By: Staff
Tom Tikka & The Missing Hubcaps Release Their Catchy New Single “Sweet Surrender”
With a magnetic infectious energy, the opening guitar riff of "Sweet Surrender" will captivate your senses and keep you glued to your earphones. When Tom Tikka rips open your eardrums with this unique and gravity-defying vocal performance, you will fall in love and instantly know that this band is for you. The opening of this song has such a catchy hook that it’s definitely one that sticks in your mind. It’s getting harder and harder for songs to feel truly unique and stand out from the crowd, but this track absolutely pulls that off.
Big props to the production and engineering for pulling off this creative feat, blending R&B and rock 'n' roll into one cohesive sound. You’re gonna want to jump up, bang your head, and dance all at the same time! There’s even a tiny hint of ’70s disco woven into the beat and bass, which has always been the foundation of rock 'n' roll from the ’80s and ’90s. If you don’t believe me, just ask Dave Grohl!
The real standout moment comes during the chorus, where the supporting arrangement and vocal display from Tom are a perfect blend. Each element shines individually, allowing you to enjoy both the arrangement and the vocals separately—they’re just that good! And if that hasn’t impressed you yet, wait until you experience the guitar solo, which has a flavor of Spanish rock heavy metal. If you have any questions about this, just checkout Eddie Van Halen!
Tom Tikka & The Missing Hubcaps are checking all the boxes for kick-ass rock 'n' roll while pulling in genres from around the globe to create this incredible sound. Tom describes "Sweet Surrender" as a follow-up to their earlier track “California Smile,” aiming for something completely different—more poppy and funkier. This song turned out real well, especially the syncopated middle eight that evolves into a balalaika-flavored guitar solo. With catchy melodies, multilayered harmonies, and fiery guitars, this track is sure to be a hit!
"Sweet Surrender" by Tom Tikka & The Missing Hubcaps is a vibrant, genre-blending anthem that masterfully combines rock, R&B, and a hint of disco. With its infectious melodies and stellar guitar work, this track promises to keep listeners hooked from start to finish.
You can find this release on any major platform; see below for links to take you straight to some of the profiles. Make sure to playlist, stream, and share "Sweet Surrender" by Tom Tikka & The Missing Hubcaps.
Powerful Quote about this band:
"Tikka has been at this a long time so I rue not discovering him sooner..." – THE HOLLYWOOD DIGEST
Wait… there's more!
We had the chance to catch up with Tom Tikka & The Missing Hubcaps for an exclusive interview in "The Cage" Music Blog.
Here’s how it went:
Begin Interview
Hello Tom Tikka & The Missing Hubcaps, we’re thrilled to have you for this interview! We've thoroughly enjoyed diving into your music and exploring your work, and now we’re even more eager to discover more about you, both personally and professionally.
BEGIN INTERVIEW:
Hello Tom Tikka & The Missing Hubcaps, we’re thrilled to have you for this interview! We've thoroughly enjoyed diving into your music and exploring your work, and now we’re even more eager to discover more about you, both personally and professionally.
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Is there a story behind how you chose your artist / stage name, Tom Tikka?
Yeah. It’s my name! My Finnish parents chose it for me.
In fact, Tommi is an old Icelandic name. And my last name Tikka is a native Finnish name. Tikka means “woodpecker”. I’ve lived extensively in the US and there have been numerous mix-ups over my nationality. To most people in the English-speaking world, Tikka is an Indian dish, so no matter where I traveled for work, people were always confused when I stepped into their offices. They were expecting an Indian fellow but what they got was a Scandinavian guy!
The name “The Missing Hubcaps” was actually invented by my dad. A long time ago, when I was a teenager, I was helping him change tires. I was absent-minded and accidentally broke one of his hubcaps. It slid off my hand, rolled down the driveway and onto the street, where it was crushed by a passing by van. He was a bit pissed off that I was writing songs in my head and not concentrating on the job at hand. They were custom-made hubcaps and expensive, so he barked at me a bit and said, “Your band should be called The Missing Hubcaps”. At the time I laughed and said, “Over my dead body!” But you know, life’s a funny thing. My dad passed on a few years ago and as it happened, I was trying to find a name for my solo project around that time and lo and behold, “The Missing Hubcaps” came to mind. It was a nice way to pay homage to my old man.
Can you describe the type of music that you play and the genre(s) you represent? Are there different styles within your genre that influence songs like "Sweet Surrender"?
I try not to think of genres when I write and play. I just sing and play what comes naturally to me. With “Sweet Surrender” I wanted to do something that was a bit funky, and I also knew that I wanted a chorus that repeats just one phrase. My favorite part of the song is the middle eight with its syncopated drums. That balalaika-flavored guitar solo I play on “Sweet Surrender” is one of my best solos, I think ¬– a very biased opinion of course.
What is the spark that inspires your writing process the most when working on tracks like "Sweet Surrender"?
It's hard to say. It varies from song to song. I wrote “Sweet Surrender” when I was stuck in a traffic jam one day. I’m sure many of you have been in a similar situation: you are late for work and no matter which route you take, you end up staring at a sea of taillights. Well, it happened to me a while back. There was nothing else to do expect to surrender and accept the fact that I was going to be late. I hummed the melody of the song to my mobile phone while I was driving to make sure I won’t forget it. I knew it was special. I believe I made a quick acoustic demo of what I had the next day and sent it to Nolen Chew Jr. of The Star Prairie Project, who wrote the lyrics for the tune. And here’s the cool thing about music and arts, although the tune was inspired by a traffic jam, Nolen turned the lyric into something else entirely. He made it about this bad-ass personality who lives life the way he wants and doesn’t care about what anyone else thinks.
Can you walk us through where the inspiration for "Sweet Surrender" comes from?
You’d have to ask Nolen since he is the lyricist. I wrote the music for the tune and came up with the lyrical tag in the chorus, “Sweet Surrender”. I write lyrics as well but when Nolen and I collaborate, he is usually in charge of the lyrics, even on the songs he has written the music for. For me, music has always come before the lyrics. I know many great songwriters like Ken Hensley of Uriah Heep write lyrics first. It’s just not the way I work.
Can you describe the theme of "Sweet Surrender"'s artwork and what the inspiration and intention were for the observer to absorb from it?
I suppose the artwork depicts surrendering. That is the idea behind it. You can fight all sorts of things in life: your emotions, people, illnesses, etc. Yet, there comes that moment when you realize that it’s time to let go and surrender to the inevitable. Sometimes surrendering means death, sometimes it means divorce, sometimes quitting your job and sometimes giving into passion. I’m not sure if we thought about that when we took the picture that became the single cover. I think it was more a case of realizing that that particular shot would fit the song’s theme perfectly.
How did your collaboration with Nolen Chew Jr. influence the creation of "Sweet Surrender"?
Without Nolen there would be no “Sweet Surrender”. He wrote the lyrics! And what’s more, I wrote the melody for the tune with Nolen and my upcoming album in mind. So yeah, the song was always intended for our collaboration. In my mind “Sweet Surrender” only exists in this context.
How did you come up with the idea for the album cover featuring you at the science fair in Poland?
It was one of those lucky coincidences. I was vacationing with my family in the Baltic states and central Europe and whilst in Poland, we took the kids to this science center in Gdnask that hosted an exhibition on human anatomy. The huge mouth you see in the picture was part of it. While there, my wife noticed other holidaymakers taking pictures of their kids in front of the giant lips and her lightbulb went off. She quickly came to the conclusion that we should take a few promo shots depicting me being swallowed by the giant mouth. I thought it was a great idea and played along. The people around us must have thought we were mad! I had the hardest time climbing inside the giant mouth and striking those over-the-top poses in that crammed space was not exactly easy. But it paid off. When we went through the shots that night at the hotel, we realized that we didn’t just have a cool picture, we had our cover art.
How did working with producer Janne Saksa shape the final sound of "Sweet Surrender"?Well, he can mix and produce music like this so well. Janne is such an integral part of what I am doing. It’s very difficult to picture making a record without him. And that’s Janne on bass in “Sweet Surrender”! We both played a bass track for the song, but I felt that his was a tad better than mine, so we rolled with that. And also, those strings in the middle eight are Janne’s. I remember when I heard them the first time. They really elevate that section in the song. They’re beautiful. But yeah, Janne is a multitalented individual and we’ve cut records together for a very long time, almost a decade. Hopefully we can continue until we are old and gray.
Can you talk about the syncopated middle eight in "Sweet Surrender" and how it evolved during production?
That was so hard to get right. The drums were very hard to play for that section. The idea came when I was sequencing a rather poorly played drum track, hoping it might have something I could use in the final mix. The sequencing threw the backbeat completely out of whack for a few bars and as I was listening to it, I went, “Hang on, that’s what the drums should be doing here!” I quickly rewrote the vocal melody to fit the mood of the new arrangement slightly better and pretty soon afterwards, I was already playing the guitar solo. It just grew from that badly played drum track.
Which instrument serves as the foundational starting point for any musical creations, and how does it influence the direction and overall sound of compositions?
Acoustic guitar or piano, I rarely write with anything else. I find that ballads are easier to write with piano, whereas pretty much everything else I write with guitar. It’s next to impossible to know what the song will sound like or even be like for me at this point. A rock track can turn into a ballad, or a grunge track can evolve into a country-flavored tune. You see, that’s the difference between being a solo artist and writing for a band. As a solo artist, you are not tied to any one style. A band has, or at least should have, a very distinctive sound and style. It’s not possible to bring in a funk track one day and a jazz flavored one the next. When I was writing for Carmen Gray over a decade ago, I was rather cautious in terms of what I presented to the band or Sony/BMG. The songs had to match the band’s image, so the label wanted to hear them first. My brother and I presented the songs to the band only after they’d been approved by Sony’s A&R person. That was a much stricter process than what I go by these days. Having said that, with some tracks you know what they will be like. “Sweet Surrender” was one of those. It always had that distinctive pulse to it. Whenever it’s so clear, you go with that.
What instruments do you play, and which is your favorite?
All the basic ones: guitar, bass, drums and piano. I don’t know if I have a favorite. They are all different but for all intents and purposes, I am a guitar player and a singer. That’s how I got started and that’s what I feel most comfortable doing. The Missing Hubcaps used to be just me playing all the instruments but over the years, I’ve invited old friends from Carmen Gray and beyond to come and help me out with my tracks. It’s more fun doing it together. “Wrecking Ball”, for instance, had Nicklas and Lappe from Carmen Gray on it and I think we did a fantastic job.
Is there an instrument you do not play, or play leisurely, but wish you could conquer in the context of your music?
I can play great drum tracks in the studio but I’m not a drummer. These are two different things. In the studio, you have countless retakes at your disposal. I mean I couldn’t play drums live. I’d like to be able to do that.
Where do you create your music—at home in a recording studio or with a producer? How do you finalize your work—self-mixed and mastered or through another source?
First off, very few people have the ability to self-mix and master, even if they think they do. You should always leave mixing and mastering to professionals. It’s just the way it is. They are artforms of their own. Also, there’s the problem of being too close to your own songs. I do mix and produce songs for other artists but when it comes to my own tracks, I want a second opinion. I record alone in my upstairs home studio and that’s where I also do the initial mix. Then, I turn the songs over to Janne Saksa. He’ll tell me flat out front, if they work or not. If they don’t, I’ll go back to the drawing board. It’s as simple as that.
What part of the music-making process is the most stressful—for example, the creation, the actual release date, etc.?
Recording vocals and editing them. I hate it. It’s very time consuming. But at the end of the day, I want control over how I sound. “Sweet Surrender” was rather easy. I only sang it twice and I ended up using the second take as the final vocal track. As far as the actual release date goes, I always hope my songs will do well but it’s not stressful for me. I find it exciting to see what happens. As long as I have a few people out there who like what I’m doing, I’m on cloud nine. But I wouldn’t mind a global smash!
Which of your already released songs is the most important to you or had the most impact on your life or career?
”By 2022” probably. It was my first slightly bigger hit as a solo artist. It felt good to be able to achieve that on my own. “Gates of Loneliness” by Carmen Gray was a huge radio hit in Scandinavia. I’m very proud of that. “Cloud Nine” by The Impersonators did rather well too and it’s a dear song to me for other reasons as well. It was inspired by my experiences in therapy. Oh, and the music video for “Cloud Nine” is very cool. I love it. My music catalog is really my diary. I could take each song that I’ve ever written and tell you what inspired it. They are all important to me.
There is a lot of technology available today. Some artists have described it as “overwhelming” or “too much.” Do you feel this has a positive or negative impact?
I love the new technology. It makes the recording process faster and more efficient, saves time and money. Nobody has to use it but it’s there for those who want to dive into it. I draw the line at AI. To have AI create a song for you is going too far. If you can’t sing and play, then you shouldn’t be making music. To me it’s as simple as that but I know many disagree. They are entitled to their opinion, but I always ask them, “Would you hire somebody to play professional hockey for you?” I mean wouldn’t it be weird? You’d get all the credit for being a hockey star by just being a spectator. You’d be eating hotdogs and drinking beer, while there’d be this dude on ice scoring one goal after another. Nobody would be interested in him; they’d all want your autograph. Hmmm … doesn’t sound very realistic, does it? Only in music it is! Anyway, that’s how I feel about AI and music.
If a band (no matter how famous) were scouting for someone with your talents, which band would you love to be asked for the chance to work with them?
I’d love to work with Paul McCartney or Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. They are both geniuses and just to meet with them over a cup of coffee would be a dream come true.
Describe your favorite type of venue for performing.
A small club with intimate atmosphere.
What is the live music venue scene like where you currently reside, and how does it support artists like Tom Tikka & The Missing Hubcaps?
I’d love to play my solo stuff live but as The Missing Hubcaps is not really a real breathing rock band, it’s a bit hard to accomplish. I’d have to put a band together, wouldn’t I? Maybe one day. There’s a part of me who misses playing live. The connection with the audience can be so inspiring, especially on a good night when the band is smoking hot.
How would you handle traveling and being away from home for an extended period while on tour?
That’s a good question. I’ve travelled extensively and I’ve spent a lot of time away from home. It’s no picnic. But in our case, my family would come with me. We all love travelling, including the kids. And obviously, my wife is also my collaborator, so it’d make perfect sense. We’ve written quite a few songs together. In addition, she takes my promo shots and makes my music videos. Yeah, we’d all go.
Do you follow a process or ritual before a performance to manage nerves or performance anxiety?
Not really, I’m fine once I get the first song out of the way.
Most people love or hate social media—where do you land?
I’m not sure I have an opinion. Like everything else in life, it’s both good and bad. Isn’t it up to the person using social media whether he or she turns it into a destructive tool or something very positive? To approach this from a different perspective, if somebody has a drinking problem, do we blame the drink or should we really just come to the conclusion that booze isn’t for everyone. I guess social media and I are on good terms. I should probably post daily but I don’t have enough time for that. My thing is to make music. I am not intending to become a social influencer. That’s not my bag. But I really respect those, who are able to make a career out of something like that. Make no mistake, it’s a tough job.
When you reach the stage where you have the admiration and respect of world-known artists, which band or artist would you love to call and say, “Let’s go on tour together”?Paul McCartney.
What is the most inspirational thing a fan or anyone has told or shown you about your music?A fan once sent me a message that they had danced to “You Are The One” by The Impersonators at their wedding. Can’t think of a more inspiring thing than that. What an honor!
Tom Tikka & The Missing Hubcaps, thank you so much, we appreciate you taking the time to talk to us!Thank you!
End Interview
We’re happy to have shared Tom Tikka & The Missing Hubcaps’s exciting journey with you and uncovered such inspiring insights about their creative process.
Now, click the links below to experience their incredible work firsthand!
Check out this latest release and listen to more of Tom Tikka & The Missing Hubcaps on Spotify & YouTube.
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