Thomas Dollbaum

Thomas Dollbaum is a songwriter based in New Orleans who grew up in Florida, and his writing draws heavily on that Gulf Coast upbringing: working-class characters, strip-mall landscapes, and small violences observed at close range. He trained as a visual artist before turning to music, and the songs carry a similar interest in detail and framing.

Musically he works slowly and sparely, with half-spoken vocals set against unhurried guitar figures and arrangements that leave a lot of air. His debut album, Wellswood, took its name from a Tampa neighbourhood and established the narrative approach that has defined his work since.

His most recent album, Birds of Paradise, came together quickly: he wrote it in about three months, then asked musicians he trusted, Nick Corson, Josh Halper and Jake Lenderman, to join him at Dial Back Sound in Water Valley, Mississippi. Working with producer and engineer Clay Jones, the group learned and recorded the whole record in four days, aiming for something immediate rather than polished.