Sydney based singer-songwriter, producer and recording artist Tom Ugly began to garner success in the music world while still in high school, after he and his band became the inaugural winners of triple j’s Unearthed “High” competition – Australia’s leading alternate radio station on ABC.

Bucking the system, Tom Ugly teamed with Billabong to create his debut self-titled EP as an alternative to the traditional music label. The EP peaked at #23 on the Australian ARIA singles charts and #3 on the AIR charts while remaining on both for 12 straight weeks.

The first single, Cult Romance, went on to become one of the  station’s most played songs of all time.

His highly independent ideals have come to create an intriguing blend of electronic-rock that has landed him opening slots with acts such as Sia, Groove Armada, Evermore and Simian Mobile Disco. Music festivals such as Days Like This and Pyramid Rock have also welcomed his billing, as well as headlining a live recorded performance at The Apple Store in Sydney where he & live band mates blasted out hard-hitting drums, fuzzy synths & guitars at the store’s iconic high, glass ceilings and glass walls.

Tom Ugly, often masked, uses sounds of the future, combined with traditional instrumentation and a unique vocal style to create a “digital-native” hybrid. In recent times, his sound has been compared to acts such as Foster the People, Daft Punk, Glass Animals, and GORILLAZ.

With artwork by Marvel and DC comic illustrators, his latest single, Villain was recently released on Friday, 13th of July (2018). This laxed-out indie “pop nugget” combines optimistic & airy guitar grooves with seamless  falsetto. Hidden beneath this cheerful & summery melody, however, is a deep, nuanced reflection on the duality of good and evil. Its contemplative lyrics explore the nature of living beings and the lengths they will go to, to safeguard what they love.

“The track was born out of a meditation on the constant outflow of stories & news in modern media,” [he] says about the song. “Stories about world leaders, celebrities, click-bait headlines, etc. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to know who or what to trust, which forces an obligation on us all to think twice about things, now more than ever. There’s an element of self-reflection to it too, as we all face the same predicaments & questions of not knowing where the line begins to blur.”

In the time that passed before then, some asked where Tom Ugly has been? The answer lies in studios around the world, where he has been collaborating, writing and producing with other artists. The time away reinvigorated his palette and now, after recently turning 27, he plans on sharing his new music again regularly as a new beginning. When asked “why now?” Tom answered, “because I wanted to wait until I was a full grown-millennial”.

His next single, Elegant Flesh, is set for release on November, 9th (2018), available on all music platforms.