“Tender” is the latest offering off Tom Aspaul’s upcoming debut album Black Country Disco. The Gil Lewis produced track was written during the middle of a break-up and was inspired by ABBA’s final album, The Visitors.
Aspaul explained that sonically he and Lewis “jumped into a new decade” and listened to a lot of Italo Disco from the 80s. The main reference was Ryan Paris’ “La Dolce Vita”: “I wanted something melancholic but bouncy and rhythmic – so you forget it’s actually a sad song.”
The Wolverhampton-born singer admitted that there has been a lot written about sad bangers recently and believes he’s not adding much to the conversation. However, there is always a need for a new break-up song for listeners to relate to.
Aspaul– who has already worked with the likes of Kylie Minogue, AlunaGeorge, and Celeste– opened up about how he feels about the song a year after writing it: “It’s almost embarrassing how honest and naive the lyrics are– and how naive it seems to repeatedly sing ‘I know that it’s over’ when actually at that point, a few weeks into the break-up, I had no idea how long healing would take!”
Aspaul’s soon to be released debut album will also feature his previously released tracks– “Traces,” “Close 2 Me,” “Everyday,” and “W.M.” The retro/futuristic disco-inspired singles have already received critical acclaim and are growing on streaming platforms. He will be promoting the LP with live shows including Birmingham Pride next year.
