Tom Rasmussen is a writer and musician from Lancaster. Their first two books — Diary of a Drag Queen (Ebury and FSG), First Comes Love (Bloomsbury) — were both critical successes. They contribute regularly to the Guardian, the Observer, the Independent, Dazed&Confused, and i-D. They are a columnist at American Vogue, where they write about sex and relationships. Their debut musical, for which they have co-composed the music and lyrics, based on David Nicholls’ Starter For Ten, is far into development. Tom is currently working on a series for South of the River Pictures, as well as adapting their second book for screen with STV. Tom Rasmussen’s debut album Body Building fuses dark dance music with an aesthetic and live performance that takes influence from their past life in drag. Born and raised in Lancashire, Tom moved to London where they fell into the world of drag for a decade, performing everywhere from the Royal Opera House to Glastonbury to the West End. Although their drag alter ego Crystal was distinct for singing live rather than lip syncing, it wasn’t until Rasmussen started writing their own music that their performance persona began to change, revealing more of themselves. Thus came their debut album Body Building, an album that pierces the skin with its falsetto vocals and moments of queer euphoria punctuated by acoustic instrumentation. Having already toured with Rina Sawayama and Self Esteem in the UK, Tom Rasmussen has already made waves with audiences across the UK, especially with their single – Dysphoria – the inimitably catchy, powerful yet poignant ode to their experience with their body.
