Spencer cut his teeth as a drummer, singer and songwriter for country rockers Young Valley in his hometown of Jackson, MS before striking out on his own and recording the 10-song LP “Hangin’ Tough” in 2019. Alongside his songwriting partners Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster (Water Liars, Marie/ Lepanto) and Jimbo Mathus (Squirrel-Nut Zippers), he toured tirelessly throughout the United States sharing these songs and emerging as a frontman. The halt of the pandemic lockdown forced a reflection for Spencer that ultimately led him from his familiar backdrop of Jackson to Athens, Georgia.

When he moved to the small yet lauded music town in August 2020, both the Georgia heat and the pandemic were still in full swing. In what was a time of intense isolation for many, Spencer saw the move as a personal test, and experienced a redefining of self which he distilled into the musical language he so deftly communicated. He would record a demo of a song, and in the evening walk the streets of Athens’ Normaltown neighborhood, listening intently to what he had created.

The resulting album, “The Joke of Life”, was recorded over the last three years with the help of a veritable “who’s who” of the Athens music scene and beyond, including members of My Morning Jacket, Drive-By Truckers, Reptar, Heffner and Futurebirds, for which he is the current touring keyboard player.

The album’s first single, “Desperate Man”, embodies the feeling of blocking everything else out and pulling every last string in the hopes of love.

“Desperate Man” is out now. Stream here.

Thomas describes his music as “a way to stand up for myself”, and is grateful that people like his manager Drew Beskin and Strolling Bones have given him a chance to do just that.