Kyle Thomas moved from his beloved hometown of Brattleboro to Los Angeles in 2011 after his music personality, King Tuff, signed with the respected label Sub Pop Records and he decided to pursue a career as a musician.
But the Green Mountain State remains a major influence on Thomas’ music, more so than ever on his acclaimed new King Tuff album, “Smalltown Stardust.” King Tuff celebrates the album with a sold-out hometown concert on March 25 at Stone Church.
Released in January, Thomas says the album was inspired by his longing for the “magical” place he grew up as the pandemic began to loom in the spring of 2020. Hiding in his home studio among the hills and canyons of Mount Washington, California , Thomas set out to write a love letter to the small town that formed him.
“I think growing up there has influenced everything I’ve done,” Thomas said last month in a phone interview from LA. “I’ve always drawn a lot of inspiration from Brattleboro, and I just grew up in Vermont.”
“I’m really grateful to have grown up there,” he added. “It was actually hard for me to leave there. It’s such a special place.”
“I was just able to be myself there, wear weird clothes and write songs in the coffee shop all day. So that really made me who I am.”
Thomas said he was 18 or 19 when he came up with the name King Tuff at the downtown Brattleboro Mocha Joe’s. He wrote it down on a piece of paper with a small lightning bolt he drew, and then carried it in his wallet.
Based on his initials and the obvious play on Tutankhamun, Thomas calls him “a funny name … because I’m not tough at all and I don’t want to be king,” he said with a laugh. “But those names sometimes just stick with you.”
King Tuff was officially established just over 20 years ago. After recording several unreleased albums, Thomas delved into other musical projects such as the hard rock band Witch (with J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr.) and the indie rock band Happy Birthday. But King Tuff bounced back, releasing their debut album ‘King Tuff Was Dead’ in 2008.
“No matter how many times I try to kill King Tuff, it always comes back,” Thomas said with a laugh. “I think you just have to be relentless with whatever you do and eventually something will happen.”
Smalltown Stardust is the follow-up to Thomas’ expansive 2018 album The Other, which saw him distance himself from the harder garage-rock sound of his earlier albums in favor of a more contemplative, psychedelic sound .
Thomas has always included some folk and softer tunes in his albums. On “Smalltown Stardust,” however, he leans into his earlier Vermont folk and roots musical influences with stellar results.
“I think this record is much more in the zone of what I actually listen to and like,” Thomas said.
“Spiritual Medicine”
“Smalltown Stardust” was co-produced by singer-songwriter Sasami, aka Sasami Ashworth, who co-wrote all but three of the 10 tunes in addition to adding deft vocal harmonies throughout.
Sasami was living in Thomas’ house with roommate Meg Duffy aka Hand Habits when the pandemic hit. Stuck together, the three artists made the most of the situation, recording Hand Habits’ 2021 album ‘Fun House’, Sasami’s 2022 album ‘Squeeze’ and Thomas’ new King Tuff record.
“It was amazing that we had each other and that we were able to open our worlds to each other and make music,” Thomas said. “And I think that will go down in my memory as a really special time. It was a very specific chapter in time that was pretty amazing.
A stunning set that towers over inspired songwriting and instrumentation, “Smalltown Stardust” is a gorgeous gem of an album that overflows with tenderness, joy and a positive spirit that’s as infectious as the music itself.
The gentle opening of “Love Letters to Plants” sets the tone with dramatic strings and lush vocal harmonies before launching into the breezy folk rock of “How I Love”.
Thomas’ three solo compositions are highlights of the album. “Pebbles in a Stream” is haunting and dreamy, with Thomas playing acoustic guitar along with piano, strings and sax.
And the anthemic ‘Rock River’ and ‘The Bandits of Blue Sky’ kick things up a notch. The first—for the popular southern Vermont spot that Thomas called “a little magic zone”—rides an upbeat rock chute to great effect. And the latter is a catchy song that Thomas said is about depression.
“Tell Me” is a beautiful love song, while “Always Find Me” is a beautiful ode to Brattleboro with the following lines:
“When I close my eyes, I go home
Green mountains and cloudy days are where I am bound
I took the roofs and the old haunts, the towns of the cold
All these legends and lost souls”
Colorful natural imagery abounds throughout the album, especially in the upbeat and joyous “Portrait of God”:
“I’m not the guy who goes to church on Sunday
I prefer to spend my time worshiping in my own way
A walk in the forest, wading in the river
Breathing in the mountain air”
The power and magic of the natural world has long been a part of Thomas’ music, but it’s especially prevalent on “Smalltown Stardust.”
“It’s always there,” Thomas said. “But I definitely focused more on it because I really missed it a lot, I missed the trees and the greenery.”
Regarding the current state of the climate, Thomas said “music and art is one way to combat these things,” adding, “We need some medicine, spiritual medicine.”
“For me, making music and writing songs certainly helps,” he said. “I try to make music that makes other people feel good too and connect with the actual positive things in life.”
Thomas, who said he often visits Brattleboro from Los Angeles, turned 40 in January.
“I like getting old,” he said. “I won’t be in my true form until I have completely white hair and a completely white beard. Then I will be in my true wizard form.