TOM Walker is set to release his highly-anticipated new album this summer.

The Scottish-born singer-songwriter is playing two free gigs in Wrexham city centre this weekend.

The 32-year-old recently unveiled his new single ‘Head Underwater’. The track is the second official single to be taken from his highly-anticipated new album I Am, out summer 2024.

Dealing with the very real struggles of life and the fine art of keeping it together, ‘Head Underwater’ is a soulful pop anthem with a soaring vocal that sounds like a whole new Tom Walker.

Of the song, Tom said: “This is about keeping my inner demons at bay and the constant battle I'm having with myself - sometimes feeling suffocated and overwhelmed by the weight of the world.

"Head Underwater signifies the sensation of feeling like I'm drowning in my own thoughts and emotions. Despite the overwhelming struggle, there's a determination to survive and emerge stronger from this internal conflict.”

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RECOMMENDED READING: All you need to know about Tom Walker's gigs in Wrexham this weekend

The back end of last year saw releases in ‘Burn’ & ‘Freaking Out’.

Tom became known for powerful accounts of other people’s stories, including a friend’s battle with drugs (‘Leave A Light On’), and articulating his own relatable feelings for his now wife (‘Just You & I’).

On his new album he now finds himself writing about his own personal struggles and anxieties, creative challenges, sadness and moments of despair. It is a sometimes visceral account of who Tom Walker is in 2024, hence the title: I Am.

“I Am is a culmination of me trying to figure out who I am for the last four years.” explains Tom.

“This record is a snapshot of what's been going on in my life, and what's been happening around me – what's made me happy or sad, ecstatic or miserable.”

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After writing, and binning, a plethora of new tracks, Tom subsequently headed out to Los Angeles to write with the McDonough brothers, Toby Gadd, Ryan Daly & Castle, whose credits between them include Beyonce, Joji, Khalid, Mimi Webb and John Legend. 

The result of which were ‘Freaking Out’, ‘Burn’ & ‘Head Underwater’, and there’s also ‘Holy Ghost’, think: Hozier produced by Labrinth – hymnal, electronic soul. And finally, a mention for ‘Lifeline’.

No one outside Tom’s inner-circle will be hearing this until later this year – the emotions behind it are said to be too raw. It’s described as a "searingly emotional" tribute to a friend who died by suicide last March.

Looking ahead, as Tom said: “I would die for these songs. It’s the first time in a long time I’ve felt like that. You’ve got to ignore what everyone else wants from you, and you’ve got to back yourself.”