Thomas Dreux is the General Manager for SideOneDummy Records and Co-Owner of Atoned Music. Thomas is currently working on a new album from Semantics from Brisbane, Australia which is somewhere between Indie and Punk Rock, a dash of emo and a bit of Aussie rock.
Each song is unique, containing its own lyrical message within the overarching themes of the challenges of maintaining one's well being.
What I really like about this band is that they spare no effort to connect with their listeners on a personal level to remind fans that it's alright if you are not alright.
This one is for fans of the likes of Violent Soho, The Menzingers and Title Fight.
Our recent chat with Thomas discusses his favourite campaigns and talks about the overlaps between visual creativity and music.
I'M LOVING
Creatively at the moment, I’m loving Remi Wolf and her vibrant lyrics and her amazing spunky psychedelic world!
She sings about the most random things and I love it! Her art is a patchwork of neon, retro, multicolour, out of this world mindset which is absolutely awesome and exhilarating at the same time. She is my breakthrough artist of 2021 and one to keep an eye on for years to come!
FAVOURITE VIDEO
My all-time favorite music video is California by Wax.
I am a bit biased about this one but I could've picked any of Spike Jones videos really. It's somehow a simple yet very hard to execute kind of concept, I have always been amazed at one continuous shot music video and this one definitely set the standard.
BEST ARTWORK
I’ve always loved the album art for Everything Sucks by Descendents.
I remember staring at that photo on the back for hours as I was listening to the album as a young 15-year-old. It totally transported me into the band's world for the time of a listen.
RECENT CAMPAIGN
The most recent campaign I’ve enjoyed working on has been for Big D & the Kids Table Do Your Art album.
It was just a great dose of fun and positivity! The album name encourages people to explore their creative side and stresses the importance of keeping that alive in them, whatever creative outlet they might choose.
The music video we made for Toyed was a collection of fan footage videos, putting their own spin on the "Do Your Art" album theme. It was a satisfying experience getting the artists' fans included in the album campaign and giving back to the community that has supported them for years.
COLLAB
The most recent brand collab that caught my eye was Hello Kitty X Le Creuset.
It was totally unexpected yet absolutely adorable. A perfect East meets West sort of moment. I have been a lifelong Le Creuset user and now the most functional durable french cookware gets Sanrio's most iconic friend to collaborate with!
CREATIVE VIDEO
For me the most creative and original music video of the past year is Oliver Tree Life Goes On.
My 12-year-old daughter showed me this music video for this song that was blowing up at the time. I was already a fan of the song but seeing the video catapulted me into Oliver Tree's crazy world.
LOGO LOVE
I wish I’d designed the artist logo for Black Flag.
Simple yet impactful, how could four black bars make such a lasting impact? It's the most recognized logo in all of punk rock, with four simple black bars that represent the waving of a black flag, signifying attack rather than surrender.
GO FOLLOW
The one artist you should follow on Instagram is Blu DeTiger.
She makes playing the bass look so much fun and captivating. Funky and groovy!
ICONIC
The most iconic music photograph is Danny Clinch. I love the mood that transpires from his work, he has a real gift for capturing one's true essence through photography.
Danny has shot a wide range of artists, from Johnny Cash to Tupac and from Springsteen to Bjork.
