HE only recently made his breakthrough with the radio anthem, Sober.

But Tom Grennan's CV already reads like a who's who of the music business.

Industry figures have clearly recognised the 22-year-old's talents because he has already been collaborating with a super team of celebrated producers including Fraser T. Smith, Jimmy Hogarth, Joel Pott, Sam Dixon, Eg White and Paddy Byrne.

Between them they have worked with the likes of Stormzy, Plan B, James Bay, Amy Winehouse, George Ezra, Kylie, Adele, Paloma Faith and Olly Murs.

So you can expect big things when Tom's debut album, Lighting Matches, comes out on July 6.

He told Weekend: "It was a big honour to have that show of faith in what I was doing.

"There’s some big expectations but I’m looking forward to it being released.. I’m just excited to get all the songs out and for people start listening to what the album’s about."

The record took Tom about a year to write and record and music fans have already had a taste of it with Sober, which was made Annie Mac's Hottest Record in the World on Radio 1.

The single, Found What I’ve Been Looking For, was also used as the title music to Sky Sports’ Premier League coverage and has racked up more than 10 million streams.

Tom is the first member of his family to ever be in the public eye. His mum Clare is a skincare and beauty therapist and his dad Martin is a builder.

So has the exposure and all these opportunities landing at his feet sunk in yet?

"Not really," Tom said.

"I’ll be in the pub having a beer and watching the football and then I’ll be like: ‘That’s my song isn’t it?’ "Everything that’s happening, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind but I’m enjoying every moment of it really. My parents, grandparents, cousins and friends all think it’s mad.

"They’re just so happy and proud and want me to do as well as I possibly can. They’re all rooting for me."

For Tom this is all happening very fast particularly as he had no aspirations to be a singer-songwriter until he was 18.

There were two key moments that changed that. His mates were so impressed when he drunkenly sang Seaside by The Kooks at a party that they urged him to get into performing.

In the same year he was attacked by a group of strangers on the street which left him with metal screws and plates in his jaw for life. It made him reassess.

Tom added: "It was a drunken night over a karaoke box and then something happened in my life which made me look at things differently take things more seriously.

"I got put in hospital and then when that happened a lightbulb switched on in me. Life’s too short to even think about not having a dream. I thought: ‘Music is my dream. I want to do it’."

So he moved from Bedford to London, learnt to play the guitar and made his own opportunities.

Tom said: "I was doing open mics and running around London knocking on doors trying to find gigs whether it was a Monday night in front of 10 people or Friday night in front of a few dozen. I was playing in front of anyone and everyone.

"Then one night someone was at a gig and heard a song then a demo was sent around to people. I ended up going to loads of meetings and it kind of all stemmed from there."

That was 2016 and since then Tom has barely had time to catch his breath.

One of his first brushes with fame was collaborating with drum and bass giants Chase and Status on a track called All Goes Wrong.

Tom added: "They just heard one of my songs and invited me in.

"I had the bare bones of All Goes Wrong and then we kind of broke it down and built it back up again to become what you hear now.

"Chase and Status are wicked. They’ve got good ears on them and can spot talent before anyone else knows about it. I was grateful that opportunity came through."

Nowadays Tom's getting recognised more and more – but it often takes him by surprise.

He said: "It is a bit surreal but I often forget I’m in the public eye. The oddest experience I’ve had being recognised was in an airport waiting for a flight to Ireland for a radio show.

"There was this hen do and they just went mad when they saw me. It was 7am so I wasn’t quite prepared for that. But it’s cool. To have people recognise me for my music is a nice feeling."

Tom can expect to be recognised a lot more after festival season which will see him share a stage with Noel Gallagher at Warrington's Neighbourhood Weekender at Victoria Park on Sunday before doing Transmit Festival in Glasgow with Arctic Monkeys.

He added: "It’s going to be a wicked festival. Blossoms, Noel Gallagher, The Coral and DMAs are playing so I’m excited. It’s a great line-up. To be around all that talent is incredible."

Talking of musical talent, Tom has a celebrity fan – Elton John called him out of the blue after hearing Something in the Water He said: "It’s mad. He gave me a call to say he liked what I was doing and to keep believing in what I was creating.

"I didn’t believe it at first. I thought: 'Who is ringing? Elton? Elton who?' The first I did after that was ring my mum."

DAVID MORGAN

Tom Grennan will perform on the main stage on Sunday at Neighbourhood Weekender.