I Guess We’re At That Age: Tommy Womack Waxes Lyrical!

Acclaimed Nashville indie-rock singer-songwriter Tommy Womack releases “Just Another Shooting” produced by Eric “Roscoe” Ambel. Intentionally provocative and unapologetically sardonic, this single serves as the perfect introduction to his upcoming album. Scheduled for a December 5th, 2025 release, Live a Little reminds us that every moment is precious.

The 11-track album is written from the perspective of an older, wiser guy; someone who has lived and learned and grown, as a person and as an artist. Ambel calls it a “reflective record,” and while Womack may be in a reflective mood, it doesn’t blunt his artistic edge, which is honed with irony and humor.

One of the best examples of Womack’s use of irony is the album’s most powerful song, “Just Another Shooting,” which he wrote in the aftermath of the 2023 Covenant School shooting in Nashville.

“It’s one thing to see it on the television week after week, then it happens at home, and for some stupid reason, it means more when it happens at home,” he says. Finishing the song was a high point during the sessions for Womack. “The most memorable moment for me was hearing ‘Just Another Shooting’ come through the speakers with the vocals done and everything,” he recalls. “I can’t picture people listening to that without being affected somehow.”

I sat down with Tommy and we discussed everything from his new album, to the lyrics of his songs, to what its original title was going to be, what he himself is listening to, and, oh yeah, even our mutual adoration of penguins!

Being that your new album Live A Little reminds us that every moment is precious, how did your creative sound differ here on this new recording as opposed to your previous outputs? - “Live a Little doesn’t really sound much different from previous records of mine, at least not intentionally, but there’s something about it that sounds like it was recorded in New York as opposed to Nashville, where almost everything I’ve ever done is from. I can’t put my finger on why. The instruments are the same, the songs are like any I’ve ever written, but Eric Ambel produced it and he’s a New Yorker, all the other players are New Yorkers. There’s some difference there. Maybe it’s in the water.”

Indeed, what were some of the biggest obstacles along the way to bringing this album to fruition and how did you overcome them? - “All the obstacles were overcome in the time-honored way: money. I did the old faithful GoFundMe and raised enough scratch to get to Brooklyn. It was a more expensive record than I’m used to making because of all the incidental costs: hotels, flights, food, $7 in a bodega for one ginger beer.”

As for the album, I understand that it is written from the perspective of an older, wiser guy; someone who has lived and learned and grown, as a man and as an artist, so can you please explain just why you felt you would create the album from this perspective; within the context of how it came together, both thematically and musically - “They say “write what you know” and what I know is that I’ll be 63 in three weeks and my back hurts. I’m not writing love songs to made-up girls like I’m some 20-something sex symbol. I am who I am. I have friends aplenty who’ve passed away in the last few years. Another’s had a stroke. A girl who used to dance like crazy way back when now walks around with a portable oxygen tank. I’m not singing for youngsters who have no idea yet how the world is going to kick their asses later. I’m writing for people with worries, aches, pains, and optimism that’s assaulted every day. There’s less money in writing for that crowd, but I’ve been broke my entire life, so what the hell.”

Indeed, a lot of words and terms have already been used to describe your music over the years, but how would you yourself sum up your sound on this new album ... and in just five (5) words? - “Hard, soft, funny, sad, hopeful.”

Please tell us (in a couple of sentences or less) a little more about what these tracks noted below mean to you and how they came to be:

Speed, Weed & Alcohol - “Been there, done that, still here, can’t do that!”

Waiting For The Punchline - “I used to make this woman laugh. She used to make me laugh. Now she says she leaving me. And she’s not laughing.”

Just Another Shooting - “Oh wow. There was another mass shooting today. What’s on the Home Shopping Network?”

Horny Mormon - “Sometimes a title comes to you and you have no choice but to write it. You don’t want to. You want to be seen as a serious artist. But when God gives you a title like that, the song writes itself.”

And was Live A Little always going to be the albums name or was there another that nearly won the race come the time to take your hands off the project? - “The original title was going to be Uphill Both Ways, but that didn’t seem to fit. When I saw how so many of the songs said, “live for now, because friends are dropping like flies and tomorrow it might be you”, Live a Little fell out of the air and hit me in the head.”

Being that we’re not called Exclusive Magazine for nothing, is there a hidden message, a secret notation or an easter egg to be found amongst all the tracks assembled for this recording? - “God answers every prayer. Sometimes the answer’s no.”

What can you tell us about the cover art shoot and what was going through your mind in that particular chosen shot? - “I wanted it to be a guy dressed up for a party and outside under twinkly lights and there’s not another soul in sight.”

What are some of the last albums (CD, vinyl, cassette, et al) you physically purchased (vintage and/or new releases) and which one have you already gone back to listen to more and why? - “The Zombies Odyssey & Oracle, delicious gooey pop. I’m a sucker for that stuff. The Buckingham/Nicks reissue. An intriguing listen but it’s obvious why it wasn’t a hit. There’s no single on it. Freedy Johnston’s Can You Fly. Had it on CD and been in love with it for 33 years. Just got it on vinyl last week. An absolute masterpiece from one of America’s best songwriters.”

What would you like all the readers of this interview to know about the new album and what to expect? - “Don’t be afraid. It’s not 40 minutes of people getting sick and dying. It has plenty of fun in it too.”

And yes, we ask everyone we interview this very same question (as we are putting together a kid’s book). We here at Exclusive Magazine love Penguins and so we were wondering if you had any love for them and/or had a story of one (soft toy, zoo, chocolate bar, relative, etc.) that you could share with us? - “Now this is weird, because I love penguins and always get sucked in on any penguins on nature shows. AND (and this is no bullshit) about a month ago we got a stuff plushy toy penguin and put it on top of the TV. You know, like the Monty Python episode. (“What’s on the television, then? “Looks like a penguin.”) It’s so weird you asked about penguins!”

And finally, we asked Tommy to kindly provide a never-before-seen photograph of himself. One that perfectly personified his readiness for the world to hear his new musical endeavor. And kindly, and whilst flipping the script a little within the assignment, this is what he sent.