“From toe-tapping, catchy country tunes to haunting, wistful story-songs, the prolific writer [Thomas Oliver] is refreshingly versatile in both style and narrative.” — Anna Chandler writing in Connect Savannah.
“Thomas is a Jimmy Buffett of country music.” — Secret City (Oak Ridge, Tenn.) Songwriters Concert
“A true Americana master….” The Perk Avenue Coffee Cafe & Coffeehouse (Madison)
Red Line Roots, a blog that reviews Americana, Roots and Folk music, gave a big thumbs up in its First Listen review:
“…in a world of people trying to make country music and falling short, [Thomas Oliver] soars high above the competition.”
Bill DeYoung, the music critic poobah of the Coastal Empire at the time he wrote a nice send up of The Edge of America CD, said:
“On tracks like ‘The Edge of America’ and ‘Old Men,’ he displays a fine — one might say journalistic — eye for detail and poetic flow. ‘The Girl With an Accidental Memory’ …is pure left-of-center outlaw Americana.”
The full review/story is here
“A beautiful revelation indeed.” From Le Cri du Coyote, a French review of American music.
Check out my year (2018) on Spotify.
Dave Lake, a local music observer and radio and podcaster extraordinaire, conducted a well-researched interview with me about my songs and songwriting.
He presents the interview and the songs in four parts. Click to listen.
I made the cover of the October 2013 Tybee Breeze.
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The Savannah Morning News said some nice things as a preview of my performance at the Savannah Folk Society’s First Friday.
“…singer-songwriter Oliver knows how to hook you with a punchy line.”
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“Holding On,” off my first CD: “Finally Over Losing My Mind,” won the Country Channel for the month of August, 2013, on OurStage.com, a web-based music community where users listen, judge and rank artists. Yahoo.
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Linda Sickler of the Savannah Morning News wrote up a fairly complete and entertaining profile here
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You Got Me,,, like that one…
thanks. check out the story behind it under “About my Songs.”
I love it! way to go little brother – you never cease to amaze me with your talents!I was your muse right,right?
Excellent piece on the making of The Edge Of America. I look forward to your weekly ponderings and revelations. Boogie forth!
Look forward to getting your CD and hearing you live and as always in color when you are performing in Atlanta.
The only, we’ll maybe not only, way for you to take your live concert over the top is to spice your performance with additional true Lewis Grizzard humor is to have Judi join you on stage to share your hilarious family stories. Both of ya’ll have a lot to offer but together ya’ll would be over the top. I hope I will be the first to introduce this team during a live performance. Please consider filling my life with humor and hysterics.
Best of luck!
thanks for the suggestions. i always said my sister was one of the funniest comedians i knew of. she literally would make your face and stomach muscles hurt, you would be laughing so hard.
Great collection old man. Really fond of Now Like Then. Keep ’em coming.
Thanks, Jim. Now Like Then is on The Life You Save Might be Your Own (and yes, that title is borrowed from Flannery.)
Now Like Then is the only song I’ve ever written with someone. David Leonard, the producer of my first two CDs, Finally Over Losing My Mind and The Life You Save….
take care,
thomas
I be looking forward to this.
So, you keep on keepin’ on. Great. When can we expect you in the Atlantic Beach/Jacksonville area?
Tom, miss hearing you in Atlanta (must be why you wrote ATLANTA’S BURNING). Like your new tunes. Especially glad that I can read the lyrics on this site. My all-time favorite of your songs is still A BIGGER FOOL THAN ME (it’s on a playlist on every device I have). MY check for the CD is in the mail. Can’t wait. WL
thanks, man. i will be playing in atlanta a few times this fall. i will certainly let you know when. would love to see you. That’s cool about A Bigger Fool than Me. that was really a break through song for me in the sense that it gave me confidence that i could actually write a good song when i wanted to. it wasn’t an assignment per se. but i did set out to write a song about a fool after reading “Tunesmith” by Jimmy Webb in which he condescendingly asserted that no one should ever write another song about a fool in love. there were enough such songs, he said. i’m a contrarian if nothing else!
Good Luck…Look forward to hearing from you
Good luck Tom. Hopefully you will comment on your fishing endeavors
Oh yeah. I’ll be writing about fishing, so we better catch some at some point!