Sheffield-based DJ and producer Tommy Farrow is one of the country’s fastest-rising electronic music artists.
Since his debut EP back in 2020, the 25-year-old has released on Danny Howard’s ‘Nothing Else Matters’ label, as well as legacy Amsterdam London and New York-based label Armada Music.
We sat down with Tommy to have a chat about his career so far.
Can you tell us about your background and how you first got interested in DJing and producing music?
I started off DJing through my sister who was already doing it. She had her own decks that I often borrowed and with each go, I got better and better! But I’ve always been into music. My dad was really into Soulful House and Chicago House, so me and my sister we were always listening to his records and getting a feel for dance music. I would say that’s where everything really stemmed from.
I’ve been DJing since I was 14 or 15 and I’m 25 now, so it’s been around ten years, but I only started producing just over four and a half years ago. Similar to picking DJing up from my sister, a friend let me have a go on his copy of Ableton and then it was just about getting my head down and learning. I’ve really been influenced by producers that I look up to and even got in touch with many of them directly to get advice. I’ve always been really driven and feel like I succeed if I put my mind to something. I always just want to be the best.
How did your first DJ set in front of people come about?
I actually think it was in Zante! I did a few seasons there and it was just a case of networking. I feel like that’s such a massive thing for up-and-coming DJs and artists. Obviously skills help, but it’s all about getting in the right places at the right time and speaking to the right people.
I was chatting to this guy over there who had a slot at a really busy bar. I posted some content from the gig on socials and then got a couple more gigs off the back of that. When I came back to Sheffield, I just got headhunted by someone from Tank who said ‘I want you to DJ here’.
At the time, Tank was the main club that everyone was going to so I found myself in front of 2000 people on New Year’s Eve just out of nowhere. Ultimately, it’s about meeting new people, networking and marketing yourself online and people will eventually take notice.
How important would you say marketing and networking yourself is compared to your actual sound?
I’ve noticed lately that marketing is really important and I always just used to be like ‘oh, I’m doing it for the love of music and I don’t need to do that.’ But I’ve definitely realised lately that in this industry you just have to kick doors down and you have to really just get yourself out there because it’s all well and good being arrogant about it and saying ‘I’m not going to do social media because I really can’t be bothered, but at the end of the day’, you need to cut through the noise.
How has your time spent around clubs influenced your sound and music? Has it progressed since the start?
I was actually a promoter in Sheffield for a while and started my own brand ‘Psycho Disco’, and could put myself on the bill and play the stuff I really wanted to play.
I’ve spent a lot of time in clubs, as a punter and as a promoter. Being a promoter really opened my eyes to loads of new music that I wasn’t necessarily playing or listening to in my own time, which I think is really important when you’re DJing or making music.
I think the main thing was they really allowed me to play the music I wanted to back when I was a promoter. I mean when I was DJing Tank it was very Tech House and I was just playing it for the crowd and I enjoyed it at the time.
I’ve always been into the more underground and emotional stuff, and when I started my own brand called ‘Psycho Disco’ I was able to put myself on the bill and play a different kind of music.
One gig that really changed everything for me was in the summer of 2021. Clubs had just re-opened after Covid and I was playing with Alan Fitzpatrick who is known for heavy techno and I was like ‘Wow, this isn’t me, but I’ll give it a go.’ I played this techno, hard, heavy-hitting set and it’s still the most enjoyable set I’ve ever done. The crowd were just going nuts and I thought, ‘Yeah, this is me…I actually want to play harder now’. That was a real turning point for me as it felt right and I always follow my gut instinct.
Who would you kind of say has inspired you most?
I remember when it was lockdown, my biggest inspiration was Trance Wax. I was really into trance at the time and I just loved what he was doing. These days my biggest inspirations are the artists that are in the melodic techno lane, weaving in trance influences. For me, that middle ground is perfectly displayed by artists such as Agents of Time and Mathame.
Your debut two-track EP received outstanding praise from many of dance music’s hottest names, how did it feel to receive such positive feedback?
It felt amazing. Nearly a year of just nonstop radio plays alongside records such as Franky Wah’s ‘Get Me High’ and Bicep’s ‘Glue’, that are huge in relation to me as an emerging artist. The only downside to that whole phase was the fact it was lockdown so I couldn’t build on the hype by doing gigs. It’s amazing to know what it feels like to get amazing feedback from people like Sarah Story and Danny Howard and be able to aim for that with every other release.
Would you say it’s set your standards high now for the rest of your career?
I think so, yes. I’m quite ambitious and I feel like I’ve set the standard for myself now.
How do you go about selecting tracks for your sets, and what makes a track stand out to you?
To be honest with you, I actually do something that a lot of DJs don’t. With my sets, I really, really plan them. I sit for hours on rekordbox and just analyse each tune in order asking ‘does that one go with that one?’
I like to take the crowd on a journey. I like to start off with what I like to call ‘Trouse’ which is trancelike house music. Then I go more into melodic stuff and I can go faster after that. Sometimes I’ll play a lot of Afro House which is emotional, groovy stuff. I just have to make sure it all flows.
Could you tell me a bit about your experience with radio and how you got your music played on there?
I mean, Radio 1 has always been a massive, massive thing to me. I feel like it’s something I really pride myself in. Apart from one remix, every track I’ve released has been on Radio 1, which is crazy. I don’t take it for granted.
It’s been really helpful and it really builds a picture, especially with my music, because it’s big room club music and it’s emotional. It’s a real honour to be able to have that on national radio. As I said, relating to the streams, I think everything nowadays is just going in the direction of dancey, happy garage music.
I’ve had a ‘Hottest Record’, I’ve had ‘Future Track ID’ and ‘Let’s Just’ was in the daytime playlist and it’s so good for awareness. People driving, people in shops keep hearing the name. I feel that’s how you get yourself big in the industry, your name needs to keep being in people’s lives and needs to keep popping up so yeah it’s been a big help.
What is the mindset after your relatively early successes?
Never ever chill out and keep aiming for more and more. If you get a bit of success as a producer, you just want more. Be confident but not too hard on yourself.
A few of my releases prior to my most recent record ‘Colours Of Love’ just weren’t getting any playlist features on Spotify or even that many plays on radio, which was really disheartening. I really had to keep a cool head and remember that everything happens for a reason and I’d done my best and was putting out music. But ‘Colors Of Love’ has really felt like a really good campaign and it reminds me of when I released ‘Let’s Just’. The main thing it has given me is confidence and now I’m just writing such good music in the studio. I’m finishing tracks much more quickly but still to the same level of quality which has boosted my confidence for sure.
Any plans for the future in terms of progressing your career and anything we could look out for?
Something I’m looking to do is release a mixtape in the next year. I’m hoping to tell a story with it and convey the emotional, chilled side of my production. I’m also going to be touring more than ever, so please keep an eye out for my name!
‘Colours Of Love’ is out now. Listen here.
Follow Tommy Farrow on Instagram