DRIVEN BY IMAGINATION
King Tuff finds inspiration for songs in everyday life
Kyle Thomas finds inspiration everywhere.
And he tried to pay attention to it.
“I definitely go deep,” he says of his composing and songwriting process. “It’s like a puzzle, and I know when it’s done. I can get an idea from seeing a frog in the road. Then I imagine what the frog would be thinking. I see him slapping the bass. It’s all the way my mind works.”
Thomas has performed under the stage name King Tuff since the early 2000s.
The band — which consists of Magic Jake and Garett Goddard — began touring in 2012.
Thomas was a member of The Muggers, which backed Ty Segall.
The latest release from King Tuff is “The Other,” released less than a month ago.
Thomas says it took about a year for him to get his studio together.
The work eventually turned into his studio space, called the Pine Room.
“It was like being inside of a woodpaneled spaceship,” he says of the space. “Suddenly, I had all of this new crazy gear that I had no idea how to use in any sort of technical or ‘correct’ way. I just embraced the beauty of not knowing, which I think is where you get interesting things happening.”
With the new space, Thomas again felt confident enough to take the reins as producer.
It didn’t stop there. He also played all the instruments, with the exception of drums and saxophone.
“I got Shawn Everett to help me with mixing,” he says. “From the moment I started recording, it was like going home, like I had finally found myself again.”
On tour, Thomas will perform the entire 10-track album.
But he tries not to worry about that too much.
“Performing is like religion to me,” he says. “I do this because it’s part of my DNA. Life on the road can be tough, but it’s those couple hours on stage that makes it worth it. I can be tired, but the goal is to always put more than 100 percent into my performance.”
Thomas is also looking forward to performing at Meow Wolf in Santa Fe.
He’s seen photos online and is mesmerized by the space and hopes to fully take in what it offers.
“Santa Fe reminds me of my hometown in Vermont, but a desert version of it,” he says with a laugh. “It’s progressive and just has this really cool vibe. That’s one stop I’m really looking forward to playing.”