Jersey musician recognised as Facebook ‘Artist of the Day’

Friday 27 November 2020

A Jersey-born musician, who is releasing his latest single – a 80’s-influenced tune inspired by an argument with his boyfriend – today, is being promoted as Facebook's ‘Artist of the Day.'

‘Guilty’ is the fourth single released this year by Rhumba Club, the band of musician Tom Falle.

It follows ‘2020’, ‘Pocket Machine’ – which GQ described as a ‘lockdown banger’ – and ‘The Rhumba Club Is Waiting For Me’, “a custom-build place of queer escape” inspired by Tom’s own feelings of insecurity growing up as a gay teenager in Jersey.

Video: 'Guilty' is Tom's fourth release this year.

‘Guilty’ features the same kind of 80s-influenced pop with provocative synth bass riffs as its predecessors. Like Tom’s other songs, it also pairs an upbeat tune with a more serious message.

Written in lockdown, the song, Tom told Express, is basically about “that feeling or thinking the wrong thing whether that is politics, or with regards to sexuality,”

“Guilty is basically about putting your foot in it,” Tom added. “It began life as a transcription of a lockdown bust-up with my boyfriend, but ended up being more broadly concerned with the experience of saying, feeling or thinking the 'wrong' thing. 

“Add to that some synth brass and a Madonna-style bass line and you get a classic Rhumba record: it's a danceable lockdown domestic.”

Pictured: Tom's songs pair upbeat tunes with a more serious message.

The accompanying video sees Tom rollicking around, awkwardly questioning his intrusive thoughts and unpopular opinions as he chants “...’cause I’m guilty, guilty of all charges” at the anthemic chorus.

The release coincides with Tom being promoted on Facebook as their ‘Artist of the Day’. It is another highlight in what has already been a pretty successful year for the former Victoria College student.

Earlier this year, he was listed number 2 in a list of new artists to watch in 2020 in the British Edition of GQ Magazine. 

 

 

 

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Meanwhile, ‘The Rhumba Club is Waiting For Me’  attracted the attention of Clash Magazine which named it 'Track of the Day' on the day of its release, describing it as “a slinky piece of synth pop, with an arch, ironic air, with Tom Falle’s assertive vocals recalling those 80s greats.”

In between, Tom composed music for Fendi’s Flow-up collection and headlined a physically distanced show at The Phoenix Arts Club.

“It’s great to be getting this kind of approval,” Tom said, “first GQ, then CLASH and now this…something about wry synthpop seems to be resonating in 2020.”