Meet Tommy Driscoll | Songwriter & Music Producer

We had the good fortune of sitting down with songwriter and producer Tommy Driscoll and we’ve shared our conversation below

Hi Tommy, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
As a songwriter and music producer the entire job is a risk. It’s a constant game of who will listen to your music and like what you create, you know? For me I just accept it. Take a chance and if it doesn’t work I’ll just try again. That’s definitely easier said than done and that mindset has put me in some pretty rough situations but also some really great ones. One of the biggest risks in my career was deciding to pursue music full time and no longer work in the corporate world. Definitely a life altering moment when you give up stability and structure to chase a dream but you have to do it if you truly believe in your talent.

Tell us more about your art and what sets you apart from the rest.
Simply put, my art is music. But what it actually is is story telling. Creating an outlet for a listener to escape for a few minutes and feel something. The coolest part about it is that everyone can feel something different even when listening to the same song. The first time I truly understood this was after a song I had written went viral online. Reading thousands of comments from people connecting to it but all for different reasons was really exciting and eyeopening. This viral song was a part of a series I do on TikTok called “Writing on the spot” (@TommyDriscollOfficial). This series played a big role in getting me to where I am today.

My production skills and melodies definitely set me apart from the rest. They allow for me to have full control of the song and paint the exact picture I see in my mind. Meaning that as I’m writing a melody or lyric I am also thinking about how to compliment it in the track and have the ability to execute it. Which instruments should be where? When should they come out? What’s the mood of the lyric and how should the beat feel behind it? Things like this. One of my favorite production tricks is to flip the mood. Take a really sad lyric and make the music around it feel happy. Having someone feel two moods at the same time has always been the coolest thing to me. Imagine feeling joy while singing along to words that really hurt you or vice versa.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’ve definitely played “tourist” a lot in LA. My family and friends love to visit when it’s really cold back home on the East Coast. Unfortunately for me that means I’ve done the Hollywood Sign hike about a million times. Everyone has to see it right? The Warehouse in MDR and Lancers Diner are a must for food. All my friends like different things so it’s usually a balance between eating, hiking, concerts, and driving around. I’ve seen some really great shows with upcoming writers and artists at The Hotel Cafe so I’ve been adding that to the tour list lately. Gives my friends insight to what it means to be a musician in LA.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shoutout to NF.

Website: tommydriscoll.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tommydriscollofficial/

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@tommydriscollofficial?lang=en

Image Credits
Andrew Stewart