"Thom Simon is an excuse to be a fearless version of myself." –Jeff
After Jeff said this, Lindsay and Michael said Thom Simon was a similar experience for them. Thom Simon consists of Michael, Lindsay, and Jeff.
The band has evolved from Jeff playing drums in his hometown in Kansas to this terrific trio. He started playing guitar with a drum machine once he moved to Santa Cruz, California. He also met Lindsay and they become lovers and decided to move to Chicago together, where they started working together musically for the first time. Jeff began working on a recording project due to the inspiration of his friend, Cahill Wessel.
Their music used to be more 80's electric pop with rock elements, but Michael claims it's gotten creepier with the evolution (in a good way).
After living in Chicago for a while, they took a trip into the forest in New Hampshire and decided they had to move somewhere else. They moved to Kansas and then finally started playing shows.
Fast forward two years, they move to Eugene as a duo. Jeff and Michael worked together at guitar center and their bond was special enough that he became a member of the band. Michael says that Thom Simon gives him a meaningful outlet for music.
Thom Simon has gone on two different tours since being in Eugene. Their first tour involved a red van that would get stuck between 20-30 mph on all hills and they traveled to Austin, Texas and back in a big loop over two months.
Their second tour required a van upgrade since they went to Brooklyn and back. All three of them told me how amazing Buffalo and Missoula were and that those locations were probably their favorites on the tour.
They raved about how inclusive the music scene is in Missoula; Lindsay told me how some of her biggest musical inspirations are people that she's seen while she's been on tour or local bands, like Wrinkles, Trembling Earth Contracts, Sacred Trees, Spiller and Jargon.
"We have recordings of some of our practices and after each song, Lindsay yells 'F*CK!' It's always for a different reason, but it's amazing how that one word can describe so many emotions."
"Playing shows is really inspiring to me. I don't ever want to be bored with my performances or what I'm doing." -Jeff
Playing music still feels new and exciting for Lindsay. "Both of you really inspire me and I have so much fun playing with you two. I don't think I'd enjoy performing so much if it wasn't with you two."
"Our first night on tour, we were all celebrating at the Black Forest and then we had a giant afterparty. Lindsay and I slept in the van, so I wake up in the morning desperately needing to pee and the pressure from putting my pants on, caused me to piss myself. So I get a change of clothes and then it happens again...So far, Michael and I have both pissed ourselves on tours, so it's just a matter of time before Lindsay does too *laughs*" -Jeff
"I was trying to get out of the van, but the door got stuck so I ended up pissing my pants before I could get out." -Michael
"Traveling makes me really happy. And organization, in terms of efficiency. I just enjoy being efficient and want others to be as well. *laughs* that probably makes me sound like a terrible guy, I swear it's not as bad as it sounds!" -Jeff
One of Lindsay's favorite musical moments is when she obviously improves on her part.
The four of us met for an interview at Blairally Vintage Arcade, which has the letters 'BTM' plastered on many surfaces like the napkin holders. I still have no idea what the letters mean, but I'm going with the group idea of 'Bottom Top Middle.' However, if anyone actually knows what the f*ck BTM actually means, please let us know.
Thom Simon told me about how 4 player Pac-man is one of the things that makes them the happiest.
Lindsay has the privilege of saying she hasn't pissed herself on tour yet, but she did vomit seven times in one night, which is ALMOST equivalent.
Lindsay told me one of her favorite musical moments is when many of the Eugene musicians were united together at HiFi music hall in solidarity with sexual violence survivors. It was a drunk facade with drunk musicians singing 'War Is Over.' Lindsay says, "it felt like we were a part of this giant family."
Thom Simon is going to release either a full-length album or another EP within this coming year. They are also planning on releasing a music video and they're currently working on it (it's in the storyboard phase).
Thom Simon wants to do more regional tours in the PNW. In the past two years, they've played approximately 75 house shows here and they want to expand to playing other areas at house shows. However, this doesn't mean they're not going to play in Eugene anymore; They're just trying to expand their horizons.
"When we were driving back from Missoula after our second tour, we came into Seattle with pouring rain and fog, and it felt magical. Like we were finally home after this long adventure." -Jeff and Michael
Michael told me Mini America night on the fourth of July at the Hifi Music Hall is one of his favorite memories. He played three different times that night, "I proved to myself that I can stand playing for that duration of time which is pretty incredible!"
Before their show in Austin, they were spending the night in our van in a random parking lot and it was miserably f*cking hot. At one point, Lindsay decided to walk 1/4 of a mile to try to get a hotel room because she was so over the heat. Apparently, she looked like a sweaty mess, because they denied her a room so she had to 'walk of shame' back to the van.
Finally, Jeff decided to make the impulsive decision to use his credit card to buy three battery powered fans to save them from the heat. He still claims it was one of his better decisions.
"I believe that sound relates to the origin of all matter. I just want to create new music that people haven't heard before. I want it to be authentically OUR music." -Michael
"For me, the first tour was just a massive blur of me thinking 'how are we doing this?! This is incredible!!'" -Lindsay
"Traveling and meeting new people is one of my favorite things, which makes our tours such an incredible experience." -Lindsay
