[Cover photo credit to Ryan A Stadler Photography]

Best known for his work in Jr. Thomas & The Volcanos, Minnesota singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and Producer Jr. Thomas has announced a collaboration that pays homage to the golden era of Soul music.

Teaming up with Philadelphia production duo Maxwell Perla & Vincent John, also known as Eraserhood Sound, he’s announced the album Jr. Thomas in the Eraserhood, set for release this Fall via DeepMatter Records.

It was a project that began with a songbook of tunes Thomas had been working on alone, but came together through collaboration, as well as Thomas’ drive “to find the perfect musicians and studio combination to fulfill his vision.”

After hearing Eraserhood’s work with Kendra Morris, Angelo Outlaw, and Say She She, he knew he’d found the perfect match.

He says:

The Eraserhood sessions were fuelled by focus, hard work, and pure determination. In the late summer of 2023, I approached Vince and Max from Eraserhood with the vision of making an album—despite not having a single song written. We booked a winter session, and I spent the next four months writing.

Lyrically, the record is introspective, digging into Thomas’ “reflections and lessons learned from his younger self.”

Jr. Thomas’ latest single with Eraserhood Sound is “Never Be Another” and it came together thus:

…Vincent had recorded most of the track himself as an unfinished idea and asked if I could write something for it in case we needed an extra song for the album. The vocal melody came to me instantly, but crafting the lyrics as a tribute to an old Minneapolis friend took more time. It was also the first song we recorded when I arrived at Eraserhood. Raynier’s Hammond work, along with Zeek and Turquoise’s backing vocals, gave it so much depth. I love how Maxwell’s percussion holds back until later in the song. Big props to Ron Kerber, whose flute performance brings the outro to a powerful close.