Local troubadour Andy Thomas is lonesome no more

When you get down to it, Andy Thomas is just a band sort of guy. Although the singer-guitarist (and drummer for Only Thunder) tried his hand last year as a folk-punk troubadour, he’s now back to crammed practice rooms and jamming with a full ensemble. Denver’s new Tin Horn Prayer picks up where Thomas’ solo career left off, and the band has tentatively announced an album in the works, possibly for release this summer.

Although a self-sustaining solo career is the Holy Grail for most songwriters, Thomas is more than happy to share the stage with four other musicians. “I don’t like being up there by myself,” Thomas admits. “I like having a sense of camaraderie with the people I’m with. There’s kind of an empty feeling when you’re up there by yourself, no matter how many people are there. I played that Gregory Alan Isakov release show, and it was a packed house at the Bluebird. It didn’t seem as fun as the other night when I played with Tin Horn, when there were literally three people watching.”

“It has a lot to do with having fun with the people you have,” he continues. “When you’re by yourself, there’s no way to draw anything from the music other than what’s being produced. You can’t have anyone else rooting you along.”

Although Thomas currently splits his time between Tin Horn and Only Thunder, he’s not quite ready to put his solo work on ice just yet. Just don’t expect to see him on stage all by his lonesome—even with his own material, he’s staunchly in favor of having a full backing band. “When you’re out at a show and you want to have a good time,” he says, “seeing some guy sing about his ex-girlfriend with an acoustic guitar isn’t exactly the most exciting thing.”

Someone had to say it.