Tom Grennan gets candid on inspiration behind new album What Ifs & Maybes

With two Top 40 singles a 10-date headline UK arena tour under his belt already this year, Tom Grennan is finally ready to unleash his third studio album What Ifs & Maybes.

Set to released on June 16, the record sees Tom wear his heart on his sleeve (if he can keep his shirt on, of course) as he tells tales of love, loss and living with anxiety.

The 'best album' he's ever created, What Ifs & Maybes is a record the Bedford-born singer-songwriter hopes will inspire fans to believe in their dreams and find the freedom to express themselves.

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Speaking to Principle Magazine about his upcoming third studio LP, Tom said: "I want this album to be for people who haven’t got the confidence or feel like they can’t get somewhere. If you’ve got a dream, believe in that dream. I’ve done that all my life. And it was only after Evering Road came out that I then really became happy. I found the love in me.

"I found my missus and I was just energised by life and I saw everything as a colourful thing. I didn’t have the black clouds over my head. This is what this album’s all about. It’s about just being free and being able to express myself the way I wanna express myself.

"I want everybody who’s listening to say, 'I can be what I want to be, do what I want to do, and I’m gonna live everything that I want to live.'

"All I want is for this album to live in people’s lives. I want people to take this album and go, 'This is the best album that [Tom’s] ever done.' Because it is. I want it to be one of the best albums of 2023."

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On the topic of his latest single, How Does It Feel, Tom adds: "I was all in a feeling of connection and I was reminiscing on a time when I really needed to sort my stuff out before I could do anything about the relationship I had with my missus, basically.

"I wanted to take this song to a place where I sing about how important connection is and I needed it to be a feeling of that and how beautiful intimacy is and just how when you are back in that mode of 'Let’s meet up again and relight the fire' kind of thing, and how exciting that is.

"When I was writing How Does It Feel, I was in this mode of just, I’ve got everything I want, I’ve got the girl I want, I’ve got f**king everything."

Reflecting on his recent 10-date arena tour, including a sold-out show at London's The O2, Tom told Principle Magazine: "I felt like it was a whirlwind of emotions. It was a mad thing to see how much the journey has been a constant growth, do you know what I mean?” 

"It was just a big party, man. The set was amazing, the stage was amazing, the crowds were unbelievable. I feel like me as a showman, I upped the levels and came off that tour thinking, 'Yeah, I deserve to be in these arenas and I’m gonna stay there too.'

"The next tour it’ll be two or three. I’m excited just to keep building and seeing the journey growing even more."

Images: Jack Alexander

Tom Grennan's new album What Ifs & Maybes is released on June 16 via Insanity Records.