IMC Listening guide

Best weather to enjoy this song

Rainy day

Best time to listen

Late-night immersion

Best place to listen

On the road, At home

Does this song haunt the silence?

Melody lingers

Goosebumps scale

Chills guaranteed

Our thoughts

What gives us the strength to get back on our feet after someone has broken our trust? That’s the tough question Tommy Ashby, our favorite Scottish artist for three years now, tries to answer in Finish Line, taken from his upcoming album Mantis, out June 6th.

For this one, Tommy steps a little away from the purely folk sound we’ve come to know him for. He offers a bold and surprisingly effective blend of organic folk-pop that… well, kind of makes you want to dance. Strange, right? Especially considering the song’s rather melancholic subject.

But with his sharp songwriting and natural feel for melody, Tommy once again proves he’s one of the best at what he does: making songs that hit home. And yep, he’s done it again.

Tommy Ashby's take on "Finish Line"

"This was an intense one but I’m so happy with how it turned out, with its fuzz guitars and heavy drum bop :) Been playing it with the band and it is so much fun. Cannot wait to tour it!"

A bit more about Tommy Ashby

Tommy Ashby is a Scottish artist who knows how to find beauty in the smallest things. His songs feel like quiet moments you’d want to pause, built with care and honesty. He’s always been curious about how we connect to sound, enough to dive deep into it with a PhD in psychoacoustics. That knowledge isn’t there to impress, but you can feel it in the way his music gently carries emotion, nature, and the connections that shape us. Over the years, his music has reached nearly 4 million streams on Spotify, and he's shared the stage with artists like Skinny Living, BANNERS, Tom Speight, Turin Brakes, Luke Sital-Singh, Jamie Lawson, and Nina Nesbitt. Some of his songs have quietly made their way into TV shows like _Grey’s Anatomy_, _Atypical_, _The Innocents_, _Found_, and even _Love Island_, as well as a few film and ad placements. No big show, no fuss, just music that keeps finding its place.

Reach out to Tommy Ashby

Lyrics

You’re guarded, no ignoring the warning signs
Your heart is just wanting to get it right
You’re hiding your pain, when it’s justified
You’re feeling so weak and it’s gonna bite

I don’t believe in love like I used to
Tried my key but you changed the locks on us
It’s hard to rise when your eyes won’t open
Can’t survive if you haven’t spoken up

Cause I love you too
I love you to death
Cause I love you too
I love you to death

I’m learning that nothing is black and white
We live in the cold grey space on the borderline
Stop burning your lungs just to feel alive
I’m holding tongue I don’t wanna fight

I don’t believe in love like I used to
Tried my key but you changed the locks on us
It’s hard to rise when your eyes won’t open
Can’t survive if you haven’t spoken up

Cause I love you too
I love you to death
Cause I love you too
I love you to death

Crawl across the finish line
Screaming that we’re killing time
The only thing that makes you mine

Cause I love you too
I love you to death
Cause I love you too
I love you to death

Cause I love you too
Crawl across the finish line
I love you to death
Screaming that we’re killing time
Cause I love you too
The only thing that makes you mine
I love you to death

Cause I love you too
I love you to death
Cause I love you too
I love you to death

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