Thom Bridges earned his first #1 hit with fellow Dutch group Yellow Claw. He worked on Yellow Claw’s album Blood For Mercy, which went to #1 on Billboard. In 2018, Bridges earned his second #1 for producing the Martin Jensen remix of Olivia Holt’s “Generous.”
Last year, he received another #1 for his work on David Guetta’s “Heartbreak Anthem” with Little Mix. The song reached #1 on the UK chart and stayed in the top 40 for over 29 weeks.
As a producer, songwriter, and engineer, Thom Bridges has amassed over 2.9 billion streams across YouTube and all music streaming platforms. On Shazam, his music has received over 9.3 million hits. On TikTok, Bridges’ music has received over 293 million reproductions. He is currently working on his own project 99DREAMS with co-writer Beau. It’s an eclectic anti-pop project which will be released in 2022.
Thomas van der Bruggen, who professionally goes by Thom Bridges, is known for his work in EDM. The producer is also versatile with hits in other genres like pop, hip-hop, and Latin. Bridges has previously worked with artists like Rita Ora, Bebe Rexha, Cardi B, David Guetta, DJ Snake, Saweetie, Thirty Seconds To Mars, Snoop Dogg, Quavo, Offset, A$AP Ferg, James Arthur, Tiësto, Galantis, Reik, and Tainy. To help Sofia Reyes redefine her sound in her Mal De Amores album, she enlisted Bridges to produce 12 songs
Tell us about the genesis of your project. How did you get to where you are now?
I’ve been writing and producing songs for over 10 years now. I started off as a mixer/engineer back in Amsterdam where I got in contact with a lot of people in the local music industry. After spending endless days and nights in the studio I got some recognition from some of the biggest Dj’s in Holland that came to record and mix their songs at the studio. Working with artists like Yellow Claw, David Guetta, DJ Snake etc. launched my career and gave me the opportunity to work with a lot of different artists.
What is the favorite song you wrote and why?
For me it is always the most recent song I wrote. As a creative you constantly evolve and grow in your sound and craft. My newest work excites me because it captures the way I feel in that specific moment. I always try to push the boundaries of my sound to come up with something different and refreshing. By the time a song is being released I’m usually already 10 songs ahead in my mind.
Who are your all time musical icons?
Kanye West, Pharrel, Otis Redding, Queen, Rick Rubin, Mike Dean, Hans Zimmer
What are some things to do to keep your inspiration alive?
Changing it up. I bounce around between a lot of genres. The interesting thing about doing that, is that you take influences from different genres and mix them up which creates a fresh view on things.
Who are you binge listening to these days?
Rosalia, Summer Walker, Frank Ocean, Kanye
Favorite movie or TV show?
Good Fellas, I’m a big fan of Martin Scorsese’s movies.
Tell us about your latest release and how it came about
My latest release is Sofia Reyes’ new album ‘’Mal De Amores’’. I’ve had the opportunity to produce 12 songs on this album. Sofia and I have been close friends for over 5 years. We have an amazing creative click and share the same taste in music and art. We started working on this album about 2 years ago when I moved to LA. It has been an amazing journey and I’ve learned so much about Latin culture. I eat breakfast with Cholula every morning now.
Do you have any peculiar pre or post show rituals?
I don’t really do shows at the moment but if I would, I’d listen to Bach or Mozart.
What’s the future looking like for you?
Bright!! I feel like I’m just getting started. I’m super inspired and I’m hungry to keep pushing my career. This year I will release my own project called 99Dreams with Beau and I’m creating a publishing venture with my manager to sign new artists and upcoming talent.
Who inspires your style and aesthetics?
For clothing I love Acne, Fear of god, Virgil Abloh..
Aesthetic wise I love vintage looks. Using cameras like polaroids, kodaks or any vintage VHS.
What is the achievement or moment in your career you are the most proud of and why?
To wake up everyday with excitement and joy. To be able to do what I love for a living and create music with the people I love is worth more than any billboard award or grammy for me. Of Course the recognition is also great but that’s not what I do it for. I’m proud of myself for working through the struggles in the beginning of my career. It takes a lot of courage and believing in yourself to keep pushing and following your dreams.
What do you think is the best way to make it as an artist nowadays?
Consistency and creative freedom. I think it’s important for every artist to have the creative freedom they need. People recognize real feelings in music so the closer you stay to yourself as an artist, the more recognition you’ll get from the listener.
What would you change in the music and entertainment industry especially after this past year?
The way labels and tech companies treat songwriters. As a producer you can make a good living off production fees, sponsorships etc but songwriters only get paid if the song is successful. It blows my mind that in 2022 some of my biggest songwriter friends still struggle financially. To give you an example, if a song that I wrote with two other songwriters gets played 100,000,000 times on Spotify, we make less than $7000. This must change. It’s important that artists, producers, publishers, managers etc stand up for songwriters to change this standard.
