We are excited to welcome Thomas Strayhorn to the Brooklyn Coffee Tea & Guest House stage. Thomas is a singer/songwriter based in Durham, NC who writes simple songs with a serious connection to sense of place — at one point, living in Colorado, Thomas realized how important the musical culture of the Southeast was to him. This is clearly evident in songs such as “The Man That I Am” and “Back East”.
Another theme evident in these songs is his sexuality. While in college, Thomas steered clear of writing songs that outed him as a gay man. Now, however, he writes clearly about relationships with other men in songs such as “A Little More Proud” and “Gone in the Morning”. He feels that transparency in his writing will ultimately make his songs more compelling, and he wants to connect to LGBTQ audiences that don’t often see relatable themes of sexuality in songwriting. This batch of songs, which will be released in two separate EPs in 2019, boast simple yet compelling lyrics that are primarily driven by acoustic guitar, piano, and vocal harmonies.