Thao Nguyen

This article is about the singer-songwriter. For the airline CEO, see Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao.
Thao Nguyen

Performing in 2009
Background information
Also known as Thao
Born (1984-03-19) March 19, 1984
Virginia, United States
Genres Folk rock, indie folk, indie pop
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter
Instruments Guitar, banjo, slide guitar
Years active 2005-present
Labels Kill Rock Stars, Trust Me Corporation
Associated acts Thao & the Get Down Stay Down, Mirah, Tune-Yards

Thao Nguyen (born March 19, 1984),[1] also known as Thao, is an American singer-songwriter originally from Virginia and now based in San Francisco.[2] She is the lead musician of the band Thao & the Get Down Stay Down,[3] and has collaborated with Joanna Newsom and Andrew Bird.[4] Outside of the band she has collaborated on projects with several artists including Merrill Garbus, The Portland Cello Project, and Mirah. Her music is influenced by folk, country, and hip hop.[5]

Career

Early life, education

Born in Virginia and raised in Falls Church, Nguyen began playing guitar and writing songs at the age of twelve while helping out at her mother's laundromat.[6][7] She began performing in high school as part of a pop-country duo with friend Brenna Clerkin.[8] She attended Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County and studied at the College of William & Mary, where she double majored in Sociology and Women's studies.[6][7] After recording an EP that differed from her initial style, she began performing as a soloist with her acoustic guitar. With her fellow college students Adam and Willis Thompson she formed Thao Nguyen and the Get Down Stay Down.[6][7] After graduating she toured extensively, both with the band and as a solo artist.[7]

First albums, early collaborations

Her first album, Like the Linen, was released in 2005 and led to a tour as a solo artist supporting Laura Veirs the following year.[6] In 2007 she collaborated with Merrill Garbus of Tune-Yards as 'Merrillthaocracy' releasing the "Tuvalu" single. She subsequently signed to the Kill Rock Stars label, releasing the Tucker Martine-produced We Brave Bee Stings and All album in 2008.[6] In 2008 she duetted with Zach Rogue of Rogue Wave at the 'Revenge of the Book Eaters' benefit show in New York City.[9]

In 2009, Nguyen appeared solo on the nationwide Hotel Cafe Tour. She collaborated with labelmates The Portland Cello Project and Justin Power on the album The Thao and Justin Power Sessions, released in June 2009 and featuring versions of Nguyen and Power's songs.[10][11]

Move to San Francisco

She moved to San Francisco around 2009, and has been based there since.[12] Over the next few years she began working with outreach projects including the non-profit organization the California Coalition for Women Prisoners, partly to help her to integrate with her new community.[13][14][15][16]

Thao + Mirah
Thao onstage with singer-songwriter Mirah, holding bongos. Their collaborative album peaked at #7 on the Billboard 200.

In late 2009 she met Mirah and the two decided to collaborate.[17] They performed together in early 2010 at the Noise Pop festival in San Francisco.[18] The two later announced a 2010 North American tour, billed under the name Thao and Mirah With The Most of All.[18][19] The album Thao + Mirah, co-produced by Merrill Garbus, was released in 2011 on Kill Rock Stars.[17][20][21] The album allowed both artists to experiment with different instruments, with Nguyen playing banjo and percussion in addition to guitar.[17]

Recent years

She has also fundraised with Dianna Agron for Oxfam America.[14] In May 2010, a video for the song "Body", directed by Agron, debuted on the website of humanitarian organization Oxfam America. The video features a prelude of Thao and Dianna talking about their friendship, the making of the video, and their work on behalf of Oxfam.

Also in 2010, Nguyen's song When We Swam is used as the title song for the Australian TV show Offspring.

In 2012 Nguyen performed as part of WNYC's Radiolab show's 'Radiolab Live: In the Dark' tour. This self described "nerd circus" also included Radiolab hosts Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, comedian Demetri Martin, and modern dance troupe Pilobolus.[22]

In 2013 an album with the Get Down Stay Down, We the Common, followed, the album's title track dedicated to one of the women she met on her prison visits.[6][12][14]

Thao & the Get Down Stay Down released their fourth studio album A Man Alive on March 4, 2016. The album was produced by Merrill Garbus, who also produced Thao and Mirah's collaborative album Thao + Mirah.[23]

Musical style

Nguyen's voice has been compared with Cat Power, Fiona Apple, Sinéad O'Connor, and Regina Spektor.[12][15][24][25] Her music has been described as "country-tinged indie folk-pop", and a blend of folk, country, blues and pop.[24][26] Her lyrics deal with relationships and childhood and on We the Common more political themes, including the Occupy movement.[7][12][14]

Nguyen describes herself as a fan of country music, blues, and Motown, and cites Lucinda Williams as a major influence.[27]

Discography

Albums

Singles

Guest appearances

References

  1. ↑ Duncan states that she was 28 in 2013, while Miller states that she was 25 in 2009
  2. ↑ Romanov, Petya (October 26, 2007). "Thao Nguyen Is Releasing a New Album, But Dat Nguyen Was One of the Most Underrated Middle Linebackers in NFL History". Tiny Mix Tapes.
  3. ↑ Spinelli, Lisa (November 4, 2009). "Thao Nguyen and The Get Down Stay Down at Middle East". The Phoenix.
  4. ↑ Wild, Matt (August 15, 2013). "Thao Nguyen on touring, taking time off, and this weekend's Lebowski Fest". The A.V. Club.
  5. ↑ Lau, Melody (January 9, 2013). "Thao Nguyen Talks the Sound of 'We the Common,' Her Joanna Newsom Collab, and... Rapping?". Exclaim!.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Phares, Heather "Thao Nguyen Biography", Allmusic. Retrieved January 4, 2014
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Miller, Dan (2009) "Thao Nguyen Rejects 9-to-5 Life for Music Career", Washington Post, April 17, 2009. Retrieved January 4, 2014
  8. ↑ "The Story Behind We The Common", www.thaoandthegetdownstaydown.com. Retrieved April 27, 2013
  9. ↑ Maher, Dave (2008) "Paul Simon, Dept. of Eagles, Ira Glass Do 826 Benefit", Pitchfork Media, September 22, 2008. Retrieved January 4, 2014
  10. ↑ "Thao Nguyen, The Portland Cello Project: "Tallymarks"", Pitchfork Media, May 15, 2009. Retrieved January 4, 2014
  11. ↑ Hyclak, Anna (2009) "Hot New Band: Portland Cello Project", Spin, July 6, 2009. Retrieved January 4, 2014
  12. 1 2 3 4 Brownstone, Sydney (2013) "The Revival of Thao Nguyen", Mother Jones, March 25, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2014
  13. ↑ Taylor, John (2013) "The Fruit of Thao Nguyen's Labors", Interview. Retrieved January 4, 2014
  14. 1 2 3 4 Duncan, Byard (2013) "Jailed Heart: Thao Nguyen Finds Inspiration in Prison", SF Weekly, February 27, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2014
  15. 1 2 Rusli, Andrew (2013) "Thao Nguyen's Uncommon Life", Hyphen, April 4, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2014
  16. ↑ Pan, Arnold (2013) "First Person, Singular and Plural: Thao Nguyen's Collective Consciousness", PopMatters, March 31, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2014
  17. 1 2 3 Jacobs, Justin (2011) "Two Cooks in the Kitchen", Billboard, April 16, 2011, p. 26. Retrieved January 4, 2014
  18. 1 2 Katzif, Michael (2011) "First Listen: Thao And Mirah, 'Thao And Mirah'", NPR, April 17, 2011. Retrieved January 4, 2014
  19. ↑ Mirah and Thao to Tour Together
  20. ↑ Thomas, Fred "We the Common Review", Allmusic. Retrieved January 4, 2014
  21. ↑ Grandy, Eric (April 27, 2011). "Thao & Mirah: Thao & Mirah". Pitchfork Media.
  22. ↑ "Radiolab Live: In the Dark". WNYC. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  23. ↑ Primas, Tyler (2016) "", 7X7, February 18, 2016. Retrieved April 9, 2016
  24. 1 2 Phares, Heather "We Brave Bee Stings and All Review", Allmusic. Retrieved January 4, 2014
  25. ↑ Allen, J. "Know Better Learn Faster Review", Allmusic. Retrieved January 4, 2014
  26. ↑ Lau, Melody (2013) "Thao Nguyen Talks the Sound of 'We the Common,' Her Joanna Newsom Collab, and... Rapping?", Exclaim!, January 29, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2014
  27. ↑ Goldstein, A.H. (2009) "Monolith Q&A: Thao with the Get Down Stay Down", Denver Westworld, September 11, 2009. Retrieved January 4, 2014
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