Patrick Thomas

Melodic, Crafted Rock with touches of electronic flavoring...fantastic - Gary Graff

TRAVERSE CITY-- Not a lot of people
understood the art on the cover of Patrick Thomas' debut CD, "Ghost Town Radio," which portrays a painting of a naked man getting on a bus.

"Not a lot of people got it," said the
25-year-old singer/songwriter. "I thought it was very artistic, kind of symbolic of somebody being on the road alone. But I think people, more than getting the art of it, got the naked butt on it. It doesn't help that the guy kind of looks like me."

Despite the reaction to the cover, Thomas said the CD has sold well --the first shipment sold out -- since its release last year. Then a solo effort, "Ghost Town Radio" was produced using studio musicians on bass and drums.

Thomas is now focusing on promoting his music and letting his sound evolve with the addition of a new band. The group, whose members have yet to choose a name, will be playing in Traverse City tonight at Union Street Station, and Thomas will do a solo performance Friday at North Peak in Traverse City.

Classifying the band's sound is complex, Thomas said.
"The band is constantly changing, but it's going more in a roots rock direction," he said. "The album when we wrote it would probably be classified under more of an pop/alternative kind of thing,
and while the songs will always be pop, we are probably closer to the Martin Sexton's and Bonnie Raitts than Oasis."

Along with Entertainment Attorney Howard Hertz (Eminem, Kid Rock, White Stripes), who created the CD's label SuperString Entertainment, and producer Les Schefman, Thomas worked on finding musicians from all over the country.

"We just released this album and started putting a band together to tour behind it," he said.
Thomas met guitarist Bryce Carroll-Coe at a show in Austin, Texas. Then came band members Jackson Gibson, a keyboardist from Arkansas, bass guitarist Sam Tobias of New Hampshire, and the newest edition to the group, drummer Jarelle James.

"We found a gospel drummer from Detroit, a 20-year-old kid with more talent than most drummers in their mid-twenties," Thomas said of James. "He formed the last piece of the band. They're amazing musicians."

Thomas said doing solo performances of his songs as well as performances with the band are two completely different shows.

"With the band, it's just this huge energy," he said. "The solo stuff is obviously more mellow, but anything can happen."

Growing up near Detroit, Thomas learned to play the guitar as a teenager, and realized he had a passion for writing lyrics.

"The ability to just put my stories and my emotions into lyrics, that's really my talent more than anything else," he said. "It's cheap therapy I guess."

Thomas graduated from the University of Michigan in 2001 after playing in various college bands, and for the next two year he worked on creating his debut album.

"I was just focusing on writing, so I wrote that album and then I formed a band after."

The group now tours around the country, to places like New York, Tennessee, Texas and across Michigan and the Midwest. Thomas said he enjoys coming to Traverse
City, having played many times at The Loading Dock and Union Street Station.

A new edition of "Ghost Town Radio" will be out soon, and will include new cover art and a re-recording of the song "Control"
with the current band.

"That will be on the newly released edition of the sans-butt' CD," Thomas joked.

The group is working on new material for an EP that is planned to be released in the next few months. Those songs will then go on the next album, which should be out in January.

"We now have the pieces in place where we can finally start touring full-time," Thomas said.

For information, visit www.patrickthomas.net.
- Traverse Ciy Record Eagle

“Detroit has a one more reason to consider itself the world’s greatest rock town. Patrick Thomas’ newly released “Ghost Town Radio” is one of the best albums I have heard this year!”
- Michael Spahn

February 4, 2005

The lowdown: Patrick Thomas picked up a guitar when he was 13. He hasn't put it down since. "I wasn't that interested in mastering the guitar. It was more that instantly I had songs coming to me," Thomas says. "Granted, a 13-year-old's songs aren't the best, but you have to go with one thing or the other... you practice your scales or you start writing. I just started writing songs constantly."


A fortuitous meeting with local producer Les Schefman while Thomas was in high school -- and contacts kept up while he attended the University of Michigan -- led to the two collaborating on Thomas' first album, "Ghost Town Radio." The album came out in 2003 and was rereleased last year, picking up a slew of Detroit Music Awards nominations. After recording "Ghost Town Radio" during his first two years out of college, Thomas, 25, recruited musicians and put together a full band, eventually christening it Patrick Thomas Theory.


The lineup: The Theorists are guitarist Bryce Carroll-Coe, who, according to Thomas, earns his living at the poker table; keyboardist Jackson Gibson, who just started a recording studio; bassist Sam Tobias, who works in a music shop, and drummer Jarelle James, who also does gospel drumming.


The sound: Thomas draws a lot of comparisons to Dave Matthews and Ben Harper. It used to bug him, but now he's accepted that there are definite similarities. Think a less nasal DMB. It could be worse. When he first met Schefman (who is a partner of Eminem lawyer Howard Hertz in SuperString Entertainment, Thomas' label) at a music competition, the producer called him a young James Taylor. Taylor "kind of reminds you of a dentist's office at the age of 16," says Thomas. "But once you see him live and see the instrumentation and start appreciating what he's doing with his songwriting, now I consider it a huge compliment."


The band is recording tracks for what Thomas hopes will become an EP to be released in April and a full-length album later in the year. It also is up for a slot on the soundtrack for the upcoming "Dukes of Hazzard" movie, but that's not set in stone. "It will be good if it goes for us, (but) I'm not getting my hopes up," Thomas says.


The steady gig: Thomas's odometer has accumulated a lot of miles in the past few years, and he still plays a once-a-month gig at Union Street in Traverse City. His band will be in Traverse City all weekend, then back in metro Detroit for a show at 9:30 p.m. Thursday at Memphis Smoke, 100 S. Main, Royal Oak. 248-543-4300.

- Detroit Free Press

ROYAL OAK -- Patrick Thomas is a Detroit-grown musician who has enjoyed resounding success on the road, at the 2004 South By Southwest music festival in Austin, Tx., as well as a recent tour out East. But, he says Royal Oak's Memphis Smoke is truly his band's home in Detroit. His band, that includes talent and background from all around the country, has settled here to make a name.
Thomas and his band will be performing the best of their 2004 release "Ghost Town Radio" and and plenty of new and older material on Thursday, Feb. 10 at Memphis Smoke.
"I have written almost of my songs on acoustic, but most of them are best served by a full band," Thomas said. "When I hear electric guitar with the drums and bass and keys, that is what excites me, especially on stage. And this band is really starting to get tight. We were so well received on the East coast, we can't wait to play back home."
Thomas, who recently settled in Berkley, attended Groves High School in Beverly Hills and college at the University of Michigan. Plans for his future and career took a surprising change when he decided to pursue music professionally ... he chose to stay in Detroit.
"I always planned to see the world," the 25-year-old said in a phone interview.
"But Detroit is a such great place for music, I just had to stay here."
The local music scene offers him a wonderful place to perform because the audiences are so responsive, and Detroit's musicians and musical traditions provide a rich source for development.
"I never want to write the same song twice," Thomas said. He seeks challenge, both from personal composition and from the dynamics of a demanding group.
His group joins talent from near and far -- musicians from performing groups in California, Atlanta, Arkansas and New England.
His first recruit was Tennessee-born guitarist Bryce Carroll-Coe, who brings an Allman Brothers/Southern rock influence to the band. Keyboardist Jackson Gibson, originally from Arkansas, met Bryce in Colorado and was convinced to join up in Michigan. For the updated recording of "Ghost Town," Thomas also added a new rhythm section, including bassist Sam Tobias of New Hampshire and percussionist Dave Taylor, who has played "with everyone," Thomas exclaims. Other performers on the CD bring various regional influences to the sound.
The band has performed over a thousand shows in the United States and in Canada and fans have compared Thomas' sound to Bruce Springsteen and Dave Matthews.
The "Radio" collection rocks with a truly eclectic span, from the dead-open wild to the introspective and quiet ballad.
Thomas said the band owes a debt of gratitude to Memphis Smoke's musical technician, Neil Sever, who books the bands and sets up the sound.
"He is amazing, the best sound man around Detroit anywhere. He has provided us a place to play since the begining. He also worked with us to fine tune our sound and rehearse before we toured out East. He has been so supportive."
When the band appears next week, they plan to offer the best of their tour, tight and remixed rock, as well as the some new material they are working on for a new release next spring.
"It's going to be half-concert and half-party. We'll offer the audience what they want and by the end of the night we'll be playing what we love best," Thomas said.
If he enjoys diversity in his work and sound, then his journey is in its infancy.
He stretched his show to become less acoustic and more amplified for the Austin festival. It worked for him.
"There are people who play acoustic there and play it well. But every gig, every club is different. Yes, it's wonderful to see every eye on you and your guitar as they sit quietly and give the song and the lyrics the attention you wish for, but sometimes it's even better when people are up on their feet and right in our face and the band is as loud as we can play."
Professionally, he said his goals are becoming more fine-tuned as well.
"Musically speaking, I feel that we are poised now for something good. But I've completely changed my life scheme -- from talking with other very successful musicians that we have met on the road. I've changed my ideas from the world tours and the gold records to making a decent living and making good music. If we (ever) become household names, great. But we don't have to do that in order to be successful. This is working for us."
With over 60 dates already booked for his 2005 calendar, the band seems well on its way.


Patrick Thomas and his band will perform at 10 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 10 at Memphis Smoke, 100 S. Main at 11 Mile. For information, call 248-543-4300.
For more information about Patrick Thomas, visit the Web site www.patrickthomasmusic.com. - Royal Oak Tribune-Vivian Degain

The return to 'Ghost Town'

Patrick Thomas returns home for MC2 showcase

While you can always hear Patrick Thomas on the Ghost Town Radio, you will also be able to take in his energetic and catchy songwriting style at the Motor City Music Conference.

Thomas, the first artist on the Detroit-based label SuperString Entertainment, released his debut Ghost Town Radio last year and has since toured all over America — along the way, Thomas also racked up various Detroit Music Awards nominations and a showcase at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.

Nick Brandon spoke with Thomas about his homecoming gig at MC2.

NB: With MC2 coming up, how are you looking forward to it and being part of the showcase there?

PT: Of course we're looking forward to the showcase and anytime we play live in Detroit. But the conference will be nice. We've done other conferences in other states, and I end up missing all of the conference, the keynote speakers and stuff, because you're so busy doing everything else. In our own hometown, we'll get to do a little more conferencing as opposed to being a tourist and being out of our element.

NB: I saw you had done South by Southwest last year, and other showcase gigs. Is this one going to be any more special for you since it's in your hometown?

PT: Absolutely. Just knowing some of the people that will be out to see us, I think we'll get a lot of local support — not only myself, but a lot of the other local artists that will be playing. I think it will be more of a comfort level and not a need to impress, but you're out there to play your best show. I think we're going to see this more as a gig and just enjoy playing music.

NB: One of the organizers said the time is right for an event like this in Detroit. As an artist in the scene, tell me why you think that might be the truth.

PT: I think it's mostly good for Detroit because it will pull us together a little bit as a music community. There's been a buzz about Detroit for the last five years or so, and that's even after Eminem and Kid Rock — but lately, the city itself has had a buzz more than just a few prevailing artists. I think it will draw us together, and a lot of people that might think we're only a garage rock sound town will get to see a lot more. There's great R&B bands in town, there's great rock bands in town, there's great songwriters. We do a little bit of everything here, and I think that's gotten lost in the fact that people have been celebrating it outside of Detroit. We're doing our showcase with a band called The Singles. I've heard great things about them but never played with them, so it will be a coming together of a lot of people. I hardly ever get out to see any Detroit bands, so that's one of the main things I'm looking forward to about this.

NB: Let's talk about your offering to all of this with Ghost Town Radio. Describe your approach with this record, and, for those who haven't heard it, a reason for them to check it out.

PT: At the time I was making it, I maybe didn't even know my own sound. What unifies the album is there might be a few different sounds going on. There's a pop/rock sound. We even get into a little bit of electronics for the hooks, but I think the one thing that unifies it all together is the beginning of me developing a voice as a songwriter. That's the thing I'm the most proud about, the lyrics and finding my own voice. I had been in other bands throughout college and growing up, and Ghost Town Radio is taking everything I had learned and throwing it into one CD. At some points it gets pretty diverse, which I'd like to improve upon in the future. At the same time, I think that diversity is everything I'd been listening to over the course of the three years I made that album. We've moved on since then, but I'm still very proud of the songs.

NB: Is the want to be diverse a result of the way singer/songwriters have developed in the mainstream the past few years? A lot of things are sounding the same, a lot of vocal styles are the same.

PT: For me, honestly, trying to be different was a direct result of trying to find a way not to be compared to John Mayer and Dave Matthews. I see where the comparisons can be made; it's having the gravely, midrange voice that is very easily compared to those guys. I think we pushed the production aspects to get away from that and find a sound. You've got to make your mark away from what everybody thinks of as the Midwest singer/songwriter; you've got to find your own niche. I'm not even sure if we've found it yet, but you've got to explore all those different paths. That's what we tried to do with that album.

NB: I think it would be a hard time right now to come out as a singer/songwriter. You mentioned John Mayer. How many sensitive male singer/songwriters are coming out?

PT: I'm scared to ever write a song that would be even talking about girl's body parts now, thanks to John Mayer (laughing).

NB: What - Go & DO Michigan's Nick Brandon

Could you drive me home/Can you save my soul? … I don’t know what I want/But I want more and more. On his debut, Patrick Thomas sketches the immediacy and potential of a twentysomething life, where the struggle to get out of bed is reason to wonder about love and the universe. Similar thoughts surely fill the diaries of guys like John Mayer and Gavin DeGraw, and Thomas shares some musical angles with them too. Ghost Town Radio features his husky, soulful vocals over MOR adult alternative accented with layers of acoustic and electric guitars and some subtle programming. It’s not challenging in the least, but Thomas is an earnest, likable singer, and he finds hooks here and there. The electronic washes work best on “Otherwise,” which sounds like David Gray if he were a Midwesterner; “Human Race” is strong too, and the flirty, rootsy swagger of “Skin” probably goes over great at college town gigs. He looks to the Ben Harper songbook for “Trip” and the gentle piano ballad “Can I Stay.” His take on perfect girl daydreams and young man’s ennui needs definition, some uniqueness behind the jangle, but there’s plenty of promise here.

- Metrotimes

Wanderlust is the hallmark of the troubadour, and Patrick Thomas is no exception to the rule. Restless in his hometown of Detroit, the singer-songwriter dreamt of hitching his post to a new city – one equally gritty and post-industrial, but with better bars, pricier beer and more likeminded folk. In other words, Brooklyn.

The search for new surroundings is chronicled on Thomas’ debut album, Build Me A City, a collection of skillfully wrought melodies that tell of loves won and lost, journeys begun but not yet finished. Whether he’s nursing his wounds on stripped-back tracks like the lovely “Anymore,” or turning up all four burners with the bluesy rocker “City of Sin, ” Thomas consistently displays his fine lyrical chops and knack for penning pretty tunes. Think Josh Ritter meets M Ward. “I’m gonna win myself a new life in a city that don’t sleep a night,” he sings on “City of Sin.” Mission accomplished – we just hope he can afford the rent. - Ourstage.com

Contrition-filled indie rock with a folksy edge from the Brooklynite's Oct. 14 disc, "Build Me a City." - New York Post

Radio mixes easily beside your Cafe Latte and the Norah Jones on your ipod. The acoustic guitar strums, the tempered vocals and the warm, gummy stick of singer songwriter pop. Think Detroit's John Mayer. 3 out of 4 stars. - Real Detroit

Could you drive me home/Can you save my soul? … I don’t know what I want/But I want more and more. On his debut, Patrick Thomas sketches the immediacy and potential of a twentysomething life, where the struggle to get out of bed is reason to wonder about love and the universe. Similar thoughts surely fill the diaries of guys like John Mayer and Gavin DeGraw, and Thomas shares some musical angles with them too. Ghost Town Radio features his husky, soulful vocals over MOR adult alternative accented with layers of acoustic and electric guitars and some subtle programming. It’s not challenging in the least, but Thomas is an earnest, likable singer, and he finds hooks here and there. The electronic washes work best on “Otherwise,” which sounds like David Gray if he were a Midwesterner; “Human Race” is strong too, and the flirty, rootsy swagger of “Skin” probably goes over great at college town gigs. He looks to the Ben Harper songbook for “Trip” and the gentle piano ballad “Can I Stay.” His take on perfect girl daydreams and young man’s ennui needs definition, some uniqueness behind the jangle, but there’s plenty of promise here.

- Metrotimes