Derek Thomas has announced that he will be releasing a new EP titled Derek Thomas Live At The Laguna Beach Cultural Arts Center on August 14, 2026. The first single from the record, “Running Fast Ain’t Free”, is out now.

What began as a one-off performance in an intimate listening room was captured as a recording. With no expectation of release, the performance unfolded naturally.

Thomas says:

The EP was never meant to be, it just happened. And that’s exactly why it works.

Only afterward, through salvaged board recordings and careful mixing, did the project come together. What emerged is not a traditional live album, but “a document of presence, retaining the imperfections.”

Derek Thomas is a singer/songwriter, lifelong surfer, and holistic practitioner whose work “lives at the intersection of sound, movement, and presence.” Splitting his time between Laguna Beach and Nicaragua, Thomas has built a life shaped by music, surfing, and spiritual practice. His sound moves fluidly between Americana, Indie Folk, and fingerstyle-driven songwriting.