Tom Odell feels ‘liberated’ after leaving major label and going independent-Tom Stichbury-Entertainment – Metro

Tom Odell admitted songs were ‘pouring out’ since leaving label (Picture: Getty Images)

Tom Odell can’t pretend he isn’t relieved to have parted ways with a major record label.

In an exclusive interview with Guilty Pleasures, the singer opened up about going down the independent route after he fulfilled his deal with Columbia last year.

‘I got myself in a spot where I was struggling to put out the music I wanted to put out. Man, it felt so f***ing liberating when I left. The moment I got into the studio [again], songs were just pouring out,’ he began.

‘There’s a lot of taking back ownership and control of my work, and it [was] like I was making songs in my bedroom when I was 20 again.’

Back with new album Best Day of My Life, which cracked the UK top 10 earlier this month, Tom, 31, couldn’t be prouder of his latest offering.

‘When I listen to it now, so much of it feels like – there’s a relief, a weight lifting off of my shoulders. I can hear that throughout the songs… it [was] great to say some s*** that I needed to say and get off my chest,’ he smiled.

More: Guilty Pleasures

The Brit award winner – the first male artist to nab the Critics Choice Award, in 2014 – added that the way he measures his achievements has also changed.

‘For so many years, I never felt successful. One of the things that, particularly with being signed to a major is… they have a really quite impressive knack [of] making artists feel like they are insufficient in some way,’ he explained, noting: ‘The common phrase is, “You’re not making enough money, you’re not selling enough records, you can always be bigger.”‘

Tom was the first male to win the Critics Choice Award back in 2014 (Picture: Tilman Jentzsch / Avalon)

‘You spend enough time round those sorts of people, and it begins to distort the reasons you got into it in the first place. Actually, I think what’s common among all artists is, often, we have quite humble ambitions. For me, success is, I felt more of it in the last couple of years than I ever have before.’

Tom continued: ‘It’s the moments on stage when people sing your lyrics back to you, it may just be one person you see in the crowd. It draws this connection between a stranger and in the most magical way. That makes it so worthwhile.

‘All of the stats and size venues, all of that… has gone up and down. I can compare myself to someone and feel totally unsuccessful and a failure, and what’s absurd is, someone can equally do the same thing to me. It’s a pointless task.’

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