- Sunderland singer-songwriter Tom A. Smith has signed with ROAM for live music and touring representation across North America, with agents Maxx Lesnick and Ali Hedrick leading the deal.
- Smith continues with Solo Music Agency for worldwide representation outside North America; ROAM replaces THE·TEAM for the region.
- Management stays with Tileyard Music and Mike Walsh; publicity remains with Chuff Media and Longevity PR.
- Smith, 21, is set to appear in Dave Stewart's upcoming musical film Ebony McQueen, playing the young, Dave Stewart-inspired lead.
Sunderland singer-songwriter Tom A. Smith has signed with ROAM for live music and touring representation across North America.
Agents Maxx Lesnick and Ali Hedrick will lead the booking, while Smith continues with Solo Music Agency for the rest of the world. THE·TEAM previously handled his North American live bookings.
At just 21, Smith has built a résumé most artists twice his age would envy. He played open mic nights across the North East alongside Sam Fender before either had a record deal, and has since performed at Glastonbury, Leeds, Isle of Wight, Boardmasters, The Great Escape and BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend.
His support slots read like a festival bill in themselves: Gang of Youths, DMA’S, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Miles Kane, and James and The Charlatans. Elton John personally handpicked him to open Hyde Park’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road shows.
Smith is also set to appear in Dave Stewart’s semi-autobiographical musical film Ebony McQueen, playing the young, Dave Stewart-inspired lead alongside Sharon D. Clarke.
Management stays with Tileyard Music and Mike Walsh, while Chuff Media and Longevity PR continue handling publicity.
The signing adds to a strong 2026 for ROAM’s North America build-out. The agency recently signed indie-pop artist Imani Graham and Chicago rockers The Braymores for North American representation, and brought ambient duo TWO LANES on board for North and South America together.
Smith’s arrival gives ROAM another UK breakout act with festival pedigree and crossover momentum heading into the region.
Takeaways
This is a classic territory-split setup for a rising UK artist eyeing a US foothold: Solo Music Agency keeps the reins everywhere except North America, and ROAM now takes over the market that matters most for scaling a live career internationally.
Smith already has the celebrity cosigns and festival credits to turn heads; what he hasn’t had is a dedicated North American booking team chasing support slots and festival adds stateside.
Pair that with Ebony McQueen, which carries its own built-in press cycle thanks to Dave Stewart’s profile, and ROAM has real momentum to work with heading into future touring cycles.
Will ROAM convert Smith’s UK festival pedigree and celebrity cosigns into major North American festival bookings? Can Smith’s viral cover-song moments (Bowie, Elton John, Morrissey) generate the same US streaming and radio traction they did in the UK?
