Today we’d like to introduce you to Tom Letson.
Hi Tom, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was living around Lake Tahoe for about five years as soon as I was old enough to leave home. I wasn’t a very good musician at the time but somehow started playing gigs here and there with other artists. By the end of my stint in the Sierras, I had been living out of a tent for some time, and I think others started to recognize me as the weird homeless banjo player. I honestly really cherish this time looking back on it. The freedom that comes from only having the means to exist in the present. I think it is something I’ve always tried to carry on in life.
Anyways, I had been camping out at this place called Blackwood Canyon for months. I came back to my spot one day after being out and about, and my tent along with my belongings had been shredded apart with bear signs in the area. I gathered up what still remained (which wasn’t much), and decided to take that as a sign to leave. I made my way over to Reno, hopped in a gondola car on a Union Pacific freight train, and rode that for 17 hours to Salt Lake City.
For the next few years, I just continued riding trains and hitchhiking all around the United States and throughout the British Columbia and Yukon territories as well. I traveled with a banjo and later a fiddle that a friend had given me, which I was attempting to learn. At times, I would have to run, jump, and climb up the train ladders as they were slowing down or speeding up with only one hand free. I just couldn’t leave the instruments behind. I would busk everywhere I could to occupy time and to make a little money. Most people don’t want to give the time of day to a homeless person, but if you can decently play an instrument, they seem a little more inclined to strike up a conversation. It was a good tool for connecting with others.
As time went on, I think I felt more of an urge to pursue my path in music. I had started a relationship with my partner up in Alaska, and we bought a van together. This is when I started booking shows at bars, small venues, and is more or less what I’ve been doing ever since. Honestly, being a hobo is exciting at times but can really beat you down as well. I feel very fortunate that I had the means to get out of it when I could because I know there are so many people on the streets that don’t have the same opportunities. In a lot of ways, that idea and those people are the reasons I sing and write these songs. To give a voice to those who won’t be heard.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. In my experience, attempting to play music at any sort of professional level can often feel like all cards are against you. As an independent musician, you have to do all of your own booking, which is not something I particularly enjoy. With this comes a constant flow of rejection, especially when starting out or playing new places. After you finally book a show, you have to try and get people out, which is very difficult. I think that our commercial culture has made it challenging to turn people onto an artist without any notoriety, no matter how good they are at what they do. I’ve played plenty of shows with just one or two people in the crowd (including the bartender), and seem to be good at clearing out rooms as well [laughter]. You just can’t let these things deter you. And I know that all the supportive people who’ve stopped to listen help make it worth it. It’s a bit like gambling. You can play 50 bad shows that really make you question what you’re doing with your life, but then a positive one will come around to keep you moving. You just have to build that momentum.
I think when I was starting out, I would get much more frustrated by all of this than I do now. The fact of the matter is, anything you fully put yourself into is going to be a difficult path. I just try to believe in the songs I play. If others do as well I appreciate them with all I’ve got, and if they don’t that’s fine too. Plus, I just remind myself, “for Christ’s sake, you were a hobo. This really isn’t that bad.”
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’d say that I’m an Old-Time musician as well as a songwriter. I started learning this music way back on the banjo by playing along to fiddle tunes at jam sessions. Eventually, I picked up a National Resonator guitar and got pretty hooked on the Piedmont Blues. I’ve been told that what I do is unique even though I know of many musicians playing in these old styles, and doing it better than myself. Someone reached out to me the other day describing my sound as happy yet forlorn. I think I can get down with that.
If there is anything that sets me apart from others, it probably comes from a strength in songwriting. Before I ever learned this kind of music, I was always focused on writing songs. This does not often seem to be the case with many Old-Time musicians. I think most people who play in this style at a skilled level focus more on their interpretation of old songs. I really do enjoy that aspect however, also feel that there is so much creative expression in the process of songwriting for myself. It seems rare for virtuosic players to be great writers and vice versa. Not saying I’m great at either, but I definitely work hard to bridge my playing with my writing.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I’m not sure if I have a favorite book, but have always felt that surrounding yourself in words is necessary to improve in writing. The books that I’ve enjoyed (some more than others) over the past year are Kurt Vonnegut “Jailbird,” David Foster Wallace “Girl With Curious Hair,” Plato “The Republic,” Woody Guthrie “Bound For Glory,” Fyodor Dostoevsky “The Idiot,” and Jean-Paul Sartre “Nausea.”
Contact Info:
- Email: tbletson@gmail.com
- Website: https://longgonetom.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/longgonetomletson/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LongGoneTom
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC99zfyxqkCILp23uvEJ7k2Q
- Other: https://www.bandsintown.com/a/15244597
Image Credits
Ariel Rolfe
