Heather Ebanks: if your creativity had a sound, a theme song, what would it be and why?
Tommy Ludgate: Just the thing that came to my head then was just like a scream. And I don't even know why that was my knee jerk reaction. But I think it's because, because for me it's
Heather Ebanks: scream.
Tommy Ludgate: like being out loud. So
Heather Ebanks: Okay.
Tommy Ludgate: rather than a theme tune, like I constantly sing my own theme tunes. I'm constantly making up songs. And the other thing that came to my mind was my seven year old because he's just the same way. like singing little
Heather Ebanks: Beautiful.
Tommy Ludgate: lines and he started doing, which I think is really funny. So yeah, it's just like a loud, out loud, voicey, riffy thing.
Heather Ebanks: Yeah. Yeah. And is it kind of something that you do for like, share fun or it's just something that, you know, stress relief? Is it you just don't know that you're doing it? cool. Yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: It's not, I don't even, I don't even know I'm doing it. It's just impulsive. That's what I mean. Like we're just around the house making up songs about whatever and yeah, it's
Heather Ebanks: Hmm.
Tommy Ludgate: not, it's not a conscious decision. It just happens.
Heather Ebanks: very musical family.
Tommy Ludgate: Yeah, yeah, everyone sings.
Heather Ebanks: What's the most hilariously wrong assumption someone's made about what you do?
Tommy Ludgate: Probably I don't know that they've made the assumption. I'm not sure.
Heather Ebanks: You
Tommy Ludgate: I more have the assumption that people don't believe I'm me in that because I have the name Tommy. I
Heather Ebanks: Hmm
Tommy Ludgate: remember when I used to play gigs around London, people would say, oh, what's the name of the band? And I'd say, oh, it's just me, Tommy Ludgate. And they'd go, no, not you. No, not the name. Like, what's your name? There was always a lot of confusion. It's like, is, that's my name. It's mine. It's my band. You
Heather Ebanks: Thought it was someone else or like someone behind you or something like that. It was your manager or something.
Tommy Ludgate: Yeah, they just didn't want to believe that was my name. Yeah, exactly.
Heather Ebanks: are you creating to be seen or creating to be understood?
Tommy Ludgate: Ooh, I think initially I'm creating to understand myself. Because when I create, I just feel the best. That's when I
Heather Ebanks: Mm.
Tommy Ludgate: feel the most me and therefore I'm able to see, that's a part of myself I wasn't paying attention to. I don't know. I feel like it's important to share it. There is part of that that then
Heather Ebanks: Mm.
Tommy Ludgate: you want it to be seen. If it's something you're proud of, you want it to be seen. If... You know, the artists that I love the most, the singers, the performers, I'm
Heather Ebanks: Mm.
Tommy Ludgate: like, I can be a massive fangirl and being in the crowd of someone's gig that I absolutely love, there's that connection. So I think when I think about it being seen, I would love to be creating
Heather Ebanks: Mm.
Tommy Ludgate: that connection with someone on the other side of it.
Heather Ebanks: Mm What have you seen that made you think that you've seen or witnessed in your industry that you feel like you need to do this differently?
Tommy Ludgate: When I think about music, I don't know how to define. I think this idea of... trying to fit into a box. Like probably in every creative industry we get this like, what's your style? What's, who are you like?
Heather Ebanks: Mm.
Tommy Ludgate: People wanna be able to pigeonhole you. And I suppose it comes from a place of wanting to understand something. So it's like giving context. But I suppose the more we can just step outside of the box and do it our own way. Yes, it might end up being similar
Heather Ebanks: Mm.
Tommy Ludgate: to someone else, but.
Heather Ebanks: Mm.
Tommy Ludgate: that would be the thing I'd want to rebel against the most. It's like, just, can you not ask me who am I like? Because
Heather Ebanks: Right,
Tommy Ludgate: I don't know. First of all, don't know the answer. But second of all, I just
Heather Ebanks: Mmm.
Tommy Ludgate: want to be me.
Heather Ebanks: Exactly. Brilliant. What's your favourite way to reconnect when you're creatively disconnected?
Tommy Ludgate: Yeah, I would say immediately singing a song I love,
Heather Ebanks: Mm.
Tommy Ludgate: walking in nature, making a collage. They're the things that I do.
Heather Ebanks: Brilliant, more hands on, know, tactile and immediate.
Tommy Ludgate: Yeah, exactly. Physically in it, yeah, and obviously with singing it is physically
Heather Ebanks: Hmm.
Tommy Ludgate: you anyway, so something that's really grounding, yeah.
Heather Ebanks: Yeah, What's not as glamorous about the creative path that you're on as people think?
Tommy Ludgate: Putting yourself out there is really hard.
Heather Ebanks: Mm.
Tommy Ludgate: And some days I feel like doing it and other days I don't and I pretend. And I think the hardest
Heather Ebanks: You
Tommy Ludgate: thing is consistently showing up for what is
Heather Ebanks: Hmm
Tommy Ludgate: essentially the marketing of something. I wanna do the work,
Heather Ebanks: Yeah, yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: I love doing the work. When I'm in the work, it's the most easy, energising, exciting place for me to be. but the telling people about the work is the hardest thing, I think.
Heather Ebanks: Hmm.
Tommy Ludgate: And like I say, some days I love it. Something like this I love where I can just chat and talk in real time. But having
Heather Ebanks: Mm. Mm.
Tommy Ludgate: to have that hat on of, how am gonna share about
Heather Ebanks: Yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: this retreat that I'm running? What do I need to tell people?
Heather Ebanks: Yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: How can I make it sound like it speaks
Heather Ebanks: Yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: to that person? You know, it's not the easy part for me.
Heather Ebanks: Yeah, some people find it comes naturally and some people they have to like plan it in advance and be in the mood for it, so to speak.
Tommy Ludgate: Yeah, I mean, I think like I've done it a lot for a long time. So it's not, it's not, it's not difficult in that I can't do it. It's just not the thing that I find that fun or, and I think for a lot of people and for me as well, it's, that's a place where I end up with the critic voice coming in and having a
Heather Ebanks: Bye.
Tommy Ludgate: go at me because I'm alone as well. I love being in connection with people. love, like I'm saying to you, having this conversation with you and If I was telling
Heather Ebanks: Mm-hmm.
Tommy Ludgate: someone, hi, yeah, do you want to come to this thing? Like that's, that's easy
Heather Ebanks: Yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: for me, but having to do it, you know, on social media, in emails, in ways that feel quite disconnected, I don't love it.
Heather Ebanks: What's the weirdest or the most unexpected source of inspiration you've ever used?
Tommy Ludgate: I wrote a song about a guy I was dating for a little while that was a really like casual thing that
Heather Ebanks: Yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: I ended up releasing. I mean, that's not unusual, is it? A relationship. think I found the level of creativity I've had straight after I've had both my kids has been so high. And I think it surprised me because you're so extremely tired when you have a newborn.
Heather Ebanks: Hmm.
Tommy Ludgate: I've found it strange that I've then had this just pouring of creative inspiration. But then I suppose in some ways you've created a whole human being. So perhaps when you're connected with that creation, the other stuff comes, you know, or maybe being just deliriously
Heather Ebanks: Yeah,
Tommy Ludgate: tired makes you in this other world where you can just access this,
Heather Ebanks: Hmm.
Tommy Ludgate: you know, well of
Heather Ebanks: You
Tommy Ludgate: creative inspiration. I don't know. But yeah. It's life stuff, isn't it? It's life experience.
Heather Ebanks: Hmm. Yes. Definitely. Is there a project that made you feel like a kid again?
Tommy Ludgate: Yes, there's a thing called Creative Jam where I live here in Leighton Buzzard set up by a couple of creatives and they've done it, they're on their second run of it now and I took part last time although I didn't get to complete
Heather Ebanks: Mm-hmm.
Tommy Ludgate: the whole jam because I couldn't make it to the final exhibition but me and an artist went into the woods together to use watercolours and create some images. And I was trying to create a bit of a soundscape around it, but we did bits
Heather Ebanks: Mm-hmm.
Tommy Ludgate: of it. But the point being, it was raining, she bought these beautiful pigment watercolours and we just let the rain go onto the paper and we created these like swirling pieces of art basically.
Heather Ebanks: Mm.
Tommy Ludgate: And it was nice to be doing something that's not my art form. So I was kind of led by her and could just really have fun with it. And, you know, I love being in nature and it was pretty cool to use the rain as part of the process as well. So yeah,
Heather Ebanks: Hmm.
Tommy Ludgate: it's the things that haven't become your main day to day and your work.
Heather Ebanks: Yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: I just think whenever we can get back to something that's just for fun, you tend to access that
Heather Ebanks: Mm-hmm.
Tommy Ludgate: in a child.
Heather Ebanks: Mm. Again, it seems like you're definitely drawn back to the nature and getting out there and being more tactile again. sounds, yeah, think
Tommy Ludgate: Hmm
Heather Ebanks: that's what we've lost as being kids. don't, you know, explore those, those avenues
Tommy Ludgate: Mmm.
Heather Ebanks: like we used to. So yeah, should do more of that. Definitely. Yeah, yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: Yeah, and living in such a technical world, I suppose, as well, where we're so used to devices and AI doing bits for us. And yeah,
Heather Ebanks: Hmm
Tommy Ludgate: I could do with never being on my laptop, to be honest. I'm much happier outside.
Heather Ebanks: You
Tommy Ludgate: Do you know what though? It's funny because I wouldn't describe myself as an
Heather Ebanks: Yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: outdoorsy person. Like growing up, I hated school trips when you had to like climb up a rock or, you know, I still remember
Heather Ebanks: Yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: gripping onto the side of a rock where the teacher was trying to help me by pulling the rope. I've not really been like I grew up in London till I was 10 and then was out in the countryside but yeah, I think I do have this connection to nature but I wouldn't have necessarily anticipated it being something that I felt
Heather Ebanks: Yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: so connected with. So yeah.
Heather Ebanks: You've embraced it up into a point, you're dipping and dip out of nature whenever you need it.
Tommy Ludgate: Yeah, and I think it might become like a forefront part of my later years. Like I'm up for going camping with the kids and maybe glamping. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But yeah, no, I can slum
Heather Ebanks: That's what I was going to say. Let's be realistic. It's glamping, isn't it? As we get older.
Tommy Ludgate: it. I can slum it.
Heather Ebanks: Okay, well, I'll hold you to that.
Tommy Ludgate: Okay, thank you. Yeah, I'll let you know.
Heather Ebanks: this is the final question in StudioDraw. What questions should people stop asking creatives?
Tommy Ludgate: I think I said one earlier, didn't I, with the, what's your style? Who do you sound like? What's your work like?
Heather Ebanks: Yes.
Tommy Ludgate: Is that the question asking you to compare yourself to other people? So we could bin that one.
Heather Ebanks: Mm-hmm.
Tommy Ludgate: I hate the question, are you still singing? Like I'm some old forgotten about thing. And it's like,
Heather Ebanks: You
Tommy Ludgate: I don't really know how to answer the question because it's like, well, I'm always singing, but what do you want? Do you want to know if I've released an album recently? Does that warrant me being singing
Heather Ebanks: Yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: or if I've got paid to do it? that, does that, does it have to be that I've been paid to do it or can I just, can I just be, why you even ask me the question? I don't know. It annoys me. So I've been that one as well.
Heather Ebanks: Well, I'm glad I didn't ask you that question. They'd been very, very awkward, wouldn't it?
Tommy Ludgate: Well I probably would have answered politely but you did ask so that's what I'd put in the bin.
Heather Ebanks: Brilliant. Stop asking her to, you know, is you're still singing. And don't
Tommy Ludgate: Yeah.
Heather Ebanks: worry, I won't ask you to sing on the podcast either. you're good. my.
Tommy Ludgate: I think it's the word still though, isn't it? It's like, are you still doing that rather than
Heather Ebanks: Yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: what's going on with your singing? I don't know, there's something about it, but it's probably more
Heather Ebanks: Yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: of a me thing than the other person to be fair.
Heather Ebanks: Maybe they think that you like you've moved on or but it's always part of you, isn't it? know, singing hasn't suddenly disappeared. Yeah, I think that's probably what is.
Tommy Ludgate: That's it, yeah. Yeah, and I just, think it's the thing of feeling like you have to quantify it for people.
Heather Ebanks: Mm-hmm.
Tommy Ludgate: And this, you know, any spotlight on, it's maybe an ego thing. And what I mean by that is the part of us that wants to shy away from being so confident and proud of what we are doing,
Heather Ebanks: Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: because creativity is such a personal thing. when you feel ready
Heather Ebanks: Mm.
Tommy Ludgate: to share it, you'll share it. Whereas if people
Heather Ebanks: Mm.
Tommy Ludgate: are asking, it just feels like this spotlight on you that you maybe weren't ready for, or
Heather Ebanks: Yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: you're not in the mood for, or I
Heather Ebanks: Hmm.
Tommy Ludgate: don't know, it depends who's asking as well, to be honest.
Heather Ebanks: Yeah, I remember like the people who are like comedians always said, now tell us a joke, you know, are you funny? You know, that's kind of similar, isn't it?
Tommy Ludgate: yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly, exactly that.
Heather Ebanks: Brilliant. Well, that is your studio draw. Thank you very much for sharing your opinions about behind
Tommy Ludgate: You
Heather Ebanks: the scenes of who you are.
Tommy Ludgate: I've got a little bit of flavour of the true me. But that's what I want, that's what everyone should be able to do, is just share themselves, you know.
Tommy Ludgate: Just the thing that came to my head then was just like a scream. And I don't even know why that was my knee jerk reaction. But I think it's because, because for me it's
Heather Ebanks: scream.
Tommy Ludgate: like being out loud. So
Heather Ebanks: Okay.
Tommy Ludgate: rather than a theme tune, like I constantly sing my own theme tunes. I'm constantly making up songs. And the other thing that came to my mind was my seven year old because he's just the same way. like singing little
Heather Ebanks: Beautiful.
Tommy Ludgate: lines and he started doing, which I think is really funny. So yeah, it's just like a loud, out loud, voicey, riffy thing.
Heather Ebanks: Yeah. Yeah. And is it kind of something that you do for like, share fun or it's just something that, you know, stress relief? Is it you just don't know that you're doing it? cool. Yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: It's not, I don't even, I don't even know I'm doing it. It's just impulsive. That's what I mean. Like we're just around the house making up songs about whatever and yeah, it's
Heather Ebanks: Hmm.
Tommy Ludgate: not, it's not a conscious decision. It just happens.
Heather Ebanks: very musical family.
Tommy Ludgate: Yeah, yeah, everyone sings.
Heather Ebanks: What's the most hilariously wrong assumption someone's made about what you do?
Tommy Ludgate: Probably I don't know that they've made the assumption. I'm not sure.
Heather Ebanks: You
Tommy Ludgate: I more have the assumption that people don't believe I'm me in that because I have the name Tommy. I
Heather Ebanks: Hmm
Tommy Ludgate: remember when I used to play gigs around London, people would say, oh, what's the name of the band? And I'd say, oh, it's just me, Tommy Ludgate. And they'd go, no, not you. No, not the name. Like, what's your name? There was always a lot of confusion. It's like, is, that's my name. It's mine. It's my band. You
Heather Ebanks: Thought it was someone else or like someone behind you or something like that. It was your manager or something.
Tommy Ludgate: Yeah, they just didn't want to believe that was my name. Yeah, exactly.
Heather Ebanks: are you creating to be seen or creating to be understood?
Tommy Ludgate: Ooh, I think initially I'm creating to understand myself. Because when I create, I just feel the best. That's when I
Heather Ebanks: Mm.
Tommy Ludgate: feel the most me and therefore I'm able to see, that's a part of myself I wasn't paying attention to. I don't know. I feel like it's important to share it. There is part of that that then
Heather Ebanks: Mm.
Tommy Ludgate: you want it to be seen. If it's something you're proud of, you want it to be seen. If... You know, the artists that I love the most, the singers, the performers, I'm
Heather Ebanks: Mm.
Tommy Ludgate: like, I can be a massive fangirl and being in the crowd of someone's gig that I absolutely love, there's that connection. So I think when I think about it being seen, I would love to be creating
Heather Ebanks: Mm.
Tommy Ludgate: that connection with someone on the other side of it.
Heather Ebanks: Mm What have you seen that made you think that you've seen or witnessed in your industry that you feel like you need to do this differently?
Tommy Ludgate: When I think about music, I don't know how to define. I think this idea of... trying to fit into a box. Like probably in every creative industry we get this like, what's your style? What's, who are you like?
Heather Ebanks: Mm.
Tommy Ludgate: People wanna be able to pigeonhole you. And I suppose it comes from a place of wanting to understand something. So it's like giving context. But I suppose the more we can just step outside of the box and do it our own way. Yes, it might end up being similar
Heather Ebanks: Mm.
Tommy Ludgate: to someone else, but.
Heather Ebanks: Mm.
Tommy Ludgate: that would be the thing I'd want to rebel against the most. It's like, just, can you not ask me who am I like? Because
Heather Ebanks: Right,
Tommy Ludgate: I don't know. First of all, don't know the answer. But second of all, I just
Heather Ebanks: Mmm.
Tommy Ludgate: want to be me.
Heather Ebanks: Exactly. Brilliant. What's your favourite way to reconnect when you're creatively disconnected?
Tommy Ludgate: Yeah, I would say immediately singing a song I love,
Heather Ebanks: Mm.
Tommy Ludgate: walking in nature, making a collage. They're the things that I do.
Heather Ebanks: Brilliant, more hands on, know, tactile and immediate.
Tommy Ludgate: Yeah, exactly. Physically in it, yeah, and obviously with singing it is physically
Heather Ebanks: Hmm.
Tommy Ludgate: you anyway, so something that's really grounding, yeah.
Heather Ebanks: Yeah, What's not as glamorous about the creative path that you're on as people think?
Tommy Ludgate: Putting yourself out there is really hard.
Heather Ebanks: Mm.
Tommy Ludgate: And some days I feel like doing it and other days I don't and I pretend. And I think the hardest
Heather Ebanks: You
Tommy Ludgate: thing is consistently showing up for what is
Heather Ebanks: Hmm
Tommy Ludgate: essentially the marketing of something. I wanna do the work,
Heather Ebanks: Yeah, yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: I love doing the work. When I'm in the work, it's the most easy, energising, exciting place for me to be. but the telling people about the work is the hardest thing, I think.
Heather Ebanks: Hmm.
Tommy Ludgate: And like I say, some days I love it. Something like this I love where I can just chat and talk in real time. But having
Heather Ebanks: Mm. Mm.
Tommy Ludgate: to have that hat on of, how am gonna share about
Heather Ebanks: Yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: this retreat that I'm running? What do I need to tell people?
Heather Ebanks: Yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: How can I make it sound like it speaks
Heather Ebanks: Yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: to that person? You know, it's not the easy part for me.
Heather Ebanks: Yeah, some people find it comes naturally and some people they have to like plan it in advance and be in the mood for it, so to speak.
Tommy Ludgate: Yeah, I mean, I think like I've done it a lot for a long time. So it's not, it's not, it's not difficult in that I can't do it. It's just not the thing that I find that fun or, and I think for a lot of people and for me as well, it's, that's a place where I end up with the critic voice coming in and having a
Heather Ebanks: Bye.
Tommy Ludgate: go at me because I'm alone as well. I love being in connection with people. love, like I'm saying to you, having this conversation with you and If I was telling
Heather Ebanks: Mm-hmm.
Tommy Ludgate: someone, hi, yeah, do you want to come to this thing? Like that's, that's easy
Heather Ebanks: Yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: for me, but having to do it, you know, on social media, in emails, in ways that feel quite disconnected, I don't love it.
Heather Ebanks: What's the weirdest or the most unexpected source of inspiration you've ever used?
Tommy Ludgate: I wrote a song about a guy I was dating for a little while that was a really like casual thing that
Heather Ebanks: Yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: I ended up releasing. I mean, that's not unusual, is it? A relationship. think I found the level of creativity I've had straight after I've had both my kids has been so high. And I think it surprised me because you're so extremely tired when you have a newborn.
Heather Ebanks: Hmm.
Tommy Ludgate: I've found it strange that I've then had this just pouring of creative inspiration. But then I suppose in some ways you've created a whole human being. So perhaps when you're connected with that creation, the other stuff comes, you know, or maybe being just deliriously
Heather Ebanks: Yeah,
Tommy Ludgate: tired makes you in this other world where you can just access this,
Heather Ebanks: Hmm.
Tommy Ludgate: you know, well of
Heather Ebanks: You
Tommy Ludgate: creative inspiration. I don't know. But yeah. It's life stuff, isn't it? It's life experience.
Heather Ebanks: Hmm. Yes. Definitely. Is there a project that made you feel like a kid again?
Tommy Ludgate: Yes, there's a thing called Creative Jam where I live here in Leighton Buzzard set up by a couple of creatives and they've done it, they're on their second run of it now and I took part last time although I didn't get to complete
Heather Ebanks: Mm-hmm.
Tommy Ludgate: the whole jam because I couldn't make it to the final exhibition but me and an artist went into the woods together to use watercolours and create some images. And I was trying to create a bit of a soundscape around it, but we did bits
Heather Ebanks: Mm-hmm.
Tommy Ludgate: of it. But the point being, it was raining, she bought these beautiful pigment watercolours and we just let the rain go onto the paper and we created these like swirling pieces of art basically.
Heather Ebanks: Mm.
Tommy Ludgate: And it was nice to be doing something that's not my art form. So I was kind of led by her and could just really have fun with it. And, you know, I love being in nature and it was pretty cool to use the rain as part of the process as well. So yeah,
Heather Ebanks: Hmm.
Tommy Ludgate: it's the things that haven't become your main day to day and your work.
Heather Ebanks: Yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: I just think whenever we can get back to something that's just for fun, you tend to access that
Heather Ebanks: Mm-hmm.
Tommy Ludgate: in a child.
Heather Ebanks: Mm. Again, it seems like you're definitely drawn back to the nature and getting out there and being more tactile again. sounds, yeah, think
Tommy Ludgate: Hmm
Heather Ebanks: that's what we've lost as being kids. don't, you know, explore those, those avenues
Tommy Ludgate: Mmm.
Heather Ebanks: like we used to. So yeah, should do more of that. Definitely. Yeah, yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: Yeah, and living in such a technical world, I suppose, as well, where we're so used to devices and AI doing bits for us. And yeah,
Heather Ebanks: Hmm
Tommy Ludgate: I could do with never being on my laptop, to be honest. I'm much happier outside.
Heather Ebanks: You
Tommy Ludgate: Do you know what though? It's funny because I wouldn't describe myself as an
Heather Ebanks: Yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: outdoorsy person. Like growing up, I hated school trips when you had to like climb up a rock or, you know, I still remember
Heather Ebanks: Yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: gripping onto the side of a rock where the teacher was trying to help me by pulling the rope. I've not really been like I grew up in London till I was 10 and then was out in the countryside but yeah, I think I do have this connection to nature but I wouldn't have necessarily anticipated it being something that I felt
Heather Ebanks: Yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: so connected with. So yeah.
Heather Ebanks: You've embraced it up into a point, you're dipping and dip out of nature whenever you need it.
Tommy Ludgate: Yeah, and I think it might become like a forefront part of my later years. Like I'm up for going camping with the kids and maybe glamping. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But yeah, no, I can slum
Heather Ebanks: That's what I was going to say. Let's be realistic. It's glamping, isn't it? As we get older.
Tommy Ludgate: it. I can slum it.
Heather Ebanks: Okay, well, I'll hold you to that.
Tommy Ludgate: Okay, thank you. Yeah, I'll let you know.
Heather Ebanks: this is the final question in StudioDraw. What questions should people stop asking creatives?
Tommy Ludgate: I think I said one earlier, didn't I, with the, what's your style? Who do you sound like? What's your work like?
Heather Ebanks: Yes.
Tommy Ludgate: Is that the question asking you to compare yourself to other people? So we could bin that one.
Heather Ebanks: Mm-hmm.
Tommy Ludgate: I hate the question, are you still singing? Like I'm some old forgotten about thing. And it's like,
Heather Ebanks: You
Tommy Ludgate: I don't really know how to answer the question because it's like, well, I'm always singing, but what do you want? Do you want to know if I've released an album recently? Does that warrant me being singing
Heather Ebanks: Yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: or if I've got paid to do it? that, does that, does it have to be that I've been paid to do it or can I just, can I just be, why you even ask me the question? I don't know. It annoys me. So I've been that one as well.
Heather Ebanks: Well, I'm glad I didn't ask you that question. They'd been very, very awkward, wouldn't it?
Tommy Ludgate: Well I probably would have answered politely but you did ask so that's what I'd put in the bin.
Heather Ebanks: Brilliant. Stop asking her to, you know, is you're still singing. And don't
Tommy Ludgate: Yeah.
Heather Ebanks: worry, I won't ask you to sing on the podcast either. you're good. my.
Tommy Ludgate: I think it's the word still though, isn't it? It's like, are you still doing that rather than
Heather Ebanks: Yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: what's going on with your singing? I don't know, there's something about it, but it's probably more
Heather Ebanks: Yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: of a me thing than the other person to be fair.
Heather Ebanks: Maybe they think that you like you've moved on or but it's always part of you, isn't it? know, singing hasn't suddenly disappeared. Yeah, I think that's probably what is.
Tommy Ludgate: That's it, yeah. Yeah, and I just, think it's the thing of feeling like you have to quantify it for people.
Heather Ebanks: Mm-hmm.
Tommy Ludgate: And this, you know, any spotlight on, it's maybe an ego thing. And what I mean by that is the part of us that wants to shy away from being so confident and proud of what we are doing,
Heather Ebanks: Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: because creativity is such a personal thing. when you feel ready
Heather Ebanks: Mm.
Tommy Ludgate: to share it, you'll share it. Whereas if people
Heather Ebanks: Mm.
Tommy Ludgate: are asking, it just feels like this spotlight on you that you maybe weren't ready for, or
Heather Ebanks: Yeah.
Tommy Ludgate: you're not in the mood for, or I
Heather Ebanks: Hmm.
Tommy Ludgate: don't know, it depends who's asking as well, to be honest.
Heather Ebanks: Yeah, I remember like the people who are like comedians always said, now tell us a joke, you know, are you funny? You know, that's kind of similar, isn't it?
Tommy Ludgate: yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly, exactly that.
Heather Ebanks: Brilliant. Well, that is your studio draw. Thank you very much for sharing your opinions about behind
Tommy Ludgate: You
Heather Ebanks: the scenes of who you are.
Tommy Ludgate: I've got a little bit of flavour of the true me. But that's what I want, that's what everyone should be able to do, is just share themselves, you know.
