Tom Verberne on his new EP ‘Skinwalk’
Growing up listening to AC/DC to Steely Dan to Oscar Peterson. Challenges of the social media grind. Themes of requited or unrequited love. Influences from Dora Jar to Stina Nordenstam. A $20 Behringer pedal saving the EP. Moving to London and more.
Fuzzer: So first of all, I’d love to start by asking - how did you get into singing and making music?
Tom Verberne: Singing was a late thing for me. I was making music for a long time. I grew up kind of playing guitar and everything but I'm not a naturally gifted singer I'd say. So I guess when I was about 15, I got a laptop and I just started playing around in Logic and everything. And then I'd try and start singing, and it was awful but thank God for auto tune effects and stuff (laughs) So I managed to mask my voice, hopefully well enough. And yeah, the rest is history really.
Fuzzer: Nice! What age were you when you started playing guitar?
Tom Verberne: Honestly, like really young. I don't really remember learning, but my Ead plays guitar so I just kind of grew up playing it.
Fuzzer: Did you grow up listening to a lot of music with your dad being a musician?
Tom Verberne: For sure, yeah because Dad's a musician and mom worked in the industry, so there was always heaps of music being played. Heaps of Steely Dan and Oscar Peterson.
Fuzzer: Yeah, I was gonna ask what kind of musical and creative influences did you have growing up?
Tom Verberne: Dad is all into his jazz and everything. But the first thing that resonated with me was AC/DC. That was the catalyst for my guitar playing, I’d just sit outside and play to AC/DC for hours on end which I'm sure my dad kind of hated just having to listen to “Back in Black” (laughs).
Fuzzer: No it’s the best, it’s iconic! And then do you still listen to that music now, or have your creative influences kind of changed over the years?
Tom Verberne: AC/DC, not so much. I'd say that I was probably around seven when I was going through that phase (laughs). Although I still appreciate it, still bangers. But it's kind of always changing, like I'm always just going through different phases but I never completely leave something behind. I can always appreciate it - like I went through a little kind of emo/post punk kind of screamo phase when I was 13. And then by the time I was 16, I was trying to distance myself, like “No, I'm into Drake now” (laughs). But now I love all of it.
Fuzzer: Yeah “I’m much more cultured now with Drake” (laughs). And congrats on the release of your self produced EP ‘Skinwalk’. How does it feel to have that out in the world for everyone to listen to now?
Tom Verberne: It's good. It feels good to have it out and everything. But it's hard to enjoy the process in the week of release because you're just doing heaps of admin. Like Instagram stories, I hate doing Instagram stories and all that (laughs).
Fuzzer: The social media grind is really tough. And obviously it's pretty new and recent to have to put out content and try to push yourself and self promote. So it's a different kind of challenge when it comes to promoting your music so I totally understand that it can be difficult.
Tom Verberne: But it's good. I'm glad that people can listen to it because ideally, I wouldn't have to do all the social media stuff and just have people listen to it. But I put a lot of work into all the songs.
Fuzzer: And what were some of the main themes that you delve into lyrically in this project, and what was it important for you to write about?
Tom Verberne: I'd say overwhelmingly, I kind of just write lovey kind of songs, whether that's requited or unrequited. It just kind of tends to be the easiest or the most natural thing to write about. But it kind of varies throughout, some of them are more obvious and maybe some a bit more abstract and in their lyricism. And I kind of like the more abstract ones personally. And I feel like as long as it's a lyric that’s evocative, even if it's not directly meaning something, that’s job done for me.
Fuzzer: Yeah! And ‘Skinwalk’ is one of my favorite tracks of the whole project. It really shows that you're not afraid to break out of the musical norms, and it's really an incredible track. And I love the journey of it, there's so many parts to it to unpack. So can you tell us about the concept it? And obviously, it's the name of the EP as well.
Tom Verberne: It would have been the first track that I made for the EP. Concept wise, I don't usually have a concept when I'm making a song, I just kind of do whatever’s come in. I guess I was listening to a bit of Dora Jar, those kind of distorted, massive moments kind of get across quite a lot of feeling. But also in the same way, Nirvana or something like that, those big jumps and dynamic range. So I was just trying to lean into that a little bit, but then also keep it kind of washy and gazy, but also kind of poppy. That's probably the most poppy song on the record, I’d say. Again, I don't really conceive of an idea or anything. It just kind of comes out, hopefully.
Fuzzer: Genius. Yeah I love the juxtaposition from really going quiet and it's stripped back and then suddenly going loud. It's really anthemic. And I’d love to talk about ‘Malaise’ - it's stripped back and it's so vulnerable vocally, and so that sounds really incredible. What was the inspiration behind that one?
Tom Verberne: That one has more clear inspiration, I'd say, I was listening to quite a lot of Stina Nordenstam. She's got a very unique vocal sound, like super close mic and real soft vocals and everything is almost like dry and it just feels really personal. So I was kind of just playing around with that and I had some chords that I liked. That was maybe more one where I was drawing from something a bit more rather than just letting it come to me.
Fuzzer: Yeah, and I guess with you being able to self produce as well, you've got all the technical skills and capabilities to create the track that you can hear in your mind, which I think is really important to have.
Tom Verberne: Well, it helps in a way because like you're saying, if you can hear something in your mind, you can try and figure out a way to attack it and replicate that sound. But yeah, on the other hand, I feel like it's the accidents that kind of end up becoming the coolest thing. With the EP, I had bought a $20 Behringer Pedal - it was called an ultra metal pedal or something. It's kind of hilarious, I think I just bought it for one sound in the Live Set that I needed. But I ended up just using that a bunch DI’d, so not running it through an amp, which gives it like a way different tone to distortion through an amplifier. And it kind of just informed the whole record.
Fuzzer: And as a producer, are you always listening out for different sounds just in nature, and then just trying to find the weird, crazy, kind of obscure sounding things?
Tom Verberne: Yeah, maybe not so much as I used to. Like in my old music, I was definitely real keen to just get weird sounds and play around. But I feel now my music's kind of moved to a more live based sound, I guess.
Fuzzer: And what are some of your core highlights or most memorable moments working across this project?
Tom Vernberne: Honestly, after I made ‘I Will If You Will’ which is the first track, maybe the weirdest track, but it's my favorite on the record. That was kind of the first time I'd stumbled across that sound that I was saying with the pedal, and micing my friend's baritone guitar, which is kind of weird like miking an electric guitar. I just kind of stumbled across this unique vibe or something which felt really fresh and evocative to me. So after that, I was just really stoked, and exciting to explore that more. It's kind of weird because you can spend, for me personally, a year making music and not really discover anything new or get excited about much. But then, you can have one night and just be like “sweet, this is where I'm going”. And that was that night.
Fuzzer: So I guess that all that year's work kind of gets you to that moment? So it makes it feel worth it.
Tom Verberne: Yeah if you’re searching for something, you have to put in the time to try and find it. It's not just gonna appear to you. Because I went through a phase of making a more kind of like electronic drums bunch of songs that I thought was gonna be next EP or whatever. But then once I hit that, you kind of realise how bad the music is like “those songs suck” (laughs).
Fuzzer: So as part of our interviews, we customize a cocktail recipe in relation to the new album or project that we're talking about. So if your EP ‘Skinwalk’ was a cocktail, what would that be?
Tom Verberne: I’m not a big cocktail drinker, so I'm not too clued up. I'd say maybe to base it of like spirit wise, I'm not gonna do vodka or tequila or anything like that. Maybe, a whiskey or a rum is pretty nice. Also maybe like dark. Not like a Coke vibe, but, Coke’s kind of the right track if you know what I mean?
Fuzzer: Okay, cool. I like those ideas so we’re going to try find something for you. can do some research and get back to you. I'm gonna try find something for you that sounds good. So who are your favorite kiwi artists at the moment?
Tom Verberne: So many, overwhelmed with choice. But obviously I was saying before, I'm playing a gig with George Barney Roberts, and he's such a talented songwriter and his new music is out the gate so love him. Lucian Rice, really good friend of mine. He also writes amazing songs and gets the vibes down. And then Lontalius and Maxwell Young, two favorites Heidi (Simpson) as well. Salt Water Criminals, but there's just so many people (laughs). I’m popping, the scene is good.
Fuzzer: And what about internationally? What are you listening to and are there any new artists?
Tom Verberne: My favourite new artist who just released an album, Superfan. He’s a guy from New York and I just reckon it’s the best album I’ve heard in ages. Super fresh. I’m not gonna try and describe it, but it’s kind of like alternative/guitar like Elliot Smith-y vibes but I don’t want to label him as that (laughs). He’s definitely on his own thing and amazing lyrics, awesome voice, production is awesome. Oh I actually like mk.gee, the mk.gee album is awesome.
Fuzzer: And what's next for you in 2024?
Tom Verberne: Well, I'm moving to London in two days which is pretty scary. Just going over there and I'm gonna try and make use of music and link with a bunch of people. I don't really know, I don't have like a solid plan of what I'm gonna go do over there. But I feel like it'll just be nice to be in the biggest city, or the biggest scene with more stuff going on. So it'll be fun to go over there and just maybe grind the gigs a bit more.
Keep up with Tom Verberne on Instagram, Spotify or Apple Music.
