Tom Brosseau facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tom Brosseau
Brosseau at a house concert in Salt Lake City, Utah (2024)
Background information
Birth name	Thomas Anderson Brosseau
Origin	Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States
Genres	Folk
Occupation(s)	Writer, performer, radio Great American Folk Show podcast host and creator
Instruments	Guitar, vocals, harmonica
Years active	2001-present
Labels	Tom Brosseau

Thomas Anderson Brosseau is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He comes from Grand Forks, North Dakota, in the United States. Many people admire his unique voice. Robin Hilton from NPR once said that Tom Brosseau has "one of the most arresting voices in folk music today."

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Tom Brosseau was born in Marshfield, Wisconsin, on November 3, 1976. In 1978, his family moved back to their home state of North Dakota. His father, James, was a doctor, and his mother, Jolene Rae, was an interior designer. Tom has two siblings, Benjamin and Caroline.

Tom learned to play the acoustic guitar from his grandmother. He grew up surrounded by music. He learned many church hymns and folk songs. He was also influenced by the music his grandparents enjoyed. This included songs from the Great American Songbook.

He went to the University of North Dakota. He earned a degree in Communications in 1999. Later, in 2011, he received a master's degree in Non Fiction Writing.

Music Career Highlights

In 2003, Tom Brosseau moved to Los Angeles. He started performing at a famous club called Largo. There, he met Sara and Sean Watkins. They are known from the band Nickel Creek.

Sean Watkins helped record two of Tom's albums. These were North Dakota Impressions (2016) and Grass Punks (2014). The song "We Were Meant To Be Together" from Grass Punks was even featured in the Netflix TV series Love. Another album, Perfect Abandon (2015), was recorded in Bristol, UK.

Tom Brosseau has traveled a lot for his music. He has toured in countries like Japan, Canada, Portugal, Iceland, and Australia. He also performs with a group called John Reilly & Friends. This group includes Becky Stark, Sebastian Steinberg, and actor John C. Reilly. In 2011, they released some songs produced by Jack White.

Other artists have also performed Tom's songs. Chris Thile covered "How to Grow a Woman from the Ground" in 2006. The band Mice Parade covered "Mary Anne" in 2010. Sara and Sean Watkins also covered "We Were Meant to Be Together" on their Watkins Family Hour album in 2022.

Musical Collaborations

Tom Brosseau has worked with other musicians on special projects.

• The American Folksingers: This was a folk duo with singer-songwriter Gregory Page. They started in San Diego, California, in 2002. They released two albums of American folk music.
• Les Shelleys: This folk duo was with California singer-songwriter Angela Correa. They also started in San Diego in the early 2000s. They released one album in 2010 and toured in the U.S., U.K., and Europe.

Tom has also appeared on the Watkins Family Hour show. This show is led by Sean and Sara Watkins. He also performs with John Reilly & Friends, which features actor John C. Reilly.

In 2023, filmmaker Chel White created music for Tom's song A Bird Is Following Me. This 8-minute story is about something that happened to Tom in Los Angeles.

The North Dakota Trilogy

Tom Brosseau has a special group of three albums. They are North Dakota Impressions (2016), Perfect Abandon (2015), and Grass Punks (2014). People often call them the North Dakota Trilogy.

Tom explained that these albums look at life from a local point of view. They take listeners on a journey that feels like a quiet country road, not a busy highway. He said the songs explore memories, dreams, and a longing for home. He works to keep his sense of home alive by visiting places and people from his past in his mind.

The Great American Folk Show

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Tom Brosseau started working on a weekly radio show. It is called The Great American Folk Show. He is the main writer and host for this show, which is on Prairie Public in Fargo, North Dakota. The show focuses on different types of art.

The first show aired on May 3, 2020. It featured actor John C. Reilly and other interesting guests. Since then, The Great American Folk Show has welcomed over 600 artists. These include storytellers, musicians, authors, chefs, and poets.

A Lifetime Ago Album Series

In 2020, Tom Brosseau began a series of albums called A Lifetime Ago. This series features music he had not released before. It includes recordings from radio shows, live performances, and songs that were not used on other albums. There are 44 songs in total across four volumes.

Many musical guests appear on these albums. Some of them are Sean Watkins, Gregory Page, and Chel White. The album covers feature a photograph by Carey Braswell. The design was done by DLT, who is Tom Brosseau's longtime friend.

Discography

• Tom Brosseau (2001)
• North Dakota (2002)
• Late Night at Largo (2004)
• What I Mean To Say Is Goodbye (2005)
• Empty Houses Are Lonely (2006)
• Grand Forks (2007)
• Cavalier (2007)
• Posthumous Success] (2009)
• Les Shelleys (2010)
• John & Tom (2011)
• Grass Punks (2014)
• Perfect Abandon (2015)
• North Dakota Impressions (2016)
• Treasures Untold (2017)
• In The Shadow Of The Hill: Songs from the Carter Family catalogue, Vol. 1 (2019)
• A Lifetime Ago, Vol. One (2020)
• Live in York (2020)
• The Prairie (2020)
• A Lifetime Ago, Vol. Two (2021)
• A Lifetime Ago, Vol. Three (2022)
• From Blue & White Notebooks (2022)
• A Lifetime Ago, Vol. Three (2023)
• Songs from The Great American Folk Show, Vol. I (2023)
• Alluvium and other North Dakota folk songs (2024)

Singles and EPs

• Hurt to Try EP (2004)
• Amory EP (2006)
• Been True EP (2009)
• “Sunflower” with Heidi Gluck (2022)
• “Under African Skies” with Heidi Gluck (2022)
• “A Bird Is Following Me” with Chel White (2023)