Jeff Thomas

This entire entry is written autobiographically by Jefferson Bryan Thomas and is written in the third person. Jefferson Bryan Thomas (born November 28, 1981) is a singer/songwriter and a multi-instrumentalist from Nashville, Tennessee. Born and raised in New Bern, North Carolina, Jeff’s musical beginnings formed with a violin in his hand. Studying classical violin from his mother, a renowned violin and cellist, the disciplined introduction to classical music helped build a foundation to the diverse music he would later create. That, paired with the celebration of 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s rock and roll, as well as traditional country music nurtured by his father, the unlikely blend made for an inspiring mixture to fuel his influence.
==Early Life==
Jeff was born in North Carolina to Charles Randolph Thomas (Randy) and Andrea Smith Thomas. Jeff has four siblings. At an early age, he was introduced to classical Suzuki music and was taught the violin by his mother, who was a music teacher and professional violin and cellist. Jeff also exhibited an interest and talent for singing and was sometimes asked to sing for his church congregation. In 1993, his family moved from North Carolina to Hendersonville, Tennessee. Having been relocated to a suburb of Nashville, music became a fabric that was thoroughly woven into who he is. In high school, he was socially diverse, taking part in athletics, theater, music, and his church youth group. In school, he was a member of his Select Chorus and was honored to be selected for Tennessee's All State High School Chorus in 1998,1999, and 2000. For his Church, he also participated in his youth choir and started the Christian-alternative group, Good Dirt Posse, named after a bible study group he frequently attended. GDP often led praise and worship services, were honored participants in the Steeple Stock Music Festival in 2000, 2001, and 2002, and even performed for the Nashville mayor.
Jeff attended Volunteer State Community College after high school, where his interest for music began to progress. He was a member of the performance and show choirs, and the first ever recipient of the Jim Moore (full) Music Scholarship. It was there he met Adam Skaggs, who would co-found the Christian-alternative band, Cleer Method. Cleer Method played in the Steeple Stock Music festival in 2002, they were musical guests for the cancer awareness benefit, Relay for Life in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005, and they opened up for the recording artist, Eli. Also, in 2003, Jeff competed in the local televised competition Nashville's Idol, a competition sponsored by American Idol, for which he won.
==Next Year's Best==
Jeff and Adam, along with various different artists continued to play as Cleer Method until 2005, when they played at a youth club in Springfield, Tennessee. This was the last show and the first show Jeff would play with drummer Mitch Meador. It would be this relationship that would found the Indie band, Next Year's Best. Moving into a secular style of music, Next Year's Best were Jeff Thomas, Mitch Meador, Kevin Callas, and Rachel Chrisman. Over the years, they would have various different guitar players as an additional fifth member, including Brent Powellson of The Hollywood Kills. NYB were active in Nashville from 2006-2008, playing venues like the historic Exit/Inn, The End, The Mercy Lounge, The Rutledge, and The Muse. They won a first round battle of the bands sponsored by Red Gorilla Production Company and came 2nd place in the Final Round to Mark of Shame. Next Year's Best spent much of 2007 in the studio recording what would have been their debut album, Zombies, but the album sadly never was released. In 2008, after a lineup change, Jeff, Mitch, Ben Maddox (bass) and Jake Johnson (guitar) changed the name of Next Year's Best to Dropshot. They went on to play for the remainder of 2008 until eventually disbanding at the end of that year.
==Solo Work, and The Madness EP==
After a short break from when Next Year's Best were actively playing, Jeff set out to record and release a debut album. In 2011, he released his debut work The Madness EP, through his own label, Euphamia Records. Consisting of songs written over the years that had been outside the genre of NYB, The Madness EP had an organic style comparable to Americana. Most notable tracks from the EP are Madness and Beautiful. This work was produced with recording engineer, Adam Stegeman and mastered at The Bomb Shelter Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. All songs were written and performed by Jeff Thomas. The album features performances from Adam Skaggs, Adam Stegeman, Jonathan Ault, Jon Denny, Andrea Smith, and Rachel Hart. The string sections for Beautiful and Madness were composed by Jeff Thomas and performed by Jeff Thomas, Andrea Smith, and Rachel Hart.
==Internal Conflicts: A Suite in A Minor==
In 2015, Jeff released a follow up EP, Internal Conflicts: A Suite in A Minor. At 20 minutes, this 6-song project consisted of reimagined works performed by Next Years Best, as well as new original titles written and performed by Jeff Thomas. Most notable tracks are Pearly Gates and My Will. It featured performances by Travis Passons of Fireworks Over London, Ben Maddox, Jon Denny, and Asa Wiggins. It was produced at Middle C Productions and engineered by Mike Farona. It was mastered by Jon Denny and released through Euphamia Records.
==Denouement==
After taking another hiatus from music, Jeff again found inspiration to release music after noticing a growing interest in performance from his children. In 2023, Jeff released the single Cancerous after eight years. One month later, he released his first LP, Denouement. At 11 songs and more than 45 minutes, Denouement was recorded exclusively through the GarageBand Mobile App. Jeff wrote and performed each song and there were no featured performers. The album was engineered by Jeff and produced by Jeff, as well as his three children; Gavin Suddarth, Monty Thomas, and Phoenix Thomas. It was mastered with LANDR and released through Euphamia Records.
==Personal Life==
Jeff currently resides in middle Tennessee with his wife Naomi and their children; Monty, Gavin, and Phoenix. In 2022, Jeff graduated from the University of Arkansas Grantham, Magna Cum Laude, with a degree in Financial Planning. He is currently working for a large financial firm and pursuing a position in financial advising within that firm. In addition to playing and recording music with his children, he has happily settled into a life that revolves around his family and his home.
Category:1981 births
Category:People from New Bern, North Carolina
Category:Singer-songwriters
Category:Multi-instrumentalists