MTV Brand New Artist Spotlight: Thomston

MTV Brand New is the youth brand’s new national competition which gives some of the hottest Australian and New Zealand artists the chanceto break internationally. TMN is featuring a nominated artist each week.

THOMSTON
(SME)

With his tasteful mix of alt-pop, sparse R&B elements and layered vocals, it’s no wonder Thomston is causing such a stir. The 19-year-old – whose actual name is Thomas Stoneman – goes by the solo alias of Thomston, a singer and producer hailing from Auckland.

Only 2 years in the game, the Kiwi native has already garnered a strong fan base with his own brand of moody pop – amassing over 8 million Spotify plays and drawing comparisons to the likes of Frank Ocean, James Blake and SOHN.

Born in London but bred in Auckland, Thomston was a classically trained pianist before he started penning pop songs in 2013. His interest in song writing peaked when he won a song-writing competition during high school, and he hasn’t stopped writing since. Like many artists, Thomston draws upon personal and everyday experiences for writing inspiration. A self-confessed night owl, his best material stems from late night neighbourhood strolls, typing the lyrics onto his phone before translating them onto the keyboard.

Thomston has demonstrated an executive drive with his career, with the creation of his first EP, School Night, recorded entirely in his home lounge. Upon release in early 2014, blogs including Pigeons & Planes, Hilly Dilly and Disco Naiveté gave it a push and soon after, Saiko Management jumped on board to further his career. All the while, Thomston continued to pump out music, with his follow-up EP Argonaut in 2014, and his Backbone EP, released this year.

It’s looking to be a stellar year ahead for Thomston, who recently celebrated a record deal with Sony Music. Having already toured Europe, Thomston has shows lined up in Australia and New Zealand, anticipated for later in the year.

VOTING IS CURRENTLY LIVE AT: mtv.com.au/brandnew.

Visit the website to view video clips and interviews with the artists before casting your vote for your favourite emerging star, either online or via Twitter using the hashtag #MTVbrandnew followed by the artists name.

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