When it comes to American folk music, the voice is everything.
From the operatic power of Joan Baez to the raspy Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, those voices are what helped launch obscure songs into the pop audiences’ ears. And when those artists gave voice to their own poetry, people listened.
For the North Dakota-born folk singer-songwriter Tom Brosseau, he didn’t set out to become the next great American folk singer, but his striking voice has helped launch him in that direction. Celebrated for his multiple albums, performances for NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts, and songs that have been used in popular television shows, Brosseau is at home in the LA folk scene, but he still makes a living largely on the road. Brosseau will return to the Lompoc Wine Factory on Oct. 6 for a SipMusic Club concert that will feature his signature tenor voice and his bare-bones songwriting style.
Like any folk artist, Brosseau’s approach to songwriting reflects his upbringing and surroundings. He first learned guitar from his grandmother, a major musical influence in his formative years, who taught him folk and church songs.
“She was my mom’s mom, so she was part of the Norwegian clan,” he said. “She was raised in a town called Ojata, North Dakota, which is no longer even around. It just kind of sunk back into the prairie sea.
“There’s a lot of Lutherans in that area and a lot of Norwegians, and it’s kind of one and the same,” he added. “The culture is religion and the religion is the culture.”
Like the old-time religious music he was brought up on, Brosseau’s songs tell a story.
A well-known cut from his 2014 album Grass Punks follows a troubled relationship but illustrates the point with language as sparse as the landscape of his home state. The guitar accompaniment on that track is minimalist as well, as his high voice details the subject’s concerns.
“You’re stuck inside a bidding war, you’re arguing over price/You hardly acknowledge my existence, when you cradle your device,” he sings. “Blue teeth, strained eyes, you bite your lip and bow you head/I only wish you’d pay as much attention to me when we’re in bed.”
Brosseau began writing his own poetry at a young age. He has early memories attending the writers conference at the University of North Dakota. Seeing famous poets read live was “a magical experience,” he said, which inspired him to be a performer. He began setting his verse to music with the guitar skills he learned from his grandmother, putting out his first album, North Dakota, in 2002.
The focus on simplicity in his poetry and the musical accompaniment is a conscious choice for Brosseau.
“I’m just trying to get to the matter of whatever it is I want to say,” he said.
Some songs come quickly, he said, without too much editing. Other songs are more laborious to finish, he said, sometimes requiring up to a year of work to complete.
His focus on simplicity has earned him the attention of other acclaimed artists in the folk sphere. Sean Watkins, guitarist and songwriter of the band Nickel Creek and his own solo work, has produced several of Brosseau’s albums, adding guitar and vocals to his songs.
Watkins is a skilled lead guitar player, and Brosseau is humble about the collaboration.
“I think for us to collaborate, it would have to be Sean adding to my music. I’m not the most experienced [guitar] player; I’m not sure I could ever add anything to his music,” he said. “But he sees an opportunity I think to finish some of the musical decisions I have while also lead them into a different, more harmonious area. I think for him it’s a lot of fun because he also gets to paint on the canvas, and it just becomes this whole other song almost.”
The tonal exploration that Brosseau and Watkins achieve together is fascinating to hear. They don’t rely on the canned turnarounds and riffs of so many folk artists
Brosseau also lends his voice to comedic movie star John C. Reilly’s folk music side project, John Reilly & Friends. The group doesn’t focus on fiery solo breaks like other old-time folk projects, but resurrecting old songs with some sweet harmonies. That group formed after spending time at Largo in LA, Brosseau said, and an invitation from Reilly to collaborate.
Even though Brosseau is part of the LA folk scene, he still spends a good amount of his time touring. His performance in Lompoc through SipMusic Club isn’t his first show in the valley, he said.
“Every time I’ve been to Lompoc they have been the ones that have brought me there, and this is how I’m able to branch out into new areas, is people who have heard my music reach out and say, ‘Will you come here?'” he said. “And usually I will. I love to travel and go to new places, and I love to make new friends and return to those places.”
The organizers with SipMusic Club and the Lompoc Wine Factory actually made Brosseau an “honorary Lompocan,” he said, so he feels like Lompoc is a “kind of home” for him. SipMusic Club is organized by Randall Sena, owner of Certain Sparks Music in Lompoc, which attracts artists like Brosseau to the valley and its independent music fans.
Brosseau doesn’t enjoy Lompoc just for the audience, but the artists as well. He said he’s a fan of the valley’s songwriters, including Emily Wren and Jacob Cole, and that he enjoys listening to the openers before he performs.
“I think, for any town, what you need is for somebody to create a hub, and I found that’s what’s kind of happening there,” he said. “With SipMusic and Certain Sparks, what Randall is doing, and the club, they’re creating an environment for people to take lessons and get better at their craft. … You know, great things come of that, great art comes of that.”
Managing Editor Joe Payne never left his folky phase. Contact him at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Oct 4-11, 2018.