How Thomas reclaimed his music and his life (with a little help from PRS Members’ Fund) 

Thomas has been in the music industry since he was a teenager, but it hasn’t always been kind to him. His journey is a powerful reminder of why the PRS Members’ Fund exists. It highlights how the Fund steps in when writers are facing financial hardship, mental health struggles, or addiction – helping them rebuild their lives and get back to creating the music that brings joy to us all. 

Here’s Thomas’ story. 

Entering the music industry during the heyday of ‘X Factor’ and ‘Pop Idol’, Thomas signed a publishing deal at just 16. Offered a ‘wedge of cash,’ the teenager took the money, ultimately signing away the rights to his music. In his own words, ‘That didn’t really set me up well for the rest of my teenage years and early 20s. I had no real respect for money, I didn’t understand it. I had it for a few years and then I didn’t’.

Thomas says he knew from age of 14 that he was an alcoholic and by his late teens and early 20s he was into drugs and alcohol ‘pretty hard’. 

‘Half the reason I drank was because I was so concerned with how I looked to other people,’ he admits. ‘I’d rather not care. So, I numbed it, and I was “Mad Tom”’.

‘I’m very lucky—and this is a weird thing to say—that I hit rock bottom, that I was as far down as I was, because I got the help I needed’.

 

The downward spiral lasted for years. It brought him to absolute rock bottom, a place he now views with a strange sense of gratitude. 

‘I came out of rehab when I was 30, that was eight or nine years ago,’ Thomas says. ‘I haven’t touched anything since. I’ve been clean and serene. I’m very lucky that I went to rehab. And I’m also very lucky—and this is a weird thing to say—that I hit rock bottom, that I was as far down as I was, because I got the help I needed. 

‘My life restarted after rehab. I had to put my recovery first, but since then, I’ve been trying to make money out of music while putting my health and security first. I’ve only just found a secure place to live’.

Escaping the ’27 Club’ 

During some of his darkest years, Thomas watched the tragic stories of many of his peers who died young. As the conversation veered into the topic of the ’27 club’ and the number of talented artists who took their own lives or died by accidental overdose Thomas reflected, ‘I thought it would be me. It’s tragic, it happened to so many amazing people and every time, I thought “it should have been me,” I always seemed to be a bit worse than them’.

Leaving rehab was just the first step of a long restart. Thomas had to put his recovery first while navigating life and relationships. For years he couch-surfed or jumped into toxic, co-dependent relationships just to find shelter. 

‘I’m not proud of it, but there were a few times where I was either homeless, or on half a bed,’ he says. ‘So, I often took the half bed’.

Eventually, Thomas had to end his short marriage to protect his sobriety. The long divorce process gave him the space to work on his mental health. After years of taking antidepressants, he finally received a correct diagnosis: bipolar disorder. Finding the right medication changed his life, though navigating the healthcare system was a battle in itself. ‘I found it really hard to get into the system,’ he remembers. 

A lifeline of support from the PRS Members’ Fund 

Rebuilding a life and career takes time. During the times when Thomas had nowhere else to turn, the PRS Members’ Fund provided a vital safety net. 

‘In these eight years since rehab and since I started looking after myself, there have been times when I’ve needed the PRS Members’ Fund’.

‘A couple of times I got a grant for living when I just really really needed it because I was in trouble. One time I got about £750. That’s not a huge amount in the grand scheme of things, but when you’ve got nothing, it lets you live for another month. And that’s very helpful’.

Beyond financial aid, the Fund provided immediate access to private mental health support, bypassing long public healthcare waiting lists. 

‘I’ve needed therapy quite a few times,’ Thomas explains ‘and I’ve just been able to access it there and then because of the support of the PRS Members’ Fund. I think three times I’ve had ten sessions with a private therapist paid for up front. And without the Fund I’d have been waiting for the NHS, and I’d probably still be waiting’.

Today, Thomas attends a peer-led recovery group run by Music Minds Matter, it provides a safe space where music industry professionals can speak completely openly without fear of judgement. 

‘It’s really great. A comfortable space where people can talk completely openly about where they’ve been, where they’re at, where they want to be. It’s completely anonymous, which is important because I think in the music industry, you don’t want people knowing who you are’. 

Reclaiming the music 

Now settled in a secure home, Thomas values the quiet spaces and enjoys a healthier perspective on his identity. 

‘When I stopped drinking a friend actually said to me “I always thought you were mad because you were drunk, but actually you’re just mad anyway aren’t you.” And I love that. That’s such encouragement for someone who’s trying to give up drinking. You know, I drank to be mad and I didn’t need to. I can own it now’.

That newfound maturity has transformed his career. He’s in a much better place, financially more stable, working with the right people on the right projects. His career is taking off in the exact direction he always wanted. An artist he’s working with is on the brink of signing to a major label and he’s looking into a publishing deal for himself as a writer. 

‘That was always the aim. I wish it came sooner but I might not have been ready for it. I probably wasn’t mature enough. It possibly needed to happen when I was a bit more settled’.

A message to fellow creatives 

It’s been a long road though, Thomas admits it took two years of hesitation and deliberation before he finally reached out to the Fund. He worried that asking for help meant admitting he was failing. And he felt that he didn’t deserve the help. Now he wants to make sure no other artists hesitate. 

 ‘What the PRS Members’ Fund does is support troubled people who are the joybringers. Support is here because people love and care and want music to remain human’.

‘Creative people are the inspiration,’ Thomas says. ‘Even though they often suffer the most, they are the ones that bring on those happy feelings, good vibes, good music. What the PRS Members’ Fund does is support troubled people who are the joybringers’.

To anyone else currently struggling in the industry, Thomas has a direct message: 

‘Don’t hesitate. You’re worth it. If you’re thinking about it and feeling it, the PRS Members’ Fund is there for exactly you. You don’t have to be on the streets. Don’t feel like you’re not worthy. You are worthy. 

‘The first port of call is easy. Talk to Christine. It’s easy, non-judgmental, and it can be completely anonymous. 

‘It doesn’t matter whose fault it is that you’re in this position, you’re worthy of help. You’re not a burden. Support is here because people love and care and want music to remain human’.

If you’re struggling with your mental health and wellbeing or are worried about substance use, the PRS Members’ Fund is here to help you get the support you need. We’re here to offer support beyond the music. 

Find out more about the work we do and how to get support by visiting our website www.prsmembersfund.com/our-services

Call us on 020 3741 4069 

Or email us at fund@prsformusic.com