The fact that Tom Hamilton’s album I’m Your Vampire is his solo debut is technically correct. It’s also comical given Hamilton has been cranking out albums as part of numerous projects the last twenty five years. Brothers Past, American Babies, and Ghost Light have all had great runs as bands but ultimately fizzled out leaving Hamilton to restart musically time and time again.
Throw in the output from Hamilton’s other projects… Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Billy and the Kids, MORE!, Lacuna and several others, and the notion of a debut solo album is preposterous.
While BP, Babies, and Ghost Light were bands loaded with talented musicians, it was Hamilton at the helm. He earned the right to release a solo album decades ago. To understand why he hasn’t, doesn’t take much detective work. Hamilton openly admits he’s an anxiety ridden introvert. Being a team player has allowed him to deflect some of the spotlight and attention. Until now.
When Slide&Banjo caught up with Hamilton in 2023, his current project MORE!, was running out of steam and he was ready to hit the studio with his longtime collaborator Pete Tramo to record what would ultimately become I’m Your Vampire.
With a career full of album releases as a band member, Hamilton was at a musical crossroad telling Slide&Banjo, “It’s like does anyone really need a Tom Hamilton album? I still don’t know. Pete and I are in the middle of writing an album of new material. I don’t know how I’m going to release it. Is it going to be Tom Hamilton? American Babies? I don’t know what to do.”
After reflecting and seeking advice from his musical pals, Hamilton decided to step out of his own shadow and finally put out an album with only his name on it. If you didn’t know Tom Hamilton before, or thought you did, the tales of a truly long, strange trip are found inside I’m Your Vampire.
The album oozes with the musical flavors at Hamilton’s core. Songs like Don’t Give Up on Me and The Octave Below, seamlessly shift from a 90’s grunge laden vibe to choice 80’s Eric Clapton-esque leads. Hamilton ventures into unexplored psychedelia expanses with Wrecking Crew and Haven’t Used My Voice in a While. Uber catchy cuts Kissing With Your Eyes Closed, Walking Backwards, and Daddy Daddy exude the true Tom Hamilton sound he’s been putting out since he was a teen. If the extent of your Tom Hamilton musical knowledge is Grateful Dead based, you’re late to the party. Very late.
Despite the convenience of a recording studio he literally built by hand, the process to create and record I’m Your Vampire was difficult for Hamilton. He’d travel to Asheville, NC and Pound Ridge, NY while using multiple groupings of musicians to get the songs across a finish line worthy of an album with Tom Hamilton at the top.
Hamilton graciously sat down with Slide&Banjo to share his story of making the album and his plans moving forward as a solo artist. He begins by discussing the career altering decision to finally release a solo album. “I talked with my manager, my agent, and my friends. I let them know I was making a record and wanted their thoughts. I’ve always been a people pleaser. I’ve always released music under a band name like American Babies. It’s not really a band. It’s just me. I never felt worthy or comfortable in my own shoes to release a solo album. I asked enough of my friends and colleagues who I respect. They encouraged me enough to say fuck it. That’s what this is. It’s a Tom Hamilton record.”
While Hamilton’s band MORE!, was winding down, he learned his father was battling serious health problems. Faced with time bombs in all directions, Hamilton reverted to a common coping mechanism, focusing on something else. He was ready to make a record. As it has throughout his career, Hamilton’s original plan did not come to fruition. “When Ghost Light fell apart, I didn’t know what to do as far as having a band. Scott (Zwang), Taylor (Shell), and I were certain we were going to keep playing together. Raina (Mullen) and I talked about it. She got another gig pretty quick, and that took her out of the mix. I said, I’m going to write a record for a band that would have Scott and Tay as the rhythm section. Then Scott moved to Colorado and threw a wrench into things.”
Hamilton had a choice he’s faced numerous times. Check out, or say fuck it and charge forward. His choice, “After Scott moved, I was like I don’t know what to do. A lot of my motivation was, don’t be scared about what is currently happening. Not having a band. Not having collaborators. My dad being sick. That is scary shit. It’s easy as a musician to disassociate. Go on the road. Make decisions just for the sake of making decisions. I didn’t want to do that. I fucking hunkered down and Pete and I came up with how to proceed.”
With Small, MORE!’s Tom McKee (piano/keys), and a drummer to be named later, it was time to start creating a record. Hamilton describes the arduous process he and Tramo took. “It’s a lot of abstract ideas without a band. Just Pete and I throwing shit at a wall. We tried to figure out what works with this group of players. I flew Scotty out a couple of times to go through a batch of songs. I had another drummer, Ryan Jewell, a fucking brilliant guy. He did some sessions. Lots of trial and error. Pete and I wrote a shit ton of songs. The first 30 tunes we wrote were dog shit.”
With complete autonomy, Hamilton struggled to move out of coach mode. Trying to make the team happy. Focusing solely on himself was an adjustment. “I hadn’t made a record for myself in a while. I’d been making Ghost Light records. The first of those is more of my writing. The lyrical stuff I was intentionally writing to be vague. Something for a band, not an individual view.”
“I’ve been making records all this time as therapy for myself. Trying to find out stuff about myself and deal with some shit.” Hamilton reflects. “Then I’ll make a record. That’s what I’ve been doing since I was in my twenties. I hadn’t done that in a while. The last record dealing with my own life was the last Babies record. Those Ghost Light albums were about the band. Focusing on the ideas of a five piece band. When it came to this record, we didn’t have to worry about making decisions based on keeping people happy. We were making creative decisions on what is the coolest thing we can do for the song. What’s the best idea for the song. Let’s do that. Production wise, we weren’t afraid to go harder.”
Coming up in part two, Hamilton continues to share his personal journey of making I’m Your Vampire. He breaks down each song on the album sharing which songs he “shit out in nine minutes,” and which ones have five or more versions? Hamilton details his travels to New York and North Carolina as he explores all avenues to make sure his debut leaves everyone with a grin.
Tom Hamilton- I’m Your Vampire AWAL/Relix 2026 (cover photo: Sarah Kassery)
In honor of Tom Hamilton Sr. (10/21/54 – 7/16/24) – Aye!