Tommy Sexton cooks up super groove, soulful nu disco on debut studio release, 'Start Again' and 'La La La!'

Rising from Brisbane’s vibrant music scene like a bass-fuelled phoenix, Tommy Sexton has unveiled his debut studio release in the soulful disco track, ‘Start Again’, which is also teamed up with a bonus B-side in the equally magnificent ‘La La La!’.

Described as the sonic lovechild of Stevie Wonder and Steely Dan, Tommy Sexton pulls from genres of “soul, disco funk, and post-apocalyptic yacht-rock”, resulting in a musical creation so wild and wonderful in its nature; smooth as butter and sweet as honey. Drawing inspiration from the likes of neo-soul icon D’angelo, jazz masters like Herbie Hancock, disco legends Earth Wind and Fire, to rock stars like Toto, the range of Tommy Sexton is nothing short of a marvel.

‘Start Again’ is an intergalactic voyage through funk and soul that lands somewhere between a ’70s disco fantasy and a sleek, modern groove. Tommy Sexton channels a touch of Jamiroquai's swagger with the velvety finesse of Jungle—yet it's undeniably his own interstellar spin. The track pulses with lush orchestration, rolling out layers of harmony and spacey synth textures that shimmer like a mirrorball in the cosmos. At the core is Sexton’s bassline: a masterclass in groove that moves effortlessly from buttery smooth to raw and gritty, holding everything together with an irresistible edge. Clocking in at six minutes, Start Again is a nu-disco odyssey that will flair the skinniest of jeans.

A bright, colourful, dancefloor-filler of a disco track, it evokes the euphoric feeling of coming back from the brink, using the metaphor of a heart attack victim who needs ‘A sudden current to the heart to make it start again’. On the beginnings of the single, Tommy Sexton said;

“It started as a spark of inspiration while I was washing the dishes. It was a process of uncovering what was inside my head, forming words to a melody that I found myself humming and trying to decipher and build on their meaning. To me it’s about renewal, finding inspiration - the light at the end of the tunnel. As it took shape musically it [gave a] ‘dance your troubles away’ feel to the music which matches the theme.”

The bonus track ‘LA LA LA!’ meanwhile, arrives as less of a boogie-oriented venture, slower in its pace, but no less dripping with soul and groove at its heart. A warm, sensual track lined with layer upon layer of shimmering vocals, bouncing bass lines and glowing synths, Tommy expressed, of ‘LA LA LA!’;

“Unlike the layered process of Start Again, this one came out red hot together in the Yama-Nui Studio. To me there is ‘The Suggestions’ [Tommy’s band] before and after we recorded this song. It gave us a new-found swagger and belief. It’s got a raw sexual energy and I’m not going to lie - everyone in the band got a little hotter after they laid this down!”

The lead single release is also accompanied by a stunning, glitzy, Studio 54-inspired music video, featuring Tommy and his glamorous ensemble performing in a colourfully-lit bar.

A veteran of Brisbane music, Tommy Sexton cut his teeth as a bass-playing teen in jazz bands with his mates in the early 2000s, later venturing into the spaces of reggae and, along the journey, singing some sweet vocal harmonies with the likes of The Melotonins and Laneous & The Family Yah. Now, leading his outfit Tommy Sexton & the Suggestions, he is stepping out from the shadows, emerging from his role as perennial wingman and chief provider of groove, and into the spotlight in which he was born to shine.

To celebrate the emergence of the studio project, Tommy and his band, known collectively as Tommy Sexton & The Suggestions, will be undertaking a huge live tour across Australia as we move into the warmer months, including dates across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia!

“We can’t wait to bring the band on the road for the first time. Each of us has been on the East Coast circuit many times over the years and Melbourne is like (or is!) a second home for us, but as Tommy Sexton and the Suggestions, this will be our first venture south of the border.”

‘Start Again’ and ‘La La La!’ are both out now on all streaming platforms.