On January 18^th, 2023, Scottish songsmith, Tommy Ashby unveils his dramatic new single ‘When Love Goes Dark’ via Dance To The Radio, produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Sam Okell (Celeste, Graham Coxon, The Beatles). Am emotive music video, shot by a beautiful Loch in the Scottish Borders by videographer Fraser Taylor lands the same day, perfectly reflects the introspective, unnerving atmosphere of the track. 

‘When Love Goes Dark’ follows previous releases ‘Floorboards’, ‘Lifeline’, ‘Not That Far To Go’, ‘A Beautiful Day’, ‘Moonflowers (Best Friend)’ and ‘Closer’, it’s the last single to be released ahead of Tommy’s debut album ‘Lamplighter’, set for release in March 2023.

Listen To ‘When Love Goes Dark’ HERE 

Watch ‘When Love Goes Dark’ HERE

The single is drenched in drama from the outset, processional chants lead us into a world of emotional turmoil which perfectly describe the highs and lows of a lasting relationship. ‘When Love Goes Dark’ seamlessly blends exquisite keys and electronic elements with more complex sound experimentations as we move through each stage of the stirring atmosphere. 

Tommy said about ‘When Love Goes Dark’ “this was the first song I wrote for the album. It’s about the difficulties of trying to go in the direction you chose, doing the things you actually want to. You often find yourself fighting against prevailing winds; reasons to stop or change to an easier course. The small steps that you can fall into, that take you away from what you wanted. The lyric ‘Could you tell a little white lie?’ is Kinda like the devil whispering on your shoulder. But ultimately, you should hold on tight to the thing that made you want to do it in the first place. The spark of an idea that inspired you to start. 

He continued to talk about the video “Through the whole of the video I am carrying a candle, which echos the ‘hold on tight to your heart’ chorus lyric in the song. It’s the idea that everyone is carrying around something fragile and trying to protect it while going through their life. Life throws everything at you and all the while you stumble along trying to stop your little flame from going out. Sometimes that fragile thing can seem like a burden, but we never stop trying to protect it. 

At the end you can see other lights flickering across the loch at sunrise. Everyone is doing their best to carry their candles too. I think knowing that you are not alone in that is comforting. 

Tommy continues to work with long-time collaborator and producer Sam Okell throughout his debut album.  Both graduates of the highly reputable Tonmeister course, fellow alumni include producers Sam Petts Davies (Radiohead, Warpaint), Joe Rubel (Ed Sheeran) and Cass Lowe (Charlie XCX, Tom Walker, Jess Glynne). The talented duo continue to push the boundaries of Tommy’s sound. 

Tommy’s creative energy and songwriting have always drawn inspiration from the countryside. Originally from the Scottish borders, the artist grew up writing and playing music in the wilds of Scotland. Following a short stint in London, Tommy swapped a one-bed flat for the big skies, reed beds and sunsets of rural Suffolk where he found himself writing about relationships with family and friends, along with a sense of place and its significance. 

Tommy released his previous EP ‘Lay Low’ in 2021 his follow up EP to ‘Blood Wolf Moon’ in July 2020. Releases to date have grown Tommy’s profile to over 370,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and received widespread media support across the UK from the likes of Atwood, Clash, Scotland On Sunday, Spindle, Louder than War, Folk Radio UK and The Scottish Sun as well as Fearne Cotton, Radio 2 and amassed over 15 million streams online. 

Tommy is regularly featured in Spotify editorial and enjoyed major global syncs on Love Island, Riviera, Greys Anatomy and Silent Witness. 

Tommy has toured with the likes of Luke Sital-Singh, Jamie Lawson, Tom Speight and Nina Nesbitt and continues to keep fans entertained via live streaming performances. Tommy played Live at Leeds festival in October and joined Turin Brakes on their 2022 November UK tour.

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Praise for Tommy 

“An artist who refuses to place barriers between himself and his songwriting, his work matches acoustic sensibilities to often ruthless honesty.“ Clash

“If anyone should know how to strike a chord with listeners, it’s singer-songwriter Tommy Ashby” –Scotland On Sunday

“a richly nuanced affair that’s built around a steadily mounting wash of rich guitars, laying the foundation for Ashby’s effortlessly emotive vocal.” Louder Than War

“A compelling song that brings into focus some of our own judgements as well as questioning how independent we truly are as individuals and as a society.” Folk Radio UK

“an impeccable presence, honing an ability to fuse soft, tender vocals with a touch of intimate and infectious songwriting” Spindle