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 is from Grand Forks, North Dakota, in the United States. A music expert from NPR once said that Brosseau has "one of the most amazing 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 for 40 years. 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 with music everywhere. He heard music in church, at school, and at home. He learned many hymnal and folk songs. He was also influenced by the music his grandparents listened to. This helped him study singers 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 earned another degree in Non Fiction Writing.

Tom's Music Career

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 siblings 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 used in the Netflix show Love.

Tom has traveled a lot for his music. He has toured in Japan, Canada, Portugal, Iceland, and Australia. He also sings and plays guitar 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 with Jack White's record label, Third Man Records.

Other artists have covered Tom's songs. Chris Thile covered "How to Grow a Woman from the Ground" in 2006. The band Christy & Emily covered "Here Comes The Water Now" in 2010. Also in 2010, Mice Parade covered "Mary Anne." Sara and Sean Watkins also covered "We Were Meant to Be Together" in 2022.

Working with Other Musicians

Tom Brosseau has worked with many other musicians. He formed a folk duo called The American Folksingers with Gregory Page. They started in San Diego, California, in 2002. They released two albums of American folk music.

Tom also formed a folk duo called Les Shelleys with Angela Correa. They 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. This show is led by Sean and Sara Watkins. He also performs with John Reilly & Friends.

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

The North Dakota Trilogy

Tom Brosseau has three albums that are a special series. They are called North Dakota Impressions (2016), Perfect Abandon (2015), and Grass Punks (2014). Together, they are known as the North Dakota Trilogy.

Tom said that these albums look at life from a local point of view. They take the listener on a journey that feels like a quiet country road, not a busy highway. He said the songs explore memories and dreams of where he grew up. He works to keep his sense of home alive through his music.

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. The show focuses on different kinds of art.

The first show aired on May 3, 2020. It featured actor John C. Reilly and other artists. Since then, the show has featured over 600 guests. These guests include artists, storytellers, musicians, authors, and chefs.

A Lifetime Ago Album Series

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

Many musical guests appear on these albums. These include Sean Watkins, Gianna Ferilli, and Gregory Page. The album covers feature a photograph by Carey Braswell. The design was done by DLT, who is Tom's long-time 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)