A Quick Chat with Paulina & Tom Thum

Wrong Signal is such a bold statement track, can you share the inspiration behind it and the message you both wanted to put across?

Paulina: Like every other song I write, I didn’t go into it planning to write about a specific topic. When we first started writing it and I felt the cool ass nature of the beat & the bass, it just made me feel a little bad ass, and so I started picturing myself being at a bar, absolutely feeling & loving myself! But then as quickly as that image popped into my head, so did the image of being annoyed by and not left alone by a guy, which happens too often lol. That then just led to so many lyrics & ideas pouring out, so I quickly realised ohhhh okay this is where I need to take this song, and I had a blast doing so :)

You’ve worked together before on Focus On Me and Jaded, how has your creative partnership evolved leading into this new single?

Tom: I think we are really finding our groove in terms of our workflow. Oftentimes it just starts with little nuggets of inspo or a concept and just snowballs from there. I’m starting to understand the things that Paulina likes production wise so I'll always start with that option first and just build and build till it becomes a different beast!

The production of Wrong Signal features some really inventive elements, from beatboxing to sampling everyday objects, can you walk us through how the track came together in the studio?

Paulina: We came into the studio one day and I played Tom ‘All Falls Down’ by Kanye West, because at the time I was writing a uni assignment on the song & honestly I really just loved the honesty in the lyrics & the whole production & vibe of it. We then spiralled and began listening to loads of 2000’s music, which was when Tom beatboxed a cool groove which we then later built on with other perc elements. Then he had a cool idea for me to sing a bass line & let that dictate where we would take the song. So I did, and we pitched down that vocal & used it as the bass and by the end of the day had a full chorus & verse we both vibed hard with. I do have to say though it was such a long process finishing this song, from us recording me playing saxophone (which I hadn’t played seriously in years lol so it was sketchy) to us sampling more sounds & vocal chops, as well as getting my dear friend Harry Hart to come in and add some guitar parts & a dope bass line in the bridge & last chorus. It was so experimentative which cost us a lot of time, but it really is always so worth it.

Paulina, you’ve said the song comes from a very real and relatable experience. How important is it for you to use music as a platform for empowerment and self-expression?

Paulina: Super important! I think it’s our job as artists to say the things that other people don’t want to say or don’t want to feel. It can be really tough because you have to be sooo honest & sooo open with yourself to let those feelings out & actually allow yourself to sit in them. But it’s so worth it! There’s nothing I love more than the feeling of having written lyrics that say exactly how I feel, they just feel like a warm hug to myself. And then to hear from people that they also felt that same warm hug when listening to the words I wrote is just a feeling I can’t describe, it’s unreal.

Tom, your artistry has taken you from TEDx to the BBC Proms, what excites you about collaborating in the pop-soul space with Paulina?

Tom: As I get older I just really enjoy helping people facilitate their ideas and their visions. When I was younger all I wanted to be was the face behind the name. Now the face has a little more wear and tear, I like playing the background more. And it’s exciting for me too, I get to explore a lot of interesting musical ideas I'd be scared to explore from my own sound/brand. And P is such a professional it’s also mega refreshing to be in a studio with someone that sees the bigger picture.

With Wrong Signal marking the next step toward your joint EP, what can fans expect from the rest of the project? Any surprises you can hint at?

Tom: We have some really interesting concepts for Vinyl and a few other merch things that I think will stand out! I’m also really excited about diving into some more vocal production and exploring that contemporary “acapella” space. Either way i’ll be excited or surprised with where we take it but overarchingly I know i’ll be happy with it!