One of the privileges you get as a dj and radio presenter is the opportunity to introduce people to new music. As you know last year I had a small hand in bringing Arkansas Dave to the attention of listeners and today I want to try and do the same for Tom McNair.
You won’t find this guy in the racks at HMV or hear him on Radio 2 because mainly he is a busker. He lives in an old library van and travels with his wife and children around cities in the West Country, such as Bath, Worcester etc. He makes his music available through his own website www.tommcnair.co.uk where you can stream samples, download some free tracks or buy downloads and CDs. On his website Tom says:
I’m following my dream of being an independent musician, Writing and recording music inspired by my experiences. Also important to me is the lifestyle that I have achieved with this endeavour of music. I spend a lot of time with my wife and children and we live in an old library van. The humble abode means that we don’t need loads of money to sustain ourselves and that is why I get to spend lots of time with my family and why I am so blooming happy so much of the time.
To me he has shades of the late, great John Martyn in his music and I think he deserves a wider audience. I hope you agree. As well as his website you can catch up with his music on YouTube and Soundcloud.
The Tracks are:
See You In The Dawn (Treehouse Session – YouTube)
You Said It (Songs For Light Warriors – www.tommcnair.co.uk)
Love Like Fire (Songs For Light Warriors)