When Parker Thomas goes to work, he sees the vibrant glow of neon lights, hears the sound of clinking glasses and feels the cool touch of steel strings. Then he begins to play for the crowd before him.
The Â鶹´«Ã½ native began his career as a musician 10 years ago but took a hiatus from live music to open a restaurant for several years. Thomas returned to his music career two years ago and has been a full-time performer and songwriter since.
Singer-songwriter Parker Thomas performs his song “First Kiss†at The Spillway in Marion on Jan. 16.
When writing songs and performing on stage, Thomas strives to connect to his audience and make music that listeners can relate to.
“(My goal) as a songwriter is to make sure people know they’re not alone in some situations,†Thomas said. “You’re trying to get feelings out on the paper, … kind of like it’s just telling someone else’s story.â€
Thomas started his career by posting videos of himself on YouTube performing covers of songs by Tyler Childers, the Turnpike Troubadours and other country artists. He believes that one of the biggest challenges starting musicians face is the willingness to push out their music for others to hear.
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“Give it away. That’s a barrier I had to break through myself,†Thomas said. “You honestly have to be in it, to love it, to want to create, and for the sake of creating, and hopefully somebody hears it.“
Thomas was inspired by listening to his father, a southern rock artist from Morganton, he said.
“I grew up listening to it. I didn’t know any difference to my dad and people on the radio,†Thomas said. “So I just thought they were, you know, everybody was the same.â€
Thomas also draws inspiration from musicians like John Prine, Johnny Cash, Sublime, Tyler Childers and Sturgill Simpson.
“My style is very lyrical. I love storytellers,†Thomas said. “Usually, kind of just like a song to tell a story or make a point and move on to the next one.“
Working with local songwriters
Thomas collaborates with Hickory artists Austin Arditti and Devante Thomas to host a monthly songwriters showcase at Lincoln Social in Lincolnton to bring emerging artists into the spotlight.
Thomas performs his song “First Kiss†at The Spillway in Marion on Jan. 16.
“A good thing about the stuff like the songwriter showcase, we create that environment where … we’re here to hear this artist, their songs and a little bit of their story,†Thomas said. “I can’t wait to hear, like, who’s coming next week.â€
Thomas brings in photographer Lindsey Browning to capture the performances. Thomas and Browning help the bands curate social media pages and websites to look professional.
“They’ve not been on ‘America’s Got Talent’ and stuff like that. So maybe they don’t have a bio, and then I’ll help them write a bio, and then they don’t even have any pictures that aren’t off their own phone. Now they have something like that,†Thomas said.
Thomas’ plans
Thomas tunes his guitar on stage at The Spillway in Marion.
Thomas released his first official song in August 2024. The song is titled, “Get Out But Don’t Go.†The song is about having mixed feelings about a relationship, Thomas said.
The song has an upbeat sound combining a mix of country, blues and reggae tones.
Thomas held his single release party at The Spillway bar in Marion.
He compared the feeling of that performance to playing at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado.
“I didn’t think it was gonna get that great a response,†Thomas said. “People were dancing. They really loved that song. ... It felt great, honestly.â€
Singer and songwriter Parker Thomas performs his song “First Kiss†while at a show at The Spillway in January in Marion.
His newest song, “Sweet Sue†was released Feb. 4. He hopes to release a full-length album this year.
In the next five to 10 years, Thomas hopes to reach the point where he regularly performs shows on the road.
“The goal is to just be touring to an audience that is there to hear your music,†Thomas said.
