THOMAS HINDS

A hard-touring troubadour with a heartfelt, largely autobiographical folk-rock repertoire, Hinds’ exquisite third full-length, Where Do We Go From Here, recorded at Alabama’s legendary FAME Studios (Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding etc.), has him poised to gatecrash the mainstream. “I want people to get a sense of comfort from my music, knowing that they’re not alone. There’s always hope, and there’s beauty even in hard times.” A songwriter since age 16, he put music on hold when he married young and prioritized parenthood. When the relationship fell apart, Hinds plunged into a dark chapter during which only a pent-up return to songwriting kept him going. Following warm receptions for his first two albums, he hit the road in earnest in 2019 and was soon playing almost 150 shows a year. Hinds’ poetic soul infuses the blues-based Americana that scales new heights on Where Do We Go From Here, which he self-released in June 2023. Recorded with producer Spencer Coats at the storied FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, the album features an A-list band led by former Bonnie Raitt guitarist Will McFarlane and steel guitar from longtime Garth Brooks bandmate Bruce Bouton. “I often had the hair on my neck standing up or a tear in my eye, because I was listening to something that had been in my head for years, but I just couldn’t explain.”