Tobias Vokes
Not Just a Phase is casting our artist spotlight onto our friend Tobias Vokes today. A singer / songwriter and the brains of the entire operation behind his solo emo project of the same name. Since late 2023 Tobias has been honing his craft as a true DIY artist who does all his instrumental writing as well as vocal work, composing and recording within the confides of his humble flat in London. Inspired by icons of the emo genre such as Mineral, Strictly Ballroom, and Pianos Become the Teeth, Tobias doesn’t write with his heart on his sleeve as the old saying goes, Tobas writes with his entire soul on display for you to experience and immerse yourself into the art rather than just listen to it.
“I’m very much about getting the subconscious out and connecting to a higher place. I think this really gets to the best insight of what is going on consciously and unconsciously at the time in your life. It gets you to a true connection as a musical art form. A lot of the feeling and lyrics that come out are so accurate when I sit back and try and channel a song. It makes a perfect reflection of how I’m feeling and what’s going on.”
The soaring vocals of Tobias encapsulate a plethora of moods on the album, opening with the self titled track, you may get the impression that you’re in for a generic midwest emo album full of twinkly and slinky riffs by its opening notes but it’s building to something beyond those initial expectations. From the ballad you sway to on “Get You,” to the bright and British sounding 80s post-punk chord selection and the upbeat drum tempos on “Waiter.” The latter is arguably the most infectiously catchy and happy sounding song on the album despite the lyrics being about feeling trapped at a dead end job.
“Tarnished” showcases a relentlessly emotional build of dynamics that escalate into a display of atmospheric delay leads emphasizing once again that this project has so much more to offer than just noodly riffs. You will float in tranquility through this track before fully ascending into the air in the latter half of the composition. No joke, that song takes flight and you go with it.
The closing track titled “Goodbye” is a resplendent instrumental that allows you to reflect on the moment you’re in as well as the ones you just embraced alongside the previous tracks, wrapping everything up quite nicely in summary as all good outro songs are intended to be.
I cannot stress enough how much therapeutic value is contained within the notes and words of emo music, as you read this you already know that all of this is just so much more than just music for everyone involved. For Tobias, this album and the creative writing process of his music is more than just self expression and being artistic. Through the process of creation that came from this album Tobias managed to learn more about himself through love, loss, grief, and finding your inner light.
“This record, I’d say, comes from a place of nothing in the world around us. I really feel I know myself and I went through a point in my life where I was so squeezed and isolated from everything. I really found my inner light and managed to make myself feel and live as myself again. It’s a lot about connecting yourself to who you are and enjoying the beauty of that in life. My grandparents both died around the time of this record.”
“I was really close with them and I feel their energy all around it. I remember back in 2013 when I was homeless and couch surfing / sleeping in McDonald’s and I went to go and stay at theirs that summer. One time I had the house to myself for a week. I had no money and was just walking around in Cambridge and sitting at theirs in silence listening to Pianos Become the Teeth’s first ever EP. I realized after I wrote the song “Goodbye” it’s influenced by the feeling I got from the instrumental on the EP, although as a listener you might not be able to tell. It was the last song I recorded.”
“I remember playing the last guitar line and out of nowhere I felt this crazy emotion come up from a different place and I started crying. I’ve never cried from playing a guitar line in my life. I have screaming though. I really feel their energy is all around my album.”
“THE ALBUM’S ABOUT CONNECTION, INNER GUIDANCE, SAYING GOODBYE TO MY GRANDPARENTS, MY CONNECTION WITH MY GIRLFRIEND, MY SHIT JOB SCRAPING BY AS A WAITER. GENUINLEY EVERYTHING HAPPENING IN THAT MOMENT OF MY LIFE.”
“I JUST HOPE PEOPLE GET THE SAME FEELING OF EMPOWERMENT I DID AND FORM A GOOD CONNECTION WITH THEMSELVES.”
- TOBIAS VOKES, @TOBIASVOKES
When I had asked Tobias what he wants for the future of his project he’s goal oriented with plans to one day play a show and most importantly “to build a connection with people and hope I can live off my music one day. I’d love to release vinyl, more cassettes, do a tour, make some great connections. Most importantly make real honest music that is a reflection of myself and how I feel.”
Having had the pleasure to meet this gem and share a few pints and laughs with him at New Friends Fest this last summer, I can genuinely say he is as down to earth and good hearted as they come. We had a few good laughs, and a few more pints during that magical weekend, and I have a quick live interview we did outside the festival coming out soon as well. The album “Becoming All Things” is now available on cassette courtesy of Slow Down Records, and CDs are available through RealoEmo as well through the bands bandcamp page.
Tobias Vokes is heard playing every instrument and vocal part on his releases.
Follow Tobias on Bandcamp here : Tobias Vokes
Writer : @just_reidz
Editor : @garevthistle
09/30/25
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