In the ever-evolving landscape of indie music, Tommy Lefroy stands out not just for their evocative sound but for the rich literary inspiration behind their name. Comprised of Tessa and Wynter, this dynamic duo has captivated audiences with their introspective lyrics and intricate melodies.

In a candid conversation, the band opens up about their creative journey, the impact of their literary influences, and the unique experiences that have shaped their music. Whether it’s their playful nod to Jane Austen or their reflections on female desire, Tommy Lefroy is redefining what it means to be modern-day storytellers in the music world.

Nicolle: Hi, Tess. Hi, Wynter. First things first, could you introduce yourself to the readers? 

Hey! We’re Tessa and Wynter, we’re producers, writers and musicians, and we’re in a band called Tommy Lefroy.

Nicolle: Why did you choose Tommy Lefroy as your name? Are you fans of Jane Austen?

We named the band Tommy Lefroy after Thomas Lefroy - the alleged love interest of Jane Austen. It started kind of as a joke. We thought it’d be funny to have a masculine moniker - our own sort of nom de plume and, in naming ourselves after Austen’s heartbreaker, it felt like a funny way to subvert the broken woman trope and embody the heartbreaker ourselves. Tessa was the Austen fan - her favourites are Pride & Prejudice and Persuasion.

Nicolle: Both of your latest songs ‘Garden’ and ‘Girlhood, Godhood’ are about wanting things. What are the differences and similarities of these two songs? 

‘Garden’ is about wanting in the context of female desire, it’s playful and kind of tongue in cheek, kind of empowering in the way that it begs the question. ‘Girlhood, Godhood’, on the other hand, is softer - it’s vulnerable and raw.

It is also, I guess, about female desire, but more in desiring to be left alone, to be free, unburdened and undetermined by the male gaze. They’re both about wanting but in response to very different circumstances. 

Nicolle: How would you say you’re writing process and sound have changed since releasing ‘Flight Risk’?

A big difference in our writing process has truly been proximity. When we wrote most of ‘Flight Risk’, we were in different places, writing over Zoom during the pandemic.

Since writing ‘Flight Risk’, we’ve been able to come together, tour and make music in the same room. This has radically shaped how we write, and what we consider in the writing process now. Now there’s much more consideration of what we want to play live. We write lyrics thinking about singing them over and over, how that repetition feels, and what it may speak into existence…

Nicolle: Last year you spent touring with Niall Horan as his supporting act. What was the experience like?

It was such an incredible touring experience for us. We are so grateful to Niall for taking us on the best euro trip of our lives. Niall and his band and crew constantly went out of their way to make us feel welcome and supported. We also loved getting to know the Niall fans, they were also so sweet and receptive. We loved every show on that run and are so excited to get back out for our first European headline tour in September.

Nicolle: Tessa you are Canadian and Wynter is originally from the US, but you both are based in England. How did that impact your creative work?

We are very grateful to have spent so much of our formative years as a band in London. The music scene here is so real and welcoming. There is so much cool art coming out of London, people are really adventurous and willing to take risks - they have a lot of faith in the process which is really inspiring to see. 

Nicolle: One of my favourite songs from you must be ‘Trash Fire’. Where did the inspiration to write it come from?

Tessa: ‘Trash Fire’ was one of the first songs we wrote for Tommy. We were living in Nashville at the time, and when Wynter showed me what she’d written (which became the first verse) I knew we had to write it. At the time, I’d been saying, perhaps a little too often, that “my life was a trashfire” - it was just one of those seasons. 

Nicolle: Collaborating as a duo brings its own dynamic. How do you balance each other's creative ideas, and what do you think each of you brings to the band that shapes your unique sound?

Tessa: We were friends before we started the project, and initially connected on shared interests and taste, so there’s a lot of trust in the process. Wynter is really good at intricacies, the details in song arrangements and how each layer interacts, as if in conversation.

Wynter: Tessa likes making sounds that, for better or for worse, are sometimes impossible to recreate, unorthodox guitars and spooky strings. We produce everything ourselves, which is really fun. There are no rules. 

Nicolle: Touring and performing live can be a different experience compared to recording in the studio. How do you translate the intimate, introspective nature of your music into a live performance, and what do you hope your audience takes away from your shows?

This is always one of the main challenges when building a live show - our music is very layered and intricate, which can make it difficult to recreate in a live setting with just the two of us and our drummer on stage. We try to balance upbeat moments in our set with intimate acoustic songs, and just make the music feel good live. We want audiences to feel safe at our shows, to feel like it is a place they can go to feel whatever they’re going through deeply and unabashedly and to not feel alone in it. 

Nicolle: What are your biggest influences? Do you listen to old stuff from, let’s say, the 80s, or do you prefer contemporary music?

Wynter: We were both raised on heartland rock, like Springsteen and Fleetwood Mac. Tessa’s mom was big into female songwriters, so she grew up listening to a lot of Joni Mitchell, Alanis Morisette, the Dixie Chicks, and the Indigo Girls.

Tessa: Wynter’s dad was always playing Zeppelin, Tom Petty, and James Taylor. We both grew up in cold Northern places, so Bon Iver was essential listening and an early production inspiration.

When we first started the band, we were listening to a lot of Better Oblivion Community Center. We came up with the name of the band while waiting in line for one of their shows in Nashville. Seeing two vocalists telling such intricate stories in unison made us feel like we could do the same, and we wrote a lot of the first Tommy songs that way, which taught us how to blend our voices. 

Nicolle: What song made you fall in love with music and want to be an artist?

Tessa: The Chelsea Hotel no. 2 by Leonard Cohen & Holocene by Bon Iver

Wynter: Landslide, Stevie Nicks was probably one of the first. But there are so many. Bon Iver was huge for me too. The Black Keys and The National made me want to start a band. I gave up on that idea for years and was just pursuing songwriting until I saw Lorde play Liability at Bonnaroo in 2017. I was working at the festival so we were side stage, seeing the crowd from her perspective. ‘Melodrama’ wasn’t out yet so I heard that song for the first time live. I knew then I wanted to tell my own stories, and I thought maybe they had a chance at being heard. 

Nicolle: Last but not least- what’s next for you? Can we expect more music in 2024? 

Our upcoming EP “Born Blue” comes out on October 25th. The next single, “Let Me” will be out September 12th. It’s a very big, ambitious track and we’re very excited to share it. We’re in preparations now for our first European headline tour in September, which we’re so excited about.

We’re starting off in the UK, which is where we’ve played the most shows. We absolutely love our UK fans and are playing some venues that are very dear to us (like Gorilla in Manchester, and The Garage in London).

We’re so excited to finally play headlines in Europe, and thanks to the Niall tour we get to go to places we never knew we’d get to go for our own shows, including Warsaw and Prague. We haven’t forgotten about North America though, and might just have some surprises for them up our sleeves before the end of the year. 

As Tommy Lefroy prepares to embark on their first European headline tour and release their highly anticipated EP “Born Blue,” it’s clear that this band is just getting started. With a deep appreciation for their roots and a fearless approach to their craft, Tessa and Wynter are poised to make an even greater impact on the music scene in 2024.

Their journey is a testament to the power of friendship, creativity, and the unyielding desire to tell stories that resonate. As they continue to blend their voices and push the boundaries of their sound, Tommy Lefroy invites us all to join them on this exciting new chapter.

You can listen to their songs ‘Garden’ and ‘Girlhood, Godhood’ here. You can also buy tickets for the EU tour there. You can follow the girls on Instagram here.

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Nicolle Knapova is a 30-year-old young adult writer and freelance blogger from the Czech Republic. She has a master’s degree in Creative Writing and Publishing at Bournemouth University. She loves to write about music, books and TV shows. If she’s not writing her fan fiction, she’s writing her poetry and sharing it on her Instagram @elisecaverly.