Mike Thomas photo by Justin Hammond
Mike Thomas makes Americana rootsy rock style music, using landscape metaphors for healing what’s ailing the American soul. In this song, we have the image of Mike fishing with his son, and the cathartic of the timeless tradition and the natural waters: “we’ve seen a lot pain these days we’ve lost a lot of ground , I want to cleanse my soul in her waters, wash my sins on down.” Americana Highways had a chance to chat with Mike Thomas about his new single, “Tailwaters,” here.
Americana Highways: Hi, Mike. Thanks so much for sitting down and talking with us again. You have a new single just out last week called “Tailwaters.” I’m sure there was an “aha” moment that happened when this song, or the idea for it, presented itself to you. What inspired you to write this song? What is the story behind it?
Mike Thomas: The initial inspiration for “Tailwaters” came a couple of years ago while I was finishing the songs for my Diamonds album. The title of the song was given to me by my longtime friend, Nick Powell. He sent me two song ideas on the same day back in 2023. I finished one of those songs (“Out Back”) and put it on Diamonds. The other song idea was “Tailwaters.” I loved the title and some of the imagery Nick had used in his initial demo. I had a feeling that I would come back around to it at some point. One morning while I was trout fishing with my son, I found the inspiration to finish the song. A few days later, I finished it and sent it to Nick – he loved it. I shared it with my producer, Tres Sasser, and he loved it too, so we decided to record it for this next album.
AH: Songwriting, like fishing, might require a bit of patience, or maybe it flows easily, like a stream. What was the songwriting process for this song like?
MT: As a fisherman, you’ve got to get up early, get all your gear packed up, get out to your spot, and get your line in the water. Sometimes, they bite instantly, and, other days, it takes all day, if they are even biting at all. That’s a lot like songwriting. Some days, the ideas come instantly and seem to fit together nicely; other days, you find yourself staring at a blank page. Either way, you’ve got to get up and try to reel one in.
While I had the title and general idea for “Tailwaters” for a couple of years, I wasn’t sure how to finish it until that morning with my son. Once the inspiration hit, the song came together in a matter of a couple of hours.
AH: What is the overall message for this song? What do you hope it conveys to listeners?
MT: I grew up fishing with my dad and my grandfather. I learned at a young age to appreciate the rivers, streams, and mountains where I grew up. I learned that if you want to find God, getting out in nature is a great place to start. In a world filled with constant noise and distractions, I find peace and tranquility wading into the water, and that is now something I get to pass along to my son. On the surface, “Tailwaters” is a song about fishing, but it is really a song about the redemptive power of doing something you love with someone you love. It’s about passing something deeply spiritual to the next generation.
AH: Tell us about the recording process. Who did you work with in the studio? Where did you record it? What were the sessions like? How was the vibe, and how did the song come together?
MT: The song features Tres Sasser (bass, producer), Mark Huhta (pedal steel), Steven Bowman (fiddle), Weston Woodford (harmony vocals), and Jamie Dick (drums). I sang, played the acoustic guitars, mandolin, and harmonica. Joe Costa engineered the track, and Pete Lyman mastered it. We recorded the song in one day at Tres’ studio, and we were initially not sure whether it should feature a fiddle or a pedal steel. We decided to bring both Mark and Steven into the recording process, and they did a great job helping to convey the imagery and overall vibe of the song.
AH: Were there any “magic moments” in the studio where everything worked perfectly or better than you could have imagined? Or, conversely, were there any hurdles you had to clear to make this song what you wanted it to be?
I think we tracked this song in only one or two takes. The biggest challenge with this song was figuring out the right instrumentation to complement the lyrics and theme. I was really torn on which instruments would really help bring the song to life. Ultimately, Tres and I decided to go with fiddle and pedal steel, and I think the interplay between the two really worked out nicely.
AH: Have you played this song live yet? If so, what kind of reaction has the song gotten from those who have heard it? Has your son, the one you fish with, heard it, and, if so, what does he think of it?
MT: I have played it live a couple of times, once at a writer’s round and once with the full band. Reaction has been positive, especially from the anglers in the crowd who appreciate the sport. My son has heard it and likes it, but truth be told, he prefers the single that we plan to follow it with a few months from now over “Tailwaters.”
AH: On the fishing trip, when was the last time you went fishing, where was it, and did you catch anything? Do you have a favorite fishing location that you can share with our readers?
MT: I love fishing, but I keep a pretty full schedule, so it has been a couple of months since I have been. I’ve got three teenage kids who keep me pretty busy on the weekends. The last time my son and I went fishing, we fished the Elk River near Tullahoma, TN. Unfortunately, we didn’t have any luck that day. Our go-to spot is usually the Caney Fork River, but I also always enjoy getting back to East TN, where I grew up, to fish whenever I get the chance. We have got a trip to Florida coming up soon and plan to do some fishing.
AH: We’ve checked in with you a few times recently about some of your singles. Last year, you talked to us about your song, “Hell in High Water,” which was written in response to the devastation from Hurricane Helene. I understand that song has gotten a lot of attention since then. Can you tell us a bit about that?
MT: The response to “Hell in High Water” has been incredible. I never would have thought that song would take off the way it did, especially since we did not do any traditional marketing or promotion for the song. It continues to amass thousands of streams per day and has received two different nominations for Song of the Year. Just last week, we noticed that it’s now up to 67 million streams on TikTok and has been used in more than 35,000 user videos. I didn’t even have a TikTok account when we released this song! I am thrilled that so many people connected with that song. The response it received gave me a renewed since of purpose. It helped me reconnect with the reason I started writing in the first place. Most importantly, the song has raised thousands for ongoing relief in the region. We are coming up on one year since Hurricane Helene hit, and there is still much work to be done.
AH: Speaking of singles, you’ve released several in a row. You mentioned an upcoming album release earlier in our chat. Are you working toward an album with these singles, or can we expect more singles going forward? What’s coming up next for you?
MT: We are working on finishing an album. After “Tailwaters,” the plan is to release at least one more single, with a full album out sometime in 2026.
Thanks very much for chatting with us, Mike Thomas. You can find more information here: http://li.sten.to/tailwaters
Enjoy our previous coverage here: Interview: Mike Thomas on Hurricane Helene and “Hell In High Water”
