Indie folk singer/songwriter
Thao Nguyen crafts delicate but memorable songs tinged with country and blues, and her rich voice and thoughtful lyrics draw comparisons to
Fiona Apple and
Cat Power. She began writing and playing songs when she was 12; when she was in high school, she worked at her mother's laundromat and played guitar when she wasn't helping customers. She moved on to playing local shows while attending Virginia's College of William & Mary. There, she met bassist
Adam Thompson and drummer
Willis Thompson, who became the core of her band,
the Get Down Stay Down. In 2006,
Nguyen released her debut album,
Like the Linen, on the Trust Me imprint and played a few Washington, D.C., and New York City dates. She also sent a copy of
Like the Linen to
Laura Veirs, who liked it so much that she not only had
Nguyen open for one of her dates at the Mercury Lounge,
Veirs also took her on a European tour and introduced her to
Slim Moon,
Veirs' former manager and owner of Kill Rock Stars, as well as producer
Tucker Martine.
Nguyen made her debut on the label by contributing a song to the 2007 compilation
The Sound the Hare Heard; the
Martine-produced
We Brave Bee Stings and All arrived in early 2008. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide