Tom Povey aka Intensi-T is about to make his mark. The 21-year-old beatboxer, rapper, singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist from Norwich is the first credible act to assemble a whole album of potential pop songs using just the voice: the instrumental parts, the guitar, bass, keyboards and drums - the works.
Intensi-T discovered music at an early age via his dad’s CD collection and he remembers listening to a wide variety of sounds from brit-pop to grunge, such as Blur and Nirvana. The first band he truly got into was Oasis.
Aged 11, he acquired an electric guitar which he taught himself to play. Soon, he was playing bass as well, and drums, performing in a number of school bands. By the age of 16 he had discovered dance music and hip hop and found his true calling, especially after seeing Dizzee Rascal perform at the University of East Anglia. A chance meeting with the Eastpak Throwdown crew confirmed that this was his destiny.
While studying for a Foundation Degree in Music Business and Production at Westminster University, he honed his beatboxing skills busking on the streets of London. He would earn up to £200 for stints in Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square.
One night he performed at an open mic session in London and that is where Intensi-T was spotted by Megaman of So Solid fame who was blown away by his beatboxing skills, declaring, "There's nobody out there like him. No one even comes close.” The garage stalwart started to manage Intensi-T alongside music industry heavyweights, ASM Talent, and things started to get more organised.
The following year he got a major break after Nicola Roberts saw him perform at London’s Queen of Hoxton pub. So impressed was the Girls Aloud star that she invited him to perform with her at T4 On The Beach in front of 50,000 revellers.
Increasingly confident live, he set about honing his studio techniques. Throughout 2013 he finessed the songs that would comprise his 2014 debut album, co-produced by Ollie Green, who has worked with Lady Gaga. His first single release is 'My Drums', a euphoric encapsulation of his past, and his craft. “It captures the fun vibes that I see in the crowd when I’m onstage,” he says.
With the respect of garage legends (Wiley, Dizzee) and pop royalty (Sheeran, Pixie Lott), Intensi-T doesn’t need to do much more convincing. Meet your new vocal hero!
