Music is shared. It’s a shared feeling; that’s what music is all about. When you listen to a song with someone else, it becomes more than just a song. It defines relationships. – Tom Odell
I’m not saying you have to be totally despondent or anything, but… in New York, it’s cold sometimes; it rains sometimes; even if everything in your life is great, bad weather can set the mood. You can write songs in New York because it’s not always perfect. To write a good song, things can’t be perfect. – Tom Odell
I think everyone mentions Bob Dylan, but he’s someone I just admire so much as a songwriter. I think people write songs, and then there’s Bob Dylan songs. He’s one step ahead of just everybody else. – Tom Odell
The first song I ever wrote was when I was 12, and it had, like, four lines in it. You progress and get better. – Tom Odell
When I’m at home, I like to put records on, but because I travel a lot, I listen to a lot of music on my iPhone. – Tom Odell
I think I subconsciously put myself in these situations where the girlfriend isn’t pleased with me. I’m useless as a boyfriend. That’s how I managed to write all these songs. – Tom Odell
The strongest feelings I’ve had in my life are when love has gone right and when love has gone bad. And I think strong feelings make good songs. – Tom Odell
I wouldn’t mind being the male Adele. She came along, and people were like, ‘Damn, we haven’t heard anyone this real for years.’ – Tom Odell
The dominant male is history. Could you see a male Lady Gaga? The closest we’ve got is Justin Bieber, who’d be locked up if he tried the stuff Gaga gets away with. Women are the only rock stars now. Adele is brutally honest. I want to be like her. – Tom Odell
I have always liked clothes and fashion. And really, being a British male, I am automatically the best dressed person in any room – especially in America. – Tom Odell
Every musician writes about past relationships. And other than that, I can promise you, I have very little in common with Taylor Swift. – Tom Odell
It’s like there’s the rest of the world, and then there’s America. Part of the reason I would really love continue to making music over here because so much of American music has inspired me, whether it’s Jeff Buckley, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen. – Tom Odell
If people stop being interested, it’s because you haven’t written a good enough album. Music will always be the most powerful thing. It doesn’t matter what record labels or journalists say. It’s the song. – Tom Odell
One month I’ll be completely obsessed with Bob Dylan and the next Arcade Fire. I like early Elton John and David Bowie, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. I listen to a lot of American bands. But I like listening to new bands, too. – Tom Odell
Everyone in England knows about Burberry, and it kind of represents a standard of being well-dressed… But the nice thing is, they have a lot of clothes, so I still feel like myself whenever I’m wearing their clothes. – Tom Odell
I would consider myself a perfectionist, yeah. I don’t think that is always that helpful, either. Sometimes it’s good to be a little more open-minded; you can overthink things when things are actually fine, and it’s that moment that you lose it. Looking back, sometimes I’ve made mistakes from being a perfectionist. – Tom Odell
Singing didn’t really come naturally to me, I don’t think. I had to really work at it. I just kept singing. I never was really worried about it, though, because I was writing songs, and that was the most important thing to me. – Tom Odell
There’s always a part of my brain saying: ‘Stop getting comfortable. Don’t relax.’ Because I find it difficult to write when I’m happy. I have to go out there and get battered up and bruised to write anything. I have to feel something. – Tom Odell
There are a lot of women at my gigs. The first show I headlined was a sea of women, which I can’t complain about. I’m pleased these 18-year-old girls like my music. – Tom Odell
I don’t really have loads of friends – three or four who are close. The thing that I love the most is playing with my band, and with everything else I feel kind of uncomfortable. I don’t think I’m socially awkward. I just prefer being behind a piano. – Tom Odell
I find myself more affected by music the more I do it. Particularly when you’re touring, and you’re in the bus, and you’re listening to loads of music. Life becomes far more dramatic, I guess – you’re never in the same place; you’re constantly meeting new people. You almost become more sensitized to music. – Tom Odell
