A short while ago, I talked with Tom Powell, also known under his artist alias ‘def.fo’. Tom has proven himself a promising songwriter since releasing his debut album ‘Eternity’ last year, and is also the bassist for ‘Micheal Head and the Red Elastic Band’. I asked Tom some questions…
You released your debut album as ‘def.fo’ last year, how was that different to being a bass player on other peoples records?
It took a lot more time as there was much more to think about than playing the one instrument. You’re thinking about the songwriting, arrangement, production, the instruments/parts you’re gonna’ play, and the people you’re gonna’ ask to come in and play. Then there’s the other side of it, the artwork, videos, press, manufacturing, social media, inventory, admin, etc. so yeah much more work! You also have to put a lot of yourself out there with songwriting too, giving people a glimpse into your soul. That’s the beauty of it though! It’s been great fun finally putting something of my own out. I released ‘Eternity’ in December last year and I’m putting another record out later this year, possibly in the Autumn, it’s going to be a concept album called ‘Music for Dinosaurs’. It starts off based in a dystopian Mars and all the inhabitants have to get away from this planet which they’ve absolutely ruined, and they’ve got to make the journey to their Eden and new home, which is Earth.
Rad, like a “Paradise Lost”, Adam and Eve sort of thing?
Yeah exactly, the transition is from dystopia to utopia and the messaging that “you’ve messed this planet up, here’s a fresh start – don’t mess this one up!”. I understand it’s a bit of a batshit crazy concept… but sometimes you’ve got to be a bit different! The album is ready to go and I’ve just placed the orders for the records with the pressing plant, so I’m excited to release that later on in the year. I’ve also started work on a third album, the demos are all quite far along so I’m going to get in the studio next month to begin recording. The goal is three albums in three years.
Yeah when you write on your own you just end up being really prolific don’t you? I remember in High School I used to put out albums at a rate of knots, I’m a bit more judicious now.
It’s good to do isn’t it man! I’ll go through spells of writing loads and then won’t write for ages, like 6 months plus, I won’t even attempt it, it depends how busy I am with stuff but then when I get on a roll, sometimes you’ve just got to go for it. When you’re in that zone you’ve got to run with it because you never know when it’ll happen again, that’s the way I look at it anyway. But yeah, nearly ready to record the third one, there are a few things that need polishing still, and I’m always critiquing my own songs thinking “is that good enough?”, so now I’m at that point where I have to really scrutinise things before going into the studio because I don’t want to waste time while I’m in there. That’s the beauty of it though but it’s a pro and a con, the pro is it’s all in your hands and the con is that it’s all in your hands, but if you enjoy the process and you get a kick or a buzz out of it, then that’s the point isn’t it? That’s what I get a buzz off of, music, I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else. Even as a kid I’d always written songs. There was one called “Nutcracker World” I’d written when I was about 6 or 7. It was based in a fictional world where everything was a bit nuts, I still remember some of the lyrics “Crazy but true, you know your heads bangin’, this place’ll bring you down triple-expandin’, you’ve got to face it in this world full of things that make you go mad.”
Until the backend of last year, I’d never released anything that I’d written myself out in to the public – I was too anxious to. But now I’ve started, I just want to keep putting stuff out there. I’ve played bass in some boss bands over the years and had the pleasure to work with my favourite songwriter Mick Head – who I’ve learned a lot from. There’s so much you get from working with great, talented people and it’s really helped me to develop as a musician and a writer.
Your Dad is Steve Powell, producer of “Adios Señor Pussycat”, do you think music is in your blood, were you a musical kid?
I’d say so yeah, I remember busking as a child on the front step as people were walking past. I couldn’t put a chord together to be fair, I’d just go out and sing absolute nonsense and try and get a few pennies. In terms of listening to music and being around it, for sure – there was always great music on in the house so it was subconscious to absorb whatever my dad was working on at the time. Many of the records he worked on ended up influencing me in later years as I started writing my own music, and I’m always learning a lot from him musically – still to this day.
So what kind of stuff would have been playing in the house?
The records my dad was working on were stuff like ‘Mexican R’n’B’ by The Stairs, they are a great band who released their debut in the 90s – but they’ve actually got much more of a 60s sound with lots of out-there stoned psychedelia – I love it! Also, the Mick Head classic ‘The Magical World of The Strands’ which is my favourite album – its amazing, folky sounding, like Scouse Nick Drake but with added magic, there’s just something about it, the sound of it.
Sweet! What song do you most enjoy playing live with Michael Head and the Red Elastic Band?
There’s one off the last album ‘Dear Scott’ that’s really fun to play live called “Pretty Child”. There’s a lot of moving parts and interplay between the instruments in the end section, and a bit of a jam where all the musicians unleash, so it’s just boss to get lost in that moment with the music.
Bassists are often overlooked in bands, who is your favourite?
Paul McCartney is up there for sure… You know he might be the one man, in terms of all he did, obviously he’s a fantastic songwriter but in terms of bass playing he was so melodic but also keeps it rooted down. If you listen to a lot of those Beatles tunes the bass is perfect. He’s gonna’ have to be the one yeah, Paul McCartney!
Fair enough, can’t go wrong with Fab Wacky Macca Thumbs Aloft!
Finally, what piece of bass gear that you own is your favourite?
That’s a good question that, I like that. I am really into guitars and basses by a Japanese brand called Tokai, not so much the newer ones but the 70s and 80s ones, there’s a collection thats been have dubbed the ‘Lawsuit Models’. They were apparently making guitars for Fender, Gibson and Martin Japan at the time and they used a lot of the same components to make their own Tokai copies that looked and played as good as the brands they were mimicking. So over the years I’ve collected a few Tokai guitars and basses, I’ve got a Tokai Sunburst Jazz bass from the late 70s that’s been my number one go to for years, but in the past few months I’ve switched to a late 70s Tokai Sunburst P-Bass and now that’s my number one, it kind of snuck in at the last minute! I’ve got some really nice pieces of kit, a few Ampeg amplifiers, a Rickenbacker bass that I use that sparingly because the tone is only suitable for certain sounds but I’ve used it on a few projects. I tried using flat-wound strings for the first time last year and they’re a game changer. I’d recommend to any bassists that have not tried flat-wounds yet to give them a go, they’ve made a world of difference for me personally.
Tom’s album “Eternity” as def.fo is out now:
https://def-fo.bandcamp.com/album/eternity
Photo credit: John Johnson
Bacchanalia Magazine 
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