Tom McRae

Tom’s 9th studio album is an album of duets with some of his favourite French
artists. McRae decided to collaborate on these 11 new songs with various artists as a way of acknowledging his deep love of French music, and deepen his
relationship with mainland Europe, following Britain’s disastrous decision to leave
the EU.

Tom’s debut album went Gold in France in 2001, selling over 60,000
copies, and he has divided his time between Paris and Wiltshire since 2021.
Says Tom: “I grew up being intrigued by classic French songs. Before
streaming services made all music readily available, only the huge crossover
pop songs made it across the channel, but while my friends were listening to
Vanessa Paradis, I was listening to Serge Gainsbourg. It seemed exotic,
adventurous, and to be from another planet, let alone a country only 21 miles
away from my own.”

During Covid, McRae released a single with his Belgian friend, Wannes Cappelle, a
reworking of one of Tom’s songs in English and West Vlaams, as well as an album
of duets with a Welsh artist, Lowri Evans. Both projects sparking his interest in
collaboration with other artists.
“It’s not been a great time to be British since 2016”, says McRae. “We’ve
become politically, economically and culturally isolated since Brexit - and I
want to show that I feel more of a European than simply just an English
person.”
“But mostly this album, Étrange Hiver, is about beautiful songs, some in
English, some in French. Sung as duets with friends (some established
artists, as well as some new or undiscovered voices) and creating 11 little
emotional moments in a crazy world. Some cinematic, some more intimate
and personal, all of the songs addressing the important things in life: love,
loss, political populism, impending climate collapse... written at a time when
it feels as if the world may never escape from this long, strange winter. “
Artists duetting on this album with Tom include: Keren Ann, Chien Noir, Clou, Alex
Beaupain, Rose, Naya, Vanille, Helena Noguerra, Alma Forrer, Aïtone, Julien
Brocal, and now more are lining up to sing with Tom on a volume 2.