Meet Tommy Link | Singer-Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tommy Link and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tommy, what principle do you value most?
I think the “freedom” of being freelance is the most important part. That is to say, the freedom to take or turn down each gig as they come.
Similar to many working communities, music scenes are often very tight-knit. Everybody knows everybody, which allows for some really great collaboration and a chance for ideas to flourish. The flip side of that is when people feel the need to turn a blind eye to bad behavior. I never want to be in a position where I have to say “oh, this bar owner treated a musician this way, but I still need the gig”, or “this guy is a creep, but they have a good following and they asked me to open for their band”.
It’s a slippery slope of looking the other way to keep the peace, and when you do, I think it’s a sign of the artistic elements fading for the sake of business in the worst possible way.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is in writing, performing and producing music. When I started out playing, I did everything I could to emulate my songwriting heroes from the 60s and 70s like Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Tom Petty and Billy Joel. I wanted to sing like them, sound like them and write songs like them. This helped me on the way to being a better performer, as I was playing a lot of very well known songs which got me booked at a lot of different places. After some years though, it occurred to me I how this desire to be my heroes was hindering me from finding my own voice. My influences had put blinders on me, and I was missing out on a lot of other music out there, especially music from my own time as opposed to all that came before. I was trying to write my own Tom Petty songs in a manner of speaking, as opposed to Tommy Link songs.
Since embracing the old and new together now in more recent years, not only do I feel like I’ve found my own voice as a songwriter and producer, but it’s added a new element to the music I cover as well. When I take on a song, as opposed to trying to sound as much as I can like the original artist, I want to make it my own. I want it to sound a way where you might not recognize it at first because you would never think of it sounding that way.
Our influences are the building blocks of art. Nobody has a singing voice before they’ve heard other people sing, and the art we love will always exist in the art we create. I think that’s a very important to remember in regards to originality.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My stomping grounds stretch across the Lake Erie Shore from Cleveland to the PA line. Naturally, Cleveland’s your biggest stop and has the most things I could suggest. Be sure to check out the Westside Market AT LEAST once. Great Lakes Brewing is a personal favorite spot for a drink, and some personal favorite spots to eat would be Fat Cats in Tremont, Mia Bella in University Circle, and Momocho in Ohio City. You can’t miss even with more touristy stops either! The aquarium, the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame, or a Guardians game are all worth the visit!
Some other gems on that stretch of I-90 would include: Laurello Vineyards in Geneva, Becker’s Restaurant in Ashtabula and Stable Winery in Andover.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Rachel Shortt of Cleveland! Since meeting her over a decade ago, she has always looked out for me, helping me expand my reach to a larger market, putting me in front of new audiences. One of the most talented singer songwriters I know, and an endlessly generous human on and off stage.

Website: https://tommylinkinc.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tommylinkmusic/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tommylinkmusic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@tommylinkmusic

Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0406xQOR7h3w5XCzJkjOCE?si=2CfW-p_aRhqPKbEPwTw-OA

Image Credits
Rylee Louisa
Brooke Surgener
Ashley de Rivas
Tim Roche
Dave Schroeder