LomoAmigo:Tom Hyatt

Now based in London, Tom Hyatt is a London-based singer originally from Lancashire who has been compared to folk master John Martyn. Recently, he was given the opportunity to record a live session for the BBC. We gave him a La Sardina camera and asked him to document his rise to fame. Say hello to Tom Hyatt.

Tell us about yourself.

I’m a singer/songwriter living in London, originally from Lancashire. I’ve been performing music in the capital now for two years, teaching physics to get by. I’m also a visual artist, interested in portraits. And, of late, a photographer!

What inspires you to write music?

My songs all have plenty of myself in them, and right from the earliest songs it’s been all about the cathartic potential, for myself and (hopefully) others. There’s also plenty of different disciplines coming together in songwriting: poetry, music, and when you factor in everything, art and design as well. It’s a challenging vocation.

What advice would you give to other budding musicians who want to make it in the music industry?

Ha, not quite sure I’m an authority on that just yet… but one piece of advice that I try to keep in my mind is ‘the music comes first’. I try to do as much as possible independently, and in between booking shows, improving the website, planning ahead, it’s easy to lose sight of the most important thing, and the reason why I do it! Performing live brings it right back home, though, every time.

How was it shooting with the La Sardina?

It was a little weird at first giving up so much control compared to what I’m used to (a Pentax ME Super), but it’s so light and easy that I soon began to appreciate it for what it is, rather than what it isn’t. I took it to a few shows in June and it was great in the daylight, but needed a flash for those low light situations! It really came into its own travelling in Iceland with it’s wide-angle lens for landscapes and that midnight sun.

What do you like about analogue photography?

For me it’s a similar thing to listening to music on vinyl – there’s more of a ritual. Spotify has the convenience when it comes to music, but with vinyl you can select and listen to entire albums at a time as an event, there’s a ritual there. Shooting analogue for me restored the ritual to photography that for me is absent in digital. I like to wait for the results, I cherish them more. There’s a process to be cherished on top of the more obvious differences in end result.

If your photos could have a soundtrack, what would it be? (5 songs, title and artist please)

Write About Love, Belle and Sebastian
Running On Empty, Jackson Browne
World’s Strongest Man, Scott Walker
Hejira, Joni Mitchell
I Know, Winterfalle

What’s coming up for you later in the year?

At the moment I’ve been playing a lot of piano and it’s inspiring some writing, so I’m hoping to take that out on the live circuit this Autumn. I might even record some of it and start work on an EP, I’m undecided! Photography-wise I’m going to learn to develop black and white at home to make it cheaper, and start shooting some portraits.

Thanks for the interview, Tom!

Find out more on the Tom Hyatt Website.

written by hannah_brown on 2014-07-25 #people #analogue-photography #amigo #uk #lomography-gallery-store #multiple-exposures #gallery-store #analogue-cameras #lomoamigo #eastlondon #la-sardina #35mm-films #120-films #londonsoho

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