Smalltown Stardust

Description

Kyle Thomas, aka King Tuff, singer-songwriter from Brattleboro, Vermont, set out to write a love letter to the precious moments of inspiration in life and to the small town that shaped him. It is there that he felt a deep connection with nature. He drew from his memories, creating an album about love, nature, and youth. The result is Smalltown Stardust, a spiritual and joyful record that may surprise those with only a vague knowledge of the artist's catalog. On Smalltown Stardust, Thomas takes us on a journey to a place where the past and present meet, where he can be a dreamer in love with everything he sees. Thomas's desire to commune with nature on a spiritual level is at the heart of Smalltown Stardust. Images of nature, from blizzards to mountains to cloudy days, fill the songs and create a setting that is undeniably far from Los Angeles. The recording process of the album made his shared vision a reality. His roommates Meg Duffy (Hand Habits) and Sasami Ashworth were simultaneously recording their own albums (respectively Fun House, 2021 and Squeeze, 2022) in the same house. Thomas served as engineer and contributed to both records, while Ashworth co-produced Smalltown Stardust. Ashworth's contribution is vital: she co-wrote the majority of the album and contributed to the vocals, arrangements, and instrumentation of each song. The screeching guitars of King Tuff's previous albums have disappeared, replaced by tender and thoughtful touches of cello and violin, a plaintive saxophone, and orchestral vocal harmonies that elevate the songs to a celestial level. While King Tuff's first record asserted that Thomas was no longer dead, Smalltown Stardust is an anthem to what this life means. A statement of faith and a hymn to the magic that can still be contemplated all around us.