We caught up with international soul singer, Zalon Thompson to find out what his favourite thing about performing is and what he's been working on over lockdown.
What does a typical day look like for you?
My life is a healthy balance between spending time with the people I love and building my business and music career. Each day is different depending on the priorities I set for myself. When I am trying to learn something new in order to build my career, I will often be up late working throughout the night. I come alive at night and I find it hard to rest my head if I don’t feel like I’ve accomplished enough throughout the day. If I feel I need balance, structure and routine I will often wake up super early. My sleeping pattern swings on this pendulum and I feel fulfilled in different ways whether I wake up early or go to bed late and wake up a little later.
As a soul singer, I have worked in many locations around the world and have had the privilege of meeting many different people. This allows me to experience their culture, history and traditions. Each day can be a different experience, there is no set time to start and finish. I just happily navigate my life so I can choose what I want to do.
When I was starting out as a singer I would perform most weekends, however as my career grew prior to lockdown, I was performing on much bigger stages and my concerts were further apart. This allowed me time to explore my other interests too.
How has the COVID pandemic affected your job/work/role?
Covid has impacted the live music industry in a huge way. It was one of the first to get shut down and I believe it will be one of the last to open. I have been especially impacted as most of my concerts are abroad to thousands of people.
I miss the stage and I miss connecting with my fans, however I am super grateful for the time I have had off as it has given me time to focus on the things that I have been putting off for years. I now have the chance to execute new ideas that have been on my mind. I always wanted to help up and coming singers to navigate their career, as I often struggled with this and didn’t receive a lot of support, so I have written a book and created an online masterclass that will help with their progress.
What style of artist are you?
I am a soul singer artist. As my career has grown, I would say that connection and authenticity has become a major factor in my live shows. I want everyone to have a great time, singing and dancing whilst I perform. I aim for each of my concerts to be a great experience for everyone who attends.
What do you wear to work?
My stage attire is often smart suits with a unique touch of colour. Sometimes I'll go all out with the full works and wear a suit, bowler hat, shirt, tie and cuff links.
What's your favourite part of your work environment?
I love performing live as it lights up my soul. I get the privilege to see how the audience transforms throughout my performance. After they have been singing and dancing it’s almost like they have forgotten about all their troubles and they feel lighter. It’s beautiful to be a part of this.
What's the best bit about your job?
The best part about my job is being able to do what I’m passionate about. It wasn’t always easy and many times I wanted to give up but I kept going and for that I am proud. I am blessed to be able to connect with people and learn about the world through their eyes.
How do you wind down after a long day at work?
Often I like to watch a good series. Money Heist is my current favourite show or should I say La Casa Papel as I'm learning to speak Spanish and that's the Spanish name for the series.
What's your favourite memory of London?
I have such magical memories of London from my childhood. Every year, my dad would take my mum, sister, brother and I for a drive to the West End to see the Christmas lights. It would always be something I would look forward to. My siblings and I would beg for my parents to take us to McDonalds or KFC for dinner afterwards and when they did it made it the best night ever.
Where's your favourite place to go in London?
One of my favourite places in London are the bridges overlooking the Thames. It’s so beautiful to see the lights and the scenery. The problem is that I’m often just driving past so I’m unable to really take it in. I guess not being able to fully see the views makes them special every time I'm able to get a glance.
Follow Zalon on all social media channels @zalonmusic. Listen to his music on spotify under Zalon. You can also download Zalon's book "A singers guide to multiple streams of online income" here for free.