DUFF THOMPSON
BIO
Photo Credit: Minnie Heart and Bill Howard.
Duff Thompson is a songwriter, musician, and producer whose music is a swampy blend of folk, pop, and garage rock. As a songwriter, he has a rare ability to distill emotional complexity into simple, sincere songs that instantly hit the listener on a visceral level. As a producer, he draws from influences that span across decades and genres, merging them into a cohesive and organic sound recognizable as his own.
Thompson's latest work is a dark, alienated, and swaggering duology of albums titled Shadow People and Shadow People II. Created over two weeks of intensive recording during a Montreal heatwave in 2021, the Shadow People series comprise 19 total tracks split across two albums. Thompson rented out the studio space at Sud-Ouest Recording Service and produced and engineered the recordings himself, bringing along with him a 16-track reel-to-reel and songwriter/musicians Steph Green (drums, lap steel, pump organ, vocals) and Kyle Taylor (drums, piano, vocals) as his backing
band and assistant engineers. Shadow People also features contributions from Mat Davidson (Twain) on strings, pedal steel, and bass clarinet. Whereas Thompson’s 2020 debut album, Haywire showcased his versatility and folk influences, Shadow People and Shadow People II are a more cohesive collection of songs that push his music further into the world of garage and indie rock. Shadow People was released October 27, 2023, to be followed by Shadow People II on June 28, 2024, out on Mashed Potato Records.
Thompson started out playing music at a young age, forming and playing in bands until 2016, when he shifted focus to being a solo artist. In addition to his own project, he has spent many years recording, and performing as a backing musician for numerous other artists, as well as co-running the DIY label Mashed Potato Records. Along with the October 2023 release of Shadow People, the past year saw Thompson performing across the US, Canada, and in Europe, ending with a six-week co-headlining tour alongside Steph Green, with sold-out dates in numerous major cities in North America.
Watch!
Duff Thompson - Shapeshifter - Live at Tractor Tavern in Seattle, WA - 12/01/23
Shadow People
Duff Thompson - Sleight of Hand (Official Video)
Duff Thompson & The Full Grown Men - Footloose And Fancy Free
Duff Thompson - Feel What You Want (Pop Dungeon)
Duff Thompson - You're Pretty Good
Duff Thompson, "Crab Walk!" // GemsOnVHS™
Duff Thompson - HAYWIRE - Infomercial
WATCH
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"Haywire" Album Premiere in
Atwood Magazine
"An effortlessly enchanting, organic, and honest listen, singer/songwriter Duff Thompson’s debut album ‘Haywire’ is an exciting introduction to a stirring new voice in American folk."
Duff Thompson in For the Rabbits
"Duff Thompson has made a record that demands wider attention, in the season of frivolity, there still has to be time for something this truthfully magical."
"Haywire" in Indie Shuffle
"It lights a spark in the dark corners of your soul."
