“PHOLKS to me is celebrating the folks that inspired us”: Leon Thomas on his latest EP

“You know what an EGOT is?”, Leon Thomas asks me. The singer-songwriter is calling via Zoom as he’s about to head out to New York, his hometown. When I tell him that I do — it’s the acronym for the major performing arts awards: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards — he concludes: “I want that.” Even as he adds that the goal “may sound far-fetched”, it’s easy to see that Thomas’ ambition fits him like a well-tailored suit, elegant and precise. And with a Grammy already under his belt, he’s closer to his goal than most people will ever be. 

The award came last year, when Thomas won Best R&B Song for co-producing SZA’s “Snooze”, but even before embarking on his journey as a producer for the likes of artists like Drake, Ariana Grande and Rick Ross, his career already involved several years of hard work. The singer was only ten when he took the stage to make his Broadway debut as Young Simba in The Lion King, a few years later becoming a teenage TV star as one of the lead actors in Nickelodeon’s Victorious. Now, he’s taking the industry by storm with his own music. 

MUTT, Thomas’ sophomore album, was widely acclaimed, with the eponymous single having climbed all the way to the top of the UK’s R&B singles chart. A masterclass in modern R&B, the collection of songs quickly established Thomas as one of the contemporary leading voices in the genre — even as he pushes the bounds of what R&B is. “It’s important for me to continue to be creative and to try to create new forms of R&B,” he says. “Because in acting things are so structured — you’re being told what to do from jump to bump — music has always been a very free place for me.” 

And that sense of freedom, combined with his extensive knowledge of the genre, is exactly what makes Thomas’ sound so refreshing. A perfect blend of the traditional and modern, even his usual instrument of choice — the guitar — is simultaneously a fundamental part of R&B and something younger audiences tend not to associate with the genre. “Guitar has been a huge part of R&B from its genesis,” says Thomas. “I was a really big India Arie fan, Babyface also played guitar — acoustic, to be exact. All my influences played instruments, from Curtis Mayfield to Jimi Hendrix. People that could play and tell a story with their voice.” As Thomas talks about his upcoming projects, it is clear that he, too, has many stories to tell. 

You’ve touched so many different areas in the arts throughout your career, but music seems to be a constant element for you. Has releasing your own music always been the end goal? 

I got my first deal when I was thirteen years old, and ever since it’s been something very close to my heart. I knew my music deserved real funding, care and marketing, so I’m really glad I connected with Motown, Capitol and EZMNY — Ty Dolla $ign and Shawn Barron have done a great job of creating a solid platform for my art.

Between all of the paths you’ve explored, is there anything that you think you’d like to revisit? 

I’d love to revisit acting. I’ve been on this fitness journey recently, getting back into working out four or five times a week. I feel like when I return back to acting, I want to try action films. 

Have you always liked action films? 

I like action films that feature comedic timing. I did one when I was younger called Badasses 2, and I got a chance to taste what it would feel like to do action sequences and fight scenes. I’m not trying to become the next Rambo or anything, it’s more about being in a position to be able to tackle all the stunts.

Your album MUTT came out last year, where we got to see a blend of all the different influences you have. Are there any genres that you feel like you haven’t explored yet, but would like to? 

When I’m older, I want to do a traditional jazz album but in my own way. Robert Glasper, who I’m a big fan of, reached out to me on Instagram. I want to really experiment, maybe with him, or one of the other big jazz legends — try something really specific to my taste, but that’s still respectful of the genre. 

You’ve just dropped your latest EP, PHOLKS. Tell us about it!

I’m really excited. The guys I made MUTT with, David Phelps and Robert Gueringer, are unbelievably talented. When I met them, it felt like I was meeting my long-lost brothers. We started coming up with songs after MUTT had some real success, and it started feeling like a whole body of music. PHOLKS is the title of our imaginary band. When I met them, I was like, Man, we’re like Earth, Wind & Fire at this point, we need to come up with a title to explain this sound that we’re building. That title has now taken so many different meanings since its inception, and PHOLKS to me is celebrating the folks that inspired us. It’s also about roots. As we continue to grow, it’s very important for urban artists to pay homage to the people that came before us.

You’re of course also about to embark on a massive headlining tour, with dates across the US, Europe and Australia. What can we expect from those shows, and what are you most looking forward to? 

I just love gracing the stage. I’m excited to put something together that’s really potent to figure out a way to tell these stories. We’re still kind of ideating exactly what that hour and fifteen minutes is gonna entail, but we got all the songs recorded and ready, and we’re steadily working on how that’s gonna fill that time slot. It’s gonna be really fun. 

How do you go about staying creative?

I don’t know, I’m a bit isolated. I don’t get to hang out as much as everybody else, because I’m either in a crib rehearsing, or I’m at a studio making a new record. But it’s good. I’m glad I spent this time really trying to perfect my art and be the best that I can be, because I think it’s paid off in beautiful ways. 

Your creative process seems really tied to your emotions. Was there a time when making music helped you put something out there that you feel you wouldn’t have been able to otherwise?

For my first album, Electric Dusk, I really couldn’t afford a therapist, or at least a good one, at that time. It was really nice being able to put a lot of my emotions into the music. Even if what I was talking about wasn’t what I was necessarily going through, it was really nice to put a lot of the blue colors that I had in my life somewhere — they needed to live somewhere outside of my body.

Are there any particular songs that come to mind? 

“Treasure In The Hills” was a therapeutic moment, because I feel like it was me manifesting and calling out for love at a time when I didn’t necessarily have it, longing for and missing something. Two very potent emotions, but really impactful because they came from such a true place in my heart. 

You’ve just dropped your latest EP, PHOLKS. Tell us about it!

I’m really excited. The guys I made MUTT with, David Phelps and Robert Gueringer, are unbelievably talented. When I met them, it felt like I was meeting my long-lost brothers. We started coming up with songs after MUTT had some real success, and it started feeling like a whole body of music. PHOLKS is the title of our imaginary band. When I met them, I was like, Man, we’re like Earth, Wind & Fire at this point, we need to come up with a title to explain this sound that we’re building. That title has now taken so many different meanings since its inception, and PHOLKS to me is celebrating the folks that inspired us. It’s also about roots. As we continue to grow, it’s very important for urban artists to pay homage to the people that came before us.

You’re of course also about to embark on a massive headlining tour, with dates across the US, Europe and Australia. What can we expect from those shows, and what are you most looking forward to? 

I just love gracing the stage. I’m excited to put something together that’s really potent to figure out a way to tell these stories. We’re still kind of ideating exactly what that hour and fifteen minutes is gonna entail, but we got all the songs recorded and ready, and we’re steadily working on how that’s gonna fill that time slot. It’s gonna be really fun. 

Listen to PHOLKS here.