There is a timeless pleasure in a song built around a deep, soulful groove, the kind of mid-tempo bluesy sound that seems to breathe and flow with the natural ease that only live musicians playing together can create. The 1970s were a golden age for this kind of music, the era of bands who understood that the groove was everything, that the space between the notes mattered as much as the notes themselves. ThomasAtlas understands this timeless appeal, and When I’m Dreaming, released June 17, 2026, offers a soulful bluesy groove centered around the universal theme of dreaming about someone special. The Birmingham-based artist pays homage to the groovy spirit of 1970s legends while creating something fresh and contemporary, a mid-tempo masterpiece built on organic, live-tracked instrumentation.
The universal theme of When I’m Dreaming gives it broad emotional resonance. The song is about dreaming about someone special, the experience of having a particular person occupy your thoughts and your dreams, the longing and the hope that come with thinking about someone you care for. This is among the most universal of human experiences, the way that someone special can fill our dreaming and waking thoughts alike, and ThomasAtlas captures this feeling with genuine warmth. The song is more than just a track about longing and hope, the dreaming about someone being rendered with the soulful emotion that makes the universal feeling genuinely affecting, the listener able to recognize their own experience of dreaming about a special person in the song.
The 70s groove that defines When I’m Dreaming is the heart of its appeal. Drawing inspiration from Little Feat and bands with that distinctive 70s groove, along with guitar heroes like Eric Clapton, ThomasAtlas channels the soulful, bluesy spirit of that era into his contemporary sound. Little Feat in particular were masters of the groove, their music built on the kind of deep, soulful pocket that ThomasAtlas aims for, the band’s blend of rock and blues and funk creating exactly the groovy spirit that When I’m Dreaming evokes. This 70s influence gives the song its timeless quality, the deep groove and the soulful bluesy feel connecting the track to a golden age of groove-based music while ThomasAtlas brings his own contemporary sensibility to the tradition.
The vocal approach that ThomasAtlas takes on When I’m Dreaming is distinctive and effective. The artist sings through the carefully crafted musical slots laid down by his band, weaving his vocals seamlessly through the organic instrumentation. This approach, of singing through the slots in the groove, reflects a genuine understanding of how vocals and music can interact, the voice finding its place within the groove rather than dominating it, the singing and the instrumentation working together as equal partners. This integration of vocals and groove is part of what gives the song its seamless, flowing quality, the voice becoming another instrument in the band’s collective groove, the singing emerging naturally from the musical foundation.
The collaboration with guitarist and singer and songwriter Shaun Hill represents a new beginning for ThomasAtlas. Co-written with Hill, When I’m Dreaming marks an exciting new chapter in the artist’s musical journey, the collaboration bringing fresh energy and perspective to his work. ThomasAtlas expresses genuine happiness about sharing this enjoyable collaboration with the world, the partnership with Hill being a source of creative renewal, the new beginning that the song represents. This collaborative foundation gives the song its warmth, the music emerging from a genuine creative partnership, the chemistry between the collaborators audible in the finished track.
The organic, live recording process that produced When I’m Dreaming is central to its authentic energy. Recorded at Tempo Music Revolution Studios, the track was mostly tracked organic and live, capturing the authentic chemistry between the musicians and preserving the spontaneous magic of musicians playing together. This live tracking approach harks back to classic recording techniques while maintaining a fresh, modern edge, the organic recording capturing the raw energy and the genuine interplay that live performance creates. This emphasis on organic, live tracking is what gives the song its breathing, flowing quality, the music having the natural feel that only comes from musicians playing together in real time, the spontaneous magic preserved in the recording.
The connection between When I’m Dreaming and ThomasAtlas’s live performances reflects the genuine vitality of the song. The track has already become a setlist staple, ThomasAtlas clearly enjoying playing it live, the song connecting with audiences through its genuine emotion and timeless groove. This live vitality is significant, the song being not merely a studio creation but a genuine crowd-pleaser that the artist loves to perform, the live energy reflecting the authentic appeal of the groove and the emotion. The fact that the song is always in the setlist speaks to its genuine quality, ThomasAtlas’s passion for the material being evident in his eagerness to perform it.
The balance between nostalgic and contemporary that When I’m Dreaming achieves is one of its strengths. The song feels both nostalgic, evoking the 70s groove and the classic recording techniques, and entirely contemporary, the fresh modern edge keeping it current rather than merely retro. This balance allows the song to honor the tradition it draws from while remaining relevant and fresh, the timeless groove combined with a contemporary sensibility, the nostalgic warmth balanced by modern energy. This combination is what makes the song appealing to listeners across generations, the classic groove offering familiar pleasure while the contemporary edge keeps it fresh.
The artistic evolution that When I’m Dreaming represents marks an important moment for ThomasAtlas. As a new beginning and an exciting new chapter, the song reflects the artist’s growth and his eagerness to explore new collaborative possibilities, the track being both a culmination of his soulful, bluesy sensibility and a step into new creative territory. This sense of evolution and new beginning gives the song an energy of renewal, ThomasAtlas embracing the fresh possibilities that the collaboration with Hill has opened.
When I’m Dreaming is the sound of a soulful groove for the dreaming heart, a mid-tempo bluesy track that channels the spirit of the 70s into a contemporary celebration of dreaming about someone special. ThomasAtlas has crafted a groove-based masterpiece on organic, live instrumentation, the soulful vocals weaving through the band’s pocket with seamless ease.
Dreaming about someone special, set to a groove that breathes and flows, ThomasAtlas has made a song that honors the timeless appeal of soulful, bluesy music. When I’m Dreaming marks an exciting new beginning, and its genuine emotion and 70s-inspired groove connect with the universal experience of holding someone special in your dreams.
