Tom A. Smith has announced his debut album ‘The Golden Gates’, detailing his lifelong battle with a rare and constantly life-limiting heart condition. Check out our interview with the singer-songwriter below, along with lead single ‘Carry That Weight’ co-written by The Maccabees’ Hugo White.

The Sunderland singer-songwriter has never spoken publicly about being born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome – a rare and severe congenital heart defect that leaves the left side of the heart critically underdeveloped and unable to pump enough oxygen-rich blood to the body. “I was born and continue to live with only one side of my heart,” he shared.

Having undergone five life-saving surgeries by the age of four, Smith recalled how difficult his childhood was for his family as well as himself. “My current state isn’t a long-term option,” he continued. “As a result of that my future is quite uncertain and I will require more extreme medical care as I move deeper into my adult years.”

Now, the 22-year-old is looking to take ownership of his story and live in the moment, capturing his grappling with the condition on debut album ‘The Golden Gates’, a journey through three emotional chapters: frustration, love and acceptance.

With the album co-produced by his teenage mentor and The Futureheads frontman Barry Hyde, ‘The Golden Gates’ has been launched with lead single ‘Carry That Weight’, co-written with Hugo White from The Maccabees.

“It’s quite instant and intense, especially with that lyric in the chorus,” Smith told of the single. “It was quite important to me that when we announced the album that the context and the story came with it. To help people understand the lyric and the tracks, it’s quite a heavy lyric… no pun intended.”

He continued: “Working with Hugo is incredible and a legend. I met him a few years ago at a songwriting session with him and Miles Kane. I stayed for an extra day and he and I did another session together just because we got along so well.

“He knows my story and all about my childhood and growing up, and I’ve done shows with The Maccabees too. He’s just so creative and he makes it so easy. I always write on my own; I’m a little bit of a Batman to be honest in that 95 per cent of everything I do is self-produced, self-mixed, self-written. I find it quite hard to write and work with people that I don’t know very well, so getting to know Hugo over time was amazing.”

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Check out the rest of our interview with Smith below, where he talks about literally sharing his scars and his hopes to help others.

: Hello Tom. How does it feel to finally be at a point of being able to announce your debut album and share what you’ve been through?

Tom A. Smith: “It’s exciting and strange. I started writing this record probably two and a half years ago. It’s been a long process with a lot of songs and a lot of ideas. There have been a few different paths for the record, so it’s great now it’s just around the corner. I know it’s the best work I’ve made so far, so it’s great to have it out in the world.”

It’s brave to put the scar across your chest on the cover. What does that image mean to you?

“That was really important to me. Growing up, that scar was everything I hated about myself – not just how it looked, but what it meant, what it symbolised for my health and for my future. It was something I was quite ashamed and terrified of. But this whole record, and the point of this whole album for me, is taking ownership of something that has owned me for my entire life.

“The boldness of putting that on the front of the record and having this image and scar plastered everywhere is for 12-year-old me. I’m not sure if he’d throw up or be immensely proud. I love the way it looks, and how natural, authentic and raw it feels. It feels kind of timeless as well.”

How does your illness impact the way you think about music and planning a future?

“For a while, my career and all of it felt a bit pointless. Making this record was about getting from A, which was being so frustrated, angry and envious of everyone around me, to B, which was kind of accepting and appreciating it.

“I was an 18-year-old visiting my doctor for the first time as an adult, and I was no longer on the children’s ward of the hospital. Hearing him talk to me, without my family there, about my life and the risks and the extreme medical care that I might have to have, that set me back. For a couple of years that grew in the background and became a little bit too much. That’s where this record became quite significant for me.

“I was learning to not just cope with it but accept it. Now I’m at the point where I just try not to think about that anymore. It could be any time. For me, I enjoy and I love what I do. As long as I can do that, then I’m going to make the most of it. “

Have you spoken to many fans going through something similar?

“Even though I’ve never been against talking about it, I’ve been public about it at all. I’ve got such a fantastic connection with my fanbase and my audience that I’ve been growing for so many years now.

“For 50 per cent of my life, it didn’t feel like I was being totally authentic to them all the time. Now that this record’s coming out, I’m looking forward to meeting people with similar stories or backgrounds, or parents of children who have grown up with it or with similar medical issues.”

How does that passion you have to seize the day impact the sound of this album?

“The big thing with this record is that everyone who’s been involved in the creation of it – whether that’s the visuals, the identity or the producing and recording – they’ve been heavily involved in my childhood, my growing up and my life. My best friend took the photo on the sleeve and the guy who I produced the record with in the centre of Sunderland where I grew up was Barry Hyde from The Futureheads. He gave me music lessons from the age of 10. It was me, him, my younger sister and my older brother just learning all these songs by The Beatles and The Smiths. I bought my first record from his suggestion (which was Led Zeppelin ‘III’, still and is still probably my favourite album of all time).

“Everything about this album is so personal and connected to me.”

And it’s good to get people talking about The Futureheads at least!

“They’re just the coolest and most wild lads. I feel like all of my favourite bands’ favourite band was The Futureheads at one time.”

What did Barry Hyde bring out in you?

“He brought a real focus on the performance within the album. It’s all very well and good with things being produced well, but he helped me make sure that this album was solely about the performances within it.

“That’s what really helps convey the emotion of the record. It was only me and him together on the record, making sure that the structures and the arrangements were there, but also sitting with sitting with friend who was a session drummer to make sure these were the full takes, good performances that felt authentic. We wanted to build a real human element around it.”

What can you tell us about what 2027 has in store?

“I can’t wait to bring this record on the road, and festival season is going to be amazing. This summer was phenomenal so I’m hoping to top that even more. For me personally, it’s just about growing and growing. I want to keep on going, get in front of as many new people as I can and see where it takes us.”

And for now, you’ve got a UK tour kicking off this week…

“We’re going to be playing some stuff from the record with a couple of new ones here and there. The live show is really big and entertaining, it’s quite extravagant. I’m sure you’ll love it.”

Tom A. Smith releases his debut album ‘The Golden Gates’ on Friday April 2, 2027, via Fiction Records. Pre-order it here.

His upcoming tour dates are below. Visit here for tickets and more information.

11 – Brighton, Patterns
12 – Cardiff, Clwb Ifor Bach
13 – Stoke, The Sugarmill
14 – Bedford, Esquire’s 
19 – London, Electric Brixton (supporting Meek)
21 – Plymouth, The Junction
22 – Portsmouth, The Wedgewood Rooms
25 – Hull, Polar Bear
26 – Whitehaven, Yellow Earl
27 – Huddersfield, The Parish

2 – Edinburgh, Cabaret Voltaire
3 – Liverpool, Arts Club Theatre
5 – Bristol, Thekla, Paint By Numbers (afternoon headliner)
5 – Wrexham, The Rockin Chair
6 – Nottingham, Bodega, Paint By Numbers 
22 – London, Barfly: Radio X ‘X-Posure Live’ (headliner) 

10 – Bridlington Spa, This Feeling By The Sea

5 – Cornwall, The Great Estate