Before I even get to ask Tom Grennan a question, he has me on the back foot.

“Where are you from?” he asks.

“Oh, er, Cork,” I reply.

“Oh no, I’m sorry about the hurling!” he says, referencing Cork’s agonising one-point All Ireland final defeat to Clare, which took place only two days ago and is still a bit raw on Leeside.

Famously, half of Grennan’s family are from Ireland, with the two-time Brit Award nominee very familiar with Electric Picnic’s home of Stradbally.

“I mean, it’s in the neighbouring county to where I’m from in Offaly,” he notes. “I can’t wait to get down there and play – I’ve heard about Electric Picnic since I was a kid. I remember my cousins going and telling me all about this amazing festival; it’s like the Irish equivalent of Glastonbury. I can’t wait to go – I know I have a really good set time. So hopefully, there’ll be a lot of people and we can bring the weather with us.”

Tom Brennan

Grennan is all too aware of what a dismal summer Ireland has been having weather-wise, saying, “I’m in Scotland right now and it’s even sunny here!”

Speaking of Scotland, Grennan’s one-time collaborator Calvin Harris – they worked together on the 2021 hit ‘By Your Side’ – is among the Picnic headliners.

“I haven’t seen Calvin in a while,” says the singer. “He’s had a lot of stuff happen, good things, in his personal life, so I’m looking forward to catching up with him. It was amazing working with him, Calvin’s a great guy. He just champions people he thinks are doing good stuff.”

Much has happened in Grennan’s career since, with the singer twice topping the UK album charts with Evering Road and latest effort What Ifs And Maybes. “It’s been mad,” he acknowledges. “I feel like I’m in the next phase of my career now. We’re doing all the festivals this year, and then we’re moving into new music territory.”

Reflecting on the success of What Ifs And Maybes, Tom notes how it captured a specific period in his personal evolution.

“That was a part of my life I was just really excited,” he says. “I was living in the moment. I feel like when people listen to it, they live in that moment with me. It’s one of those albums you can dance to or put on in the car. I’ve actually finished the next album; it’s done and I’m ready to release it. It’s a real big step for me, I feel this is the first time I’ve known exactly what to do. It’s risky, but it’s also a bit of an evolution – it’s the next phase of who I want to be.”

Does it have a title?

“It does but I can’t say it yet,” he teases. What he can reveal is that the album was recorded entirely in the States. “I love working in England,” says Tom, “but I feel like I needed a different spice. Sometimes you need to season the chicken differently – I wanted a different flavour.”

Biig Piig at All Together Now 2023. Copyright Trevor McGrath.

Speaking of different flavours, some of Grennan’s current go-to listens are also Irish. “I’m a fan of Fontaines D.C. and Biig Piig,” he enthuses.

Does he think there’s something special about Irish crowds? “Of course,” nods Tom. “My family’s out there – half the festival will be my family, I’d say. The Irish know how to have a good time and I’m looking forward to it.”

Read this interview and more as part of this issue's Electric Picnic Feature: