Introducing the London based singer/songwriter Tom Visser with his first proper single ‘Health Scare’, a poised and elegant journey through the reckoning of one’s own mortality.
“‘Health Scare’ is not about COVID 19!” Tom assures us, having written the song long before the virus was a thing. “It’s a jumble of memories, like most of my songs. I think I was cycling with my Dad, and in that moment I felt like I was stronger than him, like a generational baton was being passed. I felt, for a brief, fleeting moment, free from the weight of any expectation or past experience, and that I had the opportunity to reassemble those pieces into a different shape”
Beginning with a delicate introduction that features solely piano and Tom’s breathtaking and raw vocals, the song begins to open up into an expansive soundscape around the 1.30 minute mark featuring beautifully reverberated layers of guitars, synths and backing vocals, held down by a steady backbeat of roomy drums.
You may have come across Tom’s previous incarnation, Tom the Lion, with which he received critical acclaim as well as support from Rough Trade (album of the month), Rob Da Bank on BBC Radio 1 and Simon Raymonde on XFM. In a press release Tom said the shift to using his own name marks a new development in his sound, one he feels is more honest and authentic. ‘Health Scare’ is also the first single to be taken from the first album to be released under his own name.
Check out the unique video for ‘Health Scare’ below:
