Interview: Mike Thomas on Hurricane Helene and "Hell In High Water" • Americana Highways

Mike Thomas photo by Jeremy Harris

Mike Thomas on Hurricane Helene and “Hell In High Water”

Mike Thomas has just released a new folk Americana single “Hell in High Water” to benefit the victims of Hurricane Helene via a non-profit called Mountain Ways; all proceeds from streams and downloads of the song will be donated to Mountain Ways. https://mtnways.org/. As Mike says of the song, and a life pattern: “From the hollers to the hills, we take care of our own.” We had a chance to chat with him about the song, which is powerful vocals, and gritty harmonies with strings. A link to listen and save the song appears just beneath the interview.

Americana Highways: Can you tell us what inspired you to write this song and what it’s about? Please give us the backstory.

Mike Thomas: This song was inspired by the Hurricane Helene tragedy in East Tennessee, Western North Carolina, and greater Appalachia. For generations, my family has called East Tennessee home. Although I have lived in Nashville for 20 years, I still have deep ties to East Tennessee and will always consider myself an East Tennessean. As the aftermath of Helene unfolded, I spoke with numerous friends and family in the region and heard countless stories of unfathomable devastation and destruction. I was heartbroken for my people. I could not stop thinking about those families. I made some charitable donations to help do my part from a distance, but I couldn’t get the stories and images out of my mind. The whole situation just affected me deeply. I wanted to do more.

AH: How did this song come together? What was the songwriting process like?

MT: I wrote most of the lyrics to this song standing in line to renew my driver’s license at the local DMV on the morning of October 4th. I had just read another story earlier that morning about a family who had lost everything. As I waited in line, the “Hell in High Water” idea came first and then the opening lines. I pulled out my phone and just started putting lyrics down in my notes app as fast as I could.

Since I primarily write alone, I normally take my time working on songs over several days or even weeks, but this one was different. From the moment the idea popped into my mind, I’ve felt like this song has had a life of its own and I’m just along for the ride. I’ve written quite a few songs over the years, and sometimes they come quickly, but I’ve never had an experience like I had writing this song.

AH: What kind of a vibe were you going for on this song? How does the final version differ from what you imagined it might be before you went into the studio?

MT: I mentioned that I wrote most of this song on October 4th, but I didn’t finish it until two days later. My process is to allow a song to rest for a day or two before I go back to listen, review, and revise. When I went back and listened to my demo of “Hell in High Water,” I was struck by how much anger and frustration permeated my first draft. I was frustrated with the limited amount of media attention this tragedy received, and the slow response of many in leadership positions, and that anger and frustration really came through in a major way in my first draft.

While it was necessary to convey those emotions in the song, I wanted to convey a sense of hope as well. The people of the region are resilient, fiercely independent, and faithful. I needed that to come across more in the song, so I went back and made a few lyrical and melodic revisions before sending the demo to my producer, Tres Sasser, and my bandmates. Everyone agreed that we needed to work quickly and release this song as soon as possible.

AH: What was the studio experience like for this song?

MT: When we got into the studio, there was a sense of urgency and purpose like I have never felt during a session. I had very specific ideas for this song, starting with the fiddle parts. I knew this song needed a haunting fiddle intro. I wanted to paint an image of heartbroken Appalachia from the very first notes of the song, and Steven Bowman (fiddle) nailed it. Tres really helped bring my vision for this song to life. I think I can speak for everyone involved when I say that there was deep spiritual energy at work in this song. I believe we all felt that energy as we worked on our respective parts and recorded the track. I am very fortunate to have a group of guys who care as much about my songs as I do, and I think they did some of their best work on this one.

AH: What do you hope listeners get from hearing the song?

MT: More than anything, I hope this song brings an awareness that this tragedy is far from over. It is going to be an extremely long road of recovery and rebuilding, and some areas will never be the same. The people of Appalachia are not just going to pick up and start over somewhere else. This is their homeland, and many families have called it home for generations. I hope this song inspires its listeners to get involved in whatever way they can, be it through charitable donations, volunteering, or prayers. The individuals and families in the region should not be forgotten.

AH: Have you played this song live?

MT: I have not yet played this song live, but I will have the chance to debut the song with my band in my hometown when we play Scruffy City Hall in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Friday, November 15th at 8 pm.

AH: How did you decide which non-profit you wanted to support? How can fans help, in addition to streaming or downloading the song?

MT: The two most important criteria for me were that my chosen charity give 100 percent of the funds it receives to Helene relief efforts and that the organization be local to the East Tennessee/Western North Carolina region. I researched several different organizations and settled on Mountain Ways. They checked the right boxes, and I liked what they had to say about being committed to the long-term recovery. I also learned that Dolly Parton was supporting Mountain Ways, so I figured if they are good enough for Dolly, they are good enough for me!

The sad news is that many of the organizations and entities that were providing relief initially have moved on and are no longer in the area. The good news is that there are still organizations like Mountain Ways who are committed for the long haul. I was introduced to another incredible organization earlier this week, and we are working on some things together that I am excited to announce soon! In addition to streaming, downloading, and sharing the song, I would just encourage listeners to help in any way they are able.

Thanks very much for chatting with us, Mike Thomas. Check out the song here at the link below. You can feel the anguish and grief in the chorus: “The ancient hills are crying for Mother Mountain’s broken heart / Hell came in High Water and ripped them hills apart / Long forgotten, now forsaken, but the Good Lord’s love will abide / Hell came in high water, like a thief in the night.”

Find more details here on his website: https://mikethomasmusic.com/home

Enjoy our previous coverage here: REVIEW: Mike Thomas “Diamonds”