Russell Thomas lives and breathes music. He got his first guitar for Christmas at age 12 and has been playing and writing songs ever since. Growing up in South Texas listening to his dad’s Guy Clark and Willie Nelson albums had a profound influence on his music which lingers to this day. His move to Austin, TX at age 18 would set the stage for the rest of his life. There, in “The Live Music Capital of the World”, he jumped right into the music scene which was as diverse as it could be wi...
Russell Thomas lives and breathes music. He got his first guitar for Christmas at age 12 and has been playing and writing songs ever since. Growing up in South Texas listening to his dad’s Guy Clark and Willie Nelson albums had a profound influence on his music which lingers to this day. His move to Austin, TX at age 18 would set the stage for the rest of his life. There, in “The Live Music Capital of the World”, he jumped right into the music scene which was as diverse as it could be wild. He met and jammed with all kinds of musicians, played in lots of bands and saw literally hundreds of different live shows- from reggae at Liberty Lunch, blues at Antone’s and punk rock at Emo's, to hometown hero Stevie Ray Vaughn before he was known to the rest of the world. It was an exhilarating time and place to be a young musician! Russell played anywhere and everywhere that he could-- with his own band, The Tombstone Rats, sitting in with friends or as a solo performer. He played at such landmarks as Liberty Lunch (once opening up for GWAR), the Cactus Café and the Back Room. His final project in Austin was playing bass for ‘The Pancakes with Cheese’ and recording their CD, Avanu Vasu Varacas, in 1993. Around that time, things started to change as they often do. Austin was in the middle of its high-tech heyday and it seemed (to Russell) that business and money were taking over his beloved city and stripping away its musical soul. Family duties were calling as well, due to marriage in 1993 and the birth of his son in 1994. Russell’s own music was taking on a softer edge as new musical influences like John Gorka were discovered and treasured. He felt a strong urge to stop and reflect on the past as well as the future. A self-imposed hiatus from the music scene was the natural next step. Wanderlust hit soon after and the Thomas family decided to leave Texas and go exploring. Everything except the guitar went into storage and they hit the road with no plan but to live life and have fun. For three years they traveled around the US, spending the most time in Colorado. Russell was writing songs all the while, playing his guitar and getting deeper and deeper into his music than ever before. By the time they reached the Oregon Coast in late 2001, it was like destiny had been calling them there the entire time. Almost immediately after its birth, Russell's new project,The Russell Thomas Agenda ( TRTA), became the house band at the Landmark, a historic club in Yachats, on the Oregon coast. The band played there every Friday night for many months, allowing Russell to hone his skills in front of live audiences after having been away from them for so long. These shows led to more shows in Portland, OR, which encouraged Russell and family to relocate, finally, to that beautiful city. The Russell Thomas Agenda is an ever changing, constantly evolving musical force. ‘The Agenda’ is the band itself, a revolving group of sidemen including local musicians like Robin Remaily, Dan Davis, Bret Malmquist, Jason Honl, Jack Hoffman, Jason Steward and others. But ‘the Agenda’ is also Peace, Love and taking care of Mother Earth. These themes flow through the music and the shows with varying degrees of subtlety. The highly original music ranges from acoustic folk to electric rock, pop and blues with a little bit of everything else thrown in, too. Russell’s live performances, either with TRTA or as a solo performer, are not to be missed. His extensive catalog of more than 200 original songs (as well as a few carefully selected cover tunes) reveals a wide range of emotions and ideas and reflects his diverse background. It allows him to tailor his show to the audience and to the venue; you’ll never see the same show twice. His strong vocals captivate, soothe and excite and his unique style on guitar make him a special presence on any stage.
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