Leslie Tom – Didn’t Think Twice

By starrymag | November 22, 2016

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

Q) How would you describe your sound? 

A) Traditional Country

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) Patsy Cline, Bob Wills, Conway Twitty

Q) How do you write your songs?

A) The majority of the songs I write are written from personal experience.

Q) Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

A) Absolutely not.  Most of the time the lyrics come first and the music is second.

Q) Talk about the story behind your song “Didn’t Think Twice.”

A) Within a few days of D-Day, on June 6, 1944, Milton Smallwood Alexander, a 26- year-old Texan and my grandfather, landed on the shores of Normandy with a tank regiment of the Third Armored Division. As a tank driver, he was one of the brave Americans who liberated France, Belgium and then Germany before returning home to resume a “normal life.” Like many of the Veterans of WWII, nightmares must have wrestled in his head of that horrific war, especially those of fighting in the Battle of the Bulge and watching his best friend die beside him as a deuce-and-a-half accidentally rolled over him, ultimately saving my grandfather’s life. For that generation of men, war was not discussed, though we can only surmise that the experiences they had were with the “Greatest Generation” for a lifetime. When I began working on my third studio project, a tribute to my grandfather and his service to our country was important to document in a song. I wanted to write a song loosely based on his experience with WWII. With this generation of men and women quickly passing away, I wanted to write a song that told their story, but that other Veterans and active-duty service men and women could relate to as well. As Billy O’Rourke and I began working on this song, the theme that kept coming back during the songwriting process was the thought that those men and most soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen “Didn’t Think Twice” about their sacrifices and would do it all over again a hundred times over if given the chance. Not all aspects of the song are solely biographical of my grandfather’s life; however, most Veterans will relate to the story. John Macy began producing this record and had an idea to include Pete Scobell in the project. Pete is a Naval Academy graduate and an ex-Navy SEAL who proudly served our country with multiple tours of duty. After leaving the military, Mr. Scobell also became a musician and had an iTunes chart-topping song featured in the film American Sniper (about Chris Kyle’s life) with country music royalty Wynonna Judd called “Hearts I Leave Behind.” Pete graciously agreed to sing a duet with me on this song. The most important part of this project is the benefit veterans will receive from its proceeds. One hundred percent of sales from the song will go to the Travis Manion Foundation (travismanion.org), a non-profit organization whose mission is to empower veterans and families of fallen heroes to develop character in future generations.

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans will connect to?

A) Most Americans appreciate the sacrifice the men and women in uniform go through to keep our country safe.  My hope is this song just brings that reminder to the forefront of their mind.

Q) Why was it important for you to release the track on Veteran’s Day?

A) Veteran’s Day is the day we recognize the service and sacrifice of all those that served regardless of their time in, war fought, etc.  I wanted this song to pay tribute to them and what better way to do that than to release it on the day we celebrate them.

Q) Proceeds from the single will go to Travis Manion Foundation. What made you want to donate to this cause?

A) I love the work being done by the TMF.  I feel like God gave me the voice to use and has called me to serve our Veteran community.  Donating all proceeds to the TMF was a no-brainer.  The Travis Manion Foundation is different in that they don’t just help Vets transitioning into the civilian world, they also help the families of the fallen.  Not many non-profits do this kind of work and I love it!

Q) How much of hand do you have in the production of your music?

A) John Macy is a seasoned, awarded expert in production and when I made the decision to work with him we talked extensively about my goals for the project.  He is a traditionalist (country music) like me so I knew I could trust him to put out a product we were both very proud of and he did.  My philosophy in things such as this is why try to do something outside of my skill set when I have an expert to do it for me.  I want to focus on writing, singing and performing and leave the rest of the work to those who hold the skills to get it right.

Q) What can fans expect from a live Leslie Tom performance?

A) A visit back to the 1960s with a twist of modernism mixed in.  Our shows are fun, lively and unapologetically country.

Q) Will there be an EP or album coming out soon?

A) Absolutely, my new self-titled EP will be released on 2/17/17.

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

A) Great question!  From a songwriting perspective, I would love to write with Kevin Moon, Mike McQueery, Mark Nesler and my absolute favorite songwriter on earth, Radney Foster.  If you’re referring to a duet, I would love to work with Margo Price, Lee Ann Womack, Willie Nelson and Aaron Watson.

Q) What can fans do to help promote your music?

A) As an indie artist, this is the million-dollar question.  Social media helps get the word out, but honestly actually buying the songs helps keep us (the artists) afloat along with coming to shows and showing support.

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

A) I have a small child so touring all over the U.S. month-upon-month is not an option for me at this point in my life.  Social media allows for fans all over the world to support our music so when we do make a stop in their town, they can help get the word out to their friends and family.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) Goodness, just thinking about this questions makes me tear up.  There have been people who have supported my career for the past twelve years and people who have come on full force this year that have really, really supported what we’re doing.  To all of them, I say, “Thank you from the very bottom of my soul.”