s social media