Born in Kilsyth, Scotland, on December 17, 1991, and raised in England, Tom Walker topped the UK charts during the 2010s with his debut album, What a Time to Be Alive. He moved to Cheshire with his family at a young age and grew up listening to artists like Ryan Charles and Paolo Nutini. That diverse soundtrack would inspire his own songs, which combined classic British songwriting with modern elements of slick pop, R&B, and even percussive hip-hop. A 2014 graduate of the London College of Creative Media, he began releasing original music two years later after leaving the school, then earned his first significant hit with 2017's "Leave a Light On." The song mixed melancholy piano chords with massive drumbeats and slick production, and the combination helped "Leave a Light On" become a Top 10 hit in numerous countries. That success was most keenly felt in the UK, where the song peaked at number 7 and went platinum three times over. A follow-up single, "Just You and I," was even more successful in the UK, reaching number 3 and matching the triple-platinum success of its predecessor. Both hits appeared on Walker's debut record, What a Time to Be Alive, which was released in 2019 and became a Number 1 album on the UK charts. A second full-length record, I Am, followed five years later in 2024.
