He’s lived in England, Indonesia, Hong Kong and now Boston, where Covey was formed and reformed. Tom Freeman is no stranger to change, but in his new song “Stranger,” he is to himself. It’s the first single off Covey’s upcoming EP, which Freeman is taking on without his six former bandmates. The local indie project is now a solo one, where songwriting and vision purposes above all else.
We spoke with Freeman by wire about downsizing his group—and what that means for Covey moving forward. He also gave us some insight about Berklee dynamics and the not-so-slow death of Mumford & Sons. Check out the interview below alongside the premiere of “Stranger.”
*Warning: Freeman was dog sitting throughout our conversation. All dog-directed dialogue has been put in italics.*
Tom Freeman: *Hey, get off that shoe.* If you hear me say something like “Stop peeing on that rug,” know that I’m not talking to a human being.
AP: Sounds good. So to start off, can you tell me the story of Covey and how it’s gone from a large band to a solo project?
TF: When I initially released “Comes and Goes” it was a solo deal actually. Then, I started playing with a band that we put together through Berklee. *Hey! Hey! Calm down!* After a while, the band was adding a lot to it. I felt bad even calling it a solo thing when they were contributing such a great deal to the sound and the aesthetic.
When we had everyone together, it was good, but it was hard to have the seven individuals who were parts of other projects, pull their weight. That’s what killed it in the end.
Getting people to commit is a very difficult thing at Berklee. There are just so many projects that no one wants to sit down and do one. People want to put their eggs in multiple baskets and hope that one makes it, which sucks because you get shittier music that way. There’s less soul and heart.
So, I decided to put that on hold and start an indie rock project with longtime band member and friend Dillon Rovere. We recorded an EP with that, and then I decided to pick up the Covey project again as a solo gig. I started writing and didn’t have to worry about getting other people into it.
AP: In terms of songwriting, do you enjoy the space that going solo gives you, or do you miss those extra ideas from other band members?
TF: When it comes to songwriting, it’s a mixed bag because a lot of people think of songwriting in different ways. In my mind, a song isn’t a song unless it has the production behind it.
*Hey!* I’ll have to send you a photo of these dogs afterwards so you get the idea of what I’m dealing with. They’re the cutest puppies.
What was I saying? If someone has a guitar and chords and is singing nice melodies overtop, that can be its own thing. For example, Tallest Man on Earth does that extremely well. But, you can also change songs so easily and in so many ways that I think production can make or break a song.
I started producing my own demos just because it gave me so much control over what stuff actually ended up sounding like. I think if you want an indie vibe, if you want a certain feel from a song, you have to know what you’re talking about production-wise. Otherwise you’re going to go into a studio and come out with something you don’t like because sonically it’s not what you had in mind.
When you ask whether I miss collaboration, the answer just depends on who with. I personally aim to make cinematic songs. If I have a funk music guitarist jamming out with me, as cool as that is, it doesn’t cater to a cinematic vibe. I won’t be able to make music that I like.
AP: Going from a big band back to a solo project, do you find that Covey is fitting a different genre? Or perhaps being grouped with different artists?
TF: Genre-wise it started off very singer-songwriter, and when we turned into a band it became big, quick group-folk with everyone singing. It was harmonized and very communal.
But I think that Mumford-type folk is not so much in the spotlight anymore. Once The Lumineers took advantage of it and Of Monsters and Men really hit the mainstream, personally, I think it was overdone a little bit. Why didn’t Mumford keep that thing going? Why did they change their sound for their third album? It’s because even they knew the thing that they had frontiered was no longer a desire of the general public.
I wanted to stray away from that in this new EP. The sound has definitely changed to a degree.
AP: “Stranger” definitely has a full, cinematic sound to it. What was the process of putting it together like?
TF: I made the demo, and I had a big vision for it. I wanted it to be large, and I wanted the drums to really hit. I went to see this amazing guy in New York called Andrew Seltzer, who had worked with him on a previous indie rock project, and he’s a great great great producer.
*Hey! No no no no no no…* He just peed on the floor.
AP: I can call you back in a few minutes.
TF: Oh no that’s okay. If I clean it up quick enough it shouldn’t soak in.
Alright. Good. So, the vocals I recorded myself along with all the guitar, and then Dillon and I filled it out with drums and more synths with Andrew. I came to him with 60% of the track. He helped add in the rest, but that 40% really took the song to where I wanted it to go.
AP: In the lyrics, you actually call yourself a stranger, which seems a bit unexpected. Can you describe the meaning behind the chorus?
TF: Yeah. I was with someone for a while, and I wasn’t taking care of a lot of aspects of myself. So, I kind of didn’t know who I was. It’s that concept of being a stranger to your self, and the chorus dives into greater detail on that regret.
AP: What’s your live show looking like these days?
TF: We’re playing Great Scott next month. Right now I’m currently playing solo at the gig. I’m showing face almost because right now we’re in the middle of putting a committed band together. We want to go on tour in October so we really need committed people at the moment, which is proving difficult, but I understand.
I definitely want to be playing with a band. I want it to be a big sound as well. I want it to capture that cinematic feeling that comes through in the recordings.
AP: Speaking of the cinematic, if “Stranger” were the main track for a movie, what do you think the plot would be?
TF: I have to think about this one because I want to get it dead-on. I feel like it would be like “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.” *Hey! Hey! [Bark]* I’m finishing this interview with Pablo in my hands. Yeah, I’d go with that kind of movie where someone’s finding who they are and triumphantly overcomes obstacles, finding a new person within themselves.
Covey plays Great Scott September 9th along with Weather and These Wild Plains.