HONKY-TONK BLISS. Local country artist Wyatt Thomson recently dropped his debut full-length studio album, Sad Records & Country Tunes. (Submitted images)

Country music remains a timeless American art form, and all it takes for a songwriter to spark a tune to life is one memorable interaction. For some it’s love; for others, it’s growing old. Local artist Wyatt Thomson can be inspired by random occurrences – like a suspect character bringing stripper poles and CPAP machines into a pawn shop looking to make a quick buck.

Sad Records & Country Tunes is the debut full-length studio album by Eau Claire-based country artist Wyatt Thomson, which was released on Nov. 8 on Philville Records. The album is an eight-song offering, full of honky-tonk bliss that may remind listeners of decades gone by similar to artists such as Roger Miller who would plaster the airwaves of dive bars in the mid-20th century.

One of Thomson’s defining traits is that he sounds like an artist transported from the 1950s country circles of the Midwest and dropped off into the second decade of the 21st century unscathed by the evolution of popular music and culture in America.

“There’s a little bit of everything,” Thomson said. “There are stories about dirtbags, derelicts, lowlives, and burnouts. The songs are about people who spend their time traveling around playing music, pawning their cowboy boots for drinking money, and getting into trouble at fictional holes in the wall. But there are also funny tunes and heartfelt songs. It’s a good mix.”

One of Thomson’s defining traits is that he sounds like an artist transported from the 1950s country circles of the Midwest and dropped off into the second decade of the 21st century unscathed by the evolution of popular music and culture in America. There is a purity to his music that transcends time, which is bound to make listeners feel nostalgic for a time they may not have lived through.

“It makes me happy that my music makes other people happy,” Thomson said. “I have a take on country music that not a lot of people are pursuing right now, so having that bit of difference in my sound is another thing that keeps me going.”

Thomson was selected as the “Best New Artist” in the 2023 Volume One Best of the Chippewa Valley Reader Poll, showing there are still those who appreciate the tried and true storytelling he has to offer. And while country music continues to evolve, you can trust Thomson will still be plucking away and telling stories with a guitar in his hand.

Sad Records & Country Tunes by Wyatt Thomson is available now on all streaming services and physically on 140-gram vinyl. For more information about Thomson’s music on his profile on philvillerecords.com.