A young, queer pop artist who recently moved from regional Victoria to Melbourne, Tom Nethersole used his own bout of loneliness to write a song he wants to be a beacon of hope for others dealing with similar emotional themes.
An artist who has already graced stages such as 'Australian Idol 2023', OutintheOpen Festival (in Shepparton), Cresfest (in Creswick), and The Push All Ages Tour, Tom is also an active content creator with a TikTok audience of 25k.A beautifully cathartic song, enriched with personable emotion, 'Meant To Be Alone' slowly builds with a stream of Tom's unfettered mental thoughts that vocalise everyday worries and fears.
'Meant To Be Alone' straddles soulful pop and diluted hyper-pop tones, the array of foley samples ingrained in the song adding to the texturised finish, heightening the sense of emotional space.
"I found myself sitting at this old, slightly-out-of-tune piano, feeling so uncomfortable with being alone," details Tom, discussing the moment he wrote 'Meant To Be Alone'.
"I've always somewhat prided myself on being independent and strong, but in that moment, I felt so homesick, lonely and disconnected from everything I’d ever known."
Ahead of the song's release tomorrow (4 August), scenestr is thrilled to premiere the 'Meant To Be Alone' music video. Enjoy.
To promote 'Meant To Be Alone', Tom has strategically placed QR codes around Melbourne, serving as an invitation to anonymously share your worries.
Every message submitted on the website is personally read by Tom, emphasising that no one is alone and there is always someone listening, even if it's just a stranger.
"As someone who has dealt with mental health struggles like suicidal thoughts, depression and anxiety, the isolation that is felt is undeniable," continues Tom.
"However, even though friends and family insist to reach out if you have hit one of those low points, for me it is still a massive hurdle and a challenge that I'm learning to overcome.
"I think repressing feelings, whether they be about sexuality or mental health etc. takes a toll and starts to taint the miracle that is our existence.
"Because of that, I felt like I wanted to do whatever I could to not only make people going through those stressful and difficult times hear this song to make them feel less alone, but I also wanted to do something that could make them get their worries off their chest without it feeling like exploiting people's very real struggles."
Part of his own development, Tom is actively leaning into his feelings, able to acknowledge the 'emotional' power of sharing his thoughts, even if it's with a stranger.
"Ultimately, as someone who continuously convinces themself that I enjoy being independent and being by myself to process things, I've found that by telling someone, even a stranger, a small part or the entire situation of my mental state, I've been able to feel a little less alone and save myself from a devastating end.
"As a result, I want to be that stranger and offer others, regardless if I know them or if they listen to my music, I want to offer them the opportunity to take that weight off their chest and come up for air."
