Tom Odell Triumphs Over His Inner Demons With New Single “Numb”
British singer-songwriter Tom Odell returns after struggle with mental health; watch the video for “Numb”
Following the success of his debut album Long Way Down almost ten years ago at the age of 21, British singer-songwriter Tom Odell put out two more records, and eventually found himself obsessing over his work before his crippling anxiety hit its peak in 2019 fresh from touring.
One morning while working on his latest album in Los Angeles, something broke inside; Odell explains, “this chronic anxiety that I’d had for a couple of years just got worse…and I couldn’t do anymore music“. He returned to his parents’ house in the UK and gradually shifted his energy and focus back into music, utilizing his experience and mental illness to build up a fresh library of songs.
From the collection is his candid and stripped-back single “Numb”. Odell opens with the line “I hold my hand over the flame / to see if I can feel some pain” over a sparse, delicate piano chord progression. His trembling voice and somewhat static vocal delivery adds an eerie honesty into the minimalist electronic style, a noticeable shift from his earlier folk work.
Matching the song’s vulnerability, Odell slowly shaves his head and slips out of a cluttered room in the accompanying music video. Watch below:
Fans of Odell can tune in to an exclusive live stream performance through Sidedoor on April 10th where he will be playing songs and interacting with fans. All proceeds will be given to his touring band and crew.
