By LoffMusic Editorial Staff – July 2025
Tom Smith has never needed to raise his voice for the world to hear him. For more than two decades at the helm of Editors, he has sustained an unmistakable emotional tension: that mix of dark romanticism and trembling hope that made his band one of the most important British indie bands of the 21st century.
But now, with the release of his first solo single, “Lights of New York City,” Smith invites us into a different space. A smaller, quieter place. Almost as if he were opening the door of his apartment at dusk to offer us a cup of tea, while a guitar plays in the background. Nothing more. Nothing less.
A postcard from memory
“Lights of New York City” is not a song about a city. It’s a song about what a city represents when you’re no longer in it. About how it lights up in your memory when youth is left behind. “It’s a track that looks back to that naive wonderment we once had when we first faced the world,” Smith himself confessed on his Instagram account.
And that’s exactly the flavor of the song. Minimalist piano, acoustic chords without artifice and a voice that seems to be on the verge of breaking in each verse. There are echoes of Leonard Cohen and Nick Drake, but also of the more intimate moments of Damien Rice or Matt Berninger. A song that doesn’t demand attention, but earns it.
Soft guitars, hard truths
In the production he is accompanied by Iain Archer, Northern Irish composer known for working with Snow Patrol or James Bay. The approach has been clear from the beginning: to preserve the essence, not to package it. The recording maintains that subtle imperfection that makes everything sound more human, closer.
Tom is not looking to reinvent the wheel, but he is looking to reinvent the direction. And this first solo step shows that his emotional compass is still intact, even if it now points inward.
From stage to whisper
The release of “Lights of New York City” is not just another promotional stunt. Tom has decided to present it in a series of intimate concerts around Ireland – far from the big festivals where Editors has made history -, opting for small venues where every glance counts and every silence weighs.
It’s in that kind of setting that songs like this really breathe. Where a verse like “I still see the skyline burning in the dark” can leave someone still for minutes after the lights go out.
A new chapter (without closing the previous one)
Although this is his first solo project, Tom Smith is not leaving Editors. Rather, he seems to be writing a note on the sidelines. A note that says: “I still have things to tell, but I need to do it from another place”. It is the maturity of an artist who no longer needs to hide his vulnerability behind the drums of his band.
“Lights of New York City” is a simple song, but not a small one. It is intimate, but not shy. It is melancholy, but not sad. And, above all, it’s a promise. That there are still many stories Tom Smith wants to sing. This time, without intermediaries.
