Meet Tonic Music’s New Ambassador – Liam Cromby
- May 4
- 4 min read
Updated: May 5
Singer-songwriter Liam Cromby reflects on his journey from burnout to recovery, as he becomes a Tonic Music Ambassador.
“Do you want to be in the band?” Is what twenty year old Liam Cromby was asked after he auditioned to be the new guitarist in an upcoming band, from an advert he saw on MySpace.
The upcoming band in question were We Are The Ocean, where Liam had a decade-long career as the lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist.
After releasing four studio albums, performing hundreds of shows, and travelling thousands of miles across the globe, the rock band toured for the final time in 2017 after releasing a statement on social media that the band had come to an end.
However, it was not as straight-forward as this. Everyone in the band were, as the former frontman called it, “burnt out.”
“It was a classic case of a lot of touring and recording,” he said, “we got to a point where it wasn’t fun anymore.”
The singer-songwriter described that being in the band ended up “damaging for my mental health, but at the time, I couldn’t explain what was going on.”
“The band splitting was a couple of years in the making, and in those years, bad habits arose as a form of escapism.”
Ultimately, the split was “catastrophic” for Liam, and this led to a new chapter in his life away from the music industry.
This next chapter took him to working as a tailor in a suit shop in London, where Liam confessed to sending grooms home with one suit jacket sleeve longer than the other.
Moving on from this (thankfully), he then worked for a company that built office furniture. It was at this job where Liam learned to love and appreciate the little things in life, despite his past habits starting to loom back over him again.
“The pay wasn’t great, my back was aching at the end of each day, but it was at this point when I decided to get counselling.”
This was when Liam met Tonic Music for the first time.
“Counselling was the start of my healing journey, and I attended a peer support group with Tonic Music which was really helpful at the time.”
“Peer support groups allow a space for people to unload. For anyone in the music industry, there is a lot of pressure. You can sit in a peer support group, listen to other people’s hardships and realise you are not alone.”
Not only this, but the singer-songwriter took a risk. He decided to quit his job and dive head first into busking, hoping to find his love for music again.
“Playing covers in the street was the moment I found a new purpose in music,” he explained, “it was more about connecting with everyone. Playing a song that reminds someone of a lovely memory or someone they love can change someone’s day.”
After a year of playing covers in the street, Liam took himself to the studio for the first time since his days in We Are The Ocean, which was a rather emotional experience for him.
“I balled my eyeballs out,” he admitted, “I was so happy to be back recording music. For me, it was almost like a marker to say you are back, you have made it!”
“I went there [Middle Farm Studios] and ended up recording an album, I didn’t know I had an album. I had no intention to release it, I just needed to know whether I could do it again.”
“To be an ambassador for Tonic Music means I am on the right path.”
LIAM CROMBY
After discovering Tonic Music for the first time, the singer-songwriter explained how he “wanted to give something back” to us. So, in June 2024, the singer-songwriter went on a busking tour across the UK to raise funds and awareness for Tonic Music.
“When I first found out about Tonic Music, I really connected with what they were doing,” Liam said, “I’ve always thought that I would have benefitted from Tonic Music towards the end of We Are The Ocean.”
Since the release of his debut solo album What Can I Trust, If I Can’t Trust True Love in 2023, the musician has shown no signs of slowing down. For a start, his second album Hold Down Life arrives on 22nd May, as well as hitting the road with The Morning Star to perform not only his solo music, but revisiting songs from We Are The Ocean for the very first time.
On top of this, we are delighted to have Liam join the Tonic Music family, sharing his voice and experiences to promote mental health awareness within the music industry.
“I’m honoured to be an ambassador for Tonic Music. They supported me at a time when I didn't know who to turn to, and that experience has had a lasting impact on me,” he said.
“I'm passionate and excited about being part of something that's helping people across all sides of the music industry build healthier, more sustainable creative lives."
Catch Liam Cromby over the next few months at
29th May - Dingwalls 2 in Camden, London.
13th June - 229, London supporting US rock duo Lakeview
14th June - Exchange, Bristol supporting US rock due Lakeview
Don't forget to check out all our Courses, Groups and Workshops currently open for registration for working musicians and those working within the music.
