Thao Nguyen has one of those voices that stays in your brain for a while and makes itself comfortable. At the ripe age of 12 years old, she picked up the guitar, made it an extension of her own self, and never looked back. In high school, after meeting friend Brenna Clerkin, Thao began performing as an indie-folk duo, mainly practicing in her mother’s laundromat while she was supposed to be working. Soon she “graduated” to solo works, where she played alone with her acoustic guitar and really found her voice.
While studying in college, Thao came across a fellow by the name of Willis Thompson and another named Adam Thompson (no relation), and a functioning band was born under the moniker “Thao and the Get Down,” which was soon altered to “Thao & the Get Down Stay Down.” After a lot of growth, maturity, and a few albums, we arrive at their upcoming release, We The Common. In an interview, Thao expresses that “We the Common is an album about wanting to be a human who tries and is grateful for the opportunity. It is about wanting to be better and closer to people. I have had over a year respite from touring and recording—in this year I started really trying to be a part of the community I live in and the family I was born into.” As corny as it sounds, we can hear just that when we listen to their single.
It’s solid indie beat coupled with some playful banjo and personal lyrics make this track awesome. Don’t be completely fooled by the delightful dynamic, though; the lyrics have an edgy, political air about them, too. Based on this song, and the earlier release in October, “Holy Roller,” we can assume the rest of the album (out February 5, 2013) will be just as absorbing, and we can’t wait! Check out the single, “We The Common [For Valerie Bolden]” right here, right now.