Voiced with passion and soul, Tommy WÁ, a poet, visual storyteller, and singer-songwriter is artfully establishing his musical direction under the Afro soundscapes. He derives his sound texture from a blend of contemporary folk, Indie and retro-soul music. This musical cocktail efficiently travels the expanse of Tommy WÁ’s Nigerian roots and caters to the musical cravings of Accra, the Ghanaian cosmopolis where he is based.
Live, Tommy WÁ is hauntingly mesmerizing – whether solo or with his band (Tommy WÁ and his Familiar Spirits). Evidence of this is the past year which has seen the roadman engage a global audience with a series of live performances across African and European cities. On the heels of his 2020/2021 ‘Living Room Tour’ (a novel intimate show concept curated around people’s homes to reduce COVID-19-induced stress) came a series of boutique tours in Johannesburg, Berlin, London, Oxford, Zanzibar, and Dar es Salaam.
Since 2016, Tommy WÁ has notably grown a subculture of listeners, most remarkably with records like ‘Riverbank’ - the leading track for ‘Me in Me’ (his debut EP), Come and Go (his first single after rebranding from his former moniker 'Tommy Maverick'), and ‘Gravity’ his 2021 single featuring The Isomers (An Abuja Indie Rock boy band). These have signaled his musical reach on and beyond the African continent, fetching him significant accolades, particularly multiple soundtrack features.
Tommy WÁ aims to use his next recorded output to engage his audience. He has cited Michael Kiwanuka, Britany Howard, Asa, Benjamin Clementine, and Bon Iver, among others, as influences currently driving him to remain fluid enough to meet an experimental demand.
As he eyes the coming year, Tommy WÁ is keenly aware of what lies ahead for an artist who defeats stereotypes of what music produced in Africa circa 2020 sounds like. The roadman is in the recording phase for his forthcoming body of work: a collection of the last 3-year wanderlust experiences from his life and that of his folks, and he is preparing to take it on the road.
“I am in the rainforests planting dreams, it may or may not take a while,” says Tommy WÁ. “I am gonna get my flowers.”
