Tom Fuller Band

Tom Fuller Band live at the Triple M studio in Madison
photo by John McCally

To see Tom Fuller today one would never guess that little over ten years ago he was a solid cog in corporate America and had never written a song all the way through. From the streaked mod haircut to the purple granny glasses and matching sneakers Tom Fuller emanates rock and roll. Tamed danger prowling, the glam-punk poise echoing the bigger than life sound of his band a tight group both young and experienced, sharp and dedicated.

Ironically, after talking with Tom for over a half an hour the conversation was less about music than destiny and life’s spiritual journey. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that while Tom is the leader and songwriter for the Tom Fuller Band he is entirely self-taught beyond a few guitar lessons when he was nine. In fact, Tom says he’s a “song-crafter more than a writer.” “I write what I feel; my lyrics are always emotion-based.” His gut instinct guides him and serendipity has brought him an entourage of good fortune. “I know in the first twenty seconds if I’m going to like a song.” Immediate, intuitive and insistent, Tom also knows personalities and opportunities and has learned how to play them both with rock and roll nonchalance.

When asked how it all turned around for him, Tom has a precise date and story. Memorial Day 1998 his ten year old son was sick and when he was at the pharmacy picking up medicine he also picked up a guitar magazine and opened to an ad for a John Lennon Song-Writing contest. In trying to figure out the logistics of completing a song he connected with someone on the internet who then hooked him up to someone else in the business. Tom didn’t win the contest but, as he himself says, “a million baby steps later,” he has a band that has two albums to their name and a third one almost finished, a strong fan base in England and Ireland and gigs opening up for King’s X, Robin Trower, Blue Oyster Cult and a host of rock royalty.

A reedy voice perfect for the scratchy morning after rock-blues song that comes to life in a field of harmonies, Tom’s sleepy enunciations hide its sneers inside its psychedelic gaze. Cranking out riffs amid a barrage of hooks, Tom’s tooled tempests are hefty anchors while the ballads are elaborate interwoven melodies. While Tom claims, “you can’t control music,” he also admits he constantly tweaks it. “Melody is the most important,” Tom says, “but starting with a feeling and tapping into life,” is his guiding force. “Walk away from the should and woulds,” Tom advises, “be open to letting things happen, focus on what’s happening at the moment without concentrating on any particular destination.”

There is no denying his passionate attitude has produced results. As far as Tom is concerned dreams do come true. For more information, check out his website. www.tomfullerband.com or better yet catch the Tom Fuller Band July 11th at Beloit’s Riverfest.

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