Tom Whyte

Short clip: http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=WtJ1qUPuyL8
I started off learning Zeppelin, Hendrix, Clapton, and Rory Gallagher stuff when I took up guitar playing. My first proper songwriting/singing influence was David Kitt’s Small Moment’s album. Then I got into Dylan and things really kicked off. I started to learn some American folk stuff here and there (including some Woody Guthrie songs). All the while I was playing blues song as well (including Robert Johnson songs). People point to Christy Moore when they hear my music, but he wasn’t a big influence. I played in a band in college, and all the rock music I was playing, listening to and writing probably had an influence on my solo material.
I started playing guitar and singing aged 12 and began to play locally: community centre variety shows, etc. I wrote my first good song aged 16, and since then I've considered song-writing, singing and guitar-playing to be my vocation in life. There were a few attempts to form rock bands in secondary school, followed by the successful formation of a three-piece folk-style covers band (the Spancils) that played in pubs around Tipperary Town from 2002-2005. When three solo performers were needed to represent O'Donovans Bar in the Bansha Singing Pubs Competition the members of the Spancils were put forward, and we won first prize. I recorded a solo demo of acoustic songs in 2004. These songs have an American folk influence (as well as other more peculiar qualities) which helps them to stand out from the singer-songwriter genre. Once I got my degree I moved to Dublin. There I played open-mic nights (International Bar, Bankers Bar…) and the odd proper gig. I continue to try to get a foothold in the Dublin music scene and spread my music any way I can.