Catherine Ames

GLENN THOMAS UNVEILS STEINBECK-INSPIRED SINGLE “CATHERINE AMES”

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Nashville-by-way-of-New England singer/songwriter Glenn Thomas has unveiled the latest single from his forthcoming LP Reassure Me There’s A Window, out May 15th via Palace Flophouse Records. “Catherine Ames,” a much-needed slice of catharsis and sonic sunshine, inspired by Cathy Ames, the antagonist of John Steinbeck’s East Of Eden. “She’s pretty evil and causes a lot of pain for the main character,” Thomas explained to Americana-UK in its premiere of the track. “This song is about holding on to pain and anger as though they are part of your identity. Forgiveness is not the same as forgetting, and as with any kind of healing and moving forward, it takes time.” When Thomas realized he had let go of something from his past that had been a painful burden for years, he wrote “Catherine Ames” to embody the purifying effect from relief he experienced, using a character name from one of his favorite authors given the similar and relatable themes of resolution and moving forward in East Of Eden. Americana-UK called Thomas’s new single is “a gently reflective song which concentrates on the healing virtues of time – and how pain has made him a better, more resilient, person.”

LISTEN: “CATHERINE AMES” 

“Catherine Ames” follows “Oriole,” written after a recurring bout of insomnia. “There was that dreaded time before the sun began to rise where the birds would start chirping. I thought it would be funny to ask the birds the questions that were keeping me up, since they were all unanswerable anyway,” Thomas told Atwood Magazine. When I set the words to music, I thought it would be fun to make the music sound…lively, like a 60s pop song with serious lyrics.”

LISTEN: "ORIOLE"

Thomas, who cut his teeth fronting Rhode Island rock outfit Wild Sun, has shared stages with bands like Langhorne Slim, The Wombats, and Blitzen Trapper. He began writing songs that didn't fit within the rock-centric framework and decided he would strike out on his own, stretching his creative muscles. The album was produced by Jordan Lehning (Rodney Crowell, Andrew Combs, Joshua Hedley); with its throwback flair, Reassure Me There's A Window is a lush, sweetly-arranged collection of articulate folk-tinged songs. 

The album's 11 tracks - tight fingerpicking guitar-based tunes with introspective lyrics fleshed out with resonant string arrangements - center around the human condition - ideas of love and loss, isolation and connection, and wondering what more is out there. He writes songs that cut straight to his truths; by putting his life and the human condition under the microscope, his songs articulately observe the big questions with small details, paying careful attention to his understanding of himself and the seasonality of life. 

Thomas will celebrate Reassure Me There’s A Window with an album release show on May 13th at The 5 Spot in Nashville. Be sure to follow him via the links below for updates.

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