The Grand Rapids drummer turned troubadour has gotten well-deserved attention for his solo work, with planning for another studio album under way. (Story, video, podcast)
THE ARTIST: Tom Hymn
WHAT HE PLAYS: Introspective folk and rock
WHERE YOU CAN SEE HIM: May 21 at Founders Brewing Co., May 27 at SpeakEZ Lounge
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Honing his style and musical chops through stints with numerous bands – including The Soil & The Sun and The Muteflutes – Tom Hymn the drummer always wanted to become Tom Hymn the singer-songwriter.
He made that transition last year with his debut album, “Early Magic,” which proved definitively that this is an emerging Grand Rapids artist with a uniquely compelling take on folk and rock.
“I’ve always been around really great songwriters and just always pumped about songs and saying I want to do this someday: I’m going to learn guitar, I’m going to write some songs,” says Hymn, aka Chad Houseman.
Indeed, fans and critics have readily embraced the songs on “Early Magic,” some of them to a surprising degree.
“It’s been a good reaction. Especially locally, it’s gotten a lot of support,” he said. “It’s surprising when people show up to your shows and know some of the words, which is a weird experience. (And) I got an email right when it came out from a radio station in France saying, ‘OK, we want your album.’ Just weird stuff like that.”
More “weird stuff” is liable to follow in the near future with Hymn already accumulating “plenty of songs” for his next album, which he hopes to record later this year with help from his musical associates.
He spotlighted one of those new songs, “Hide Everything,” when he appeared this week for Local Spins Live on News Talk 1340 AM (WJRW). Listen to the show podcast here and check out a video of his in-studio performance below.
PODCAST: TOM HYMN ON LOCAL SPINS LIVE
A native of Iowa, Hymn started playing drums at age 11, pounding away in various punk rock and indie bands. He eventually studied social work and Spanish at Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois, where he also met future members of The Soil & The Sun and eventually relocated to Grand Rapids.
He spent a few years playing drums with The Muteflutes, and also has played with Sacred Strays, Josh Mogck and Strawberry Heritage (a folk outfit led by John Hanson who assisted Hymn with his solo debut).
“It’s pretty incredible,” Hymn says of West Michigan’s music scene. “A big chunk of my friends here in town are musicians and we’re always helping each other out.”
Heavily influenced by what he reads and by the music of Bob Dylan, Devendra Banhart, Paleo, Mason Jennings and Seth Bernard, Hymn writes mostly introspective music about the human condition with lyrics that are at once poignant, incisive and unusual.
That creative knack has made his transition from drummer to singer-songwriter appear seamless.
“I’ve always loved writing and reading, and it all came together a few years ago,” he says. “Things I’m reading, these ideas are always shaping what I write.”
Hymn performs live on May 21 at Founders Brewing Co. in Grand Rapids with Valentiger, Fiona Dickinson and Steve Leaf & The Expats. Admission to the 9:30 p.m. show is free. (Although he often plays solo, he says the Founders show will “rock” with a four-piece band.)
He’ll also play an opening set on May 27 as part of the Local Spins Wednesdays at SpeakEZ Lounge series, with The Crane Wives and Max Lockwood also on the bill for that free 8 p.m. show.
Listen to Hymn’s music at tomhymn.bandcamp.com and get more information on his Facebook page.
VIDEO: Tom Hymn, “Hide Everything”
Copyright 2015, Spins on Music LLC