Kirk Thurmond
As Seen With
Lauryn Hill
St. Paul & The Broken Bones
Rufus Wainwright
Lee Fields
Black Joe Lewis
Marc Broussard
Corey Henry
The Suffers
Third Eye Blind
Mint Condition
all or nothing
Growing up in Dallas, Kirk was always surrounded by music. The 3-part harmony lessons from his father, coupled with the household soundtrack of soul giants, it seems he always knew what he would be doing with his life. “I can’t really remember a time when I wanted to be anything else. For a while there, it was the thing in my life that made the most sense.” Kirk gave an all or nothing push to start his career after stepping away from a percussion performance degree at age 19. Kirk used a series of coffee shops, bars, and college cafeterias to hone his writing into what it is now; his debut projects Born In The City and Only Love marked the beginning of his continuous pursuit for music that is real and timeless.
One Million eyes
KTAM is currently in studio working on "Mercury Retrograde", their upcoming EP. Kirk looks to blur the lines between the unknown and the "wish I'd never known" with this upcoming release.
“I don’t want to be afraid to make music and make change at the same time. I’ve become all too aware that saying nothing is saying something. No matter how strange the times may get, the ground below you never moves. So when you find yourself with your feet back on the ground, we’ll meet you there with the truth every time.”
Thurmond makes a conscious effort to point directly at “some major frustrations” that he has with people, but at its core, "Mercury Retrograde" is about finding peace in a life where the questions outnumber the answers. “It’s all about understanding yourself, and how it directly relates to knowing others.” Songs like the undeniably groovy “How Low” and the Steely Dan-like title track “Mercury Retrograde”, hold true to the tradition of Soul/R&B by utilizing captivating rhythm and convicting lyrics, without contradiction.
KTam: no looking back
In 2014 Kirk formed a full band, Kirk Thurmond & The Millennials. The band’s music furthers this pursuit on a deeper level. KTAM’s sound is a well honed backbone of rock solid groove that has put them in front of world-renowned acts like Lee Fields, Marc Broussard, and Lauryn Hill.
People Change came to be through the birth of the air-tight ensemble, “The Millennials”. Alongside R&B Drum legend, Gino Iglehart (Erykah Badu, Kirk Franklin, Musiq Soulchild) Kirk put together a group of musicians for a one time show, after feeling the frustrations of solo work. The performance still stands as the “point of no return”.
“None of this is about re-inventing the wheel. If anything I want to restore a timeless quality to R&B/Pop music that made the music of my youth so meaningful.” Kirk’s efforts towards timeless music show through the traces of Bill Withers, Bonnie Rait, Stevie Wonder, and Earth Wind & Fire instantly recognizable from track to track. There’s even a tribute to the late Rod Temperton, a songwriter that shaped Kirk’s musical pallet from an early age. Kirk Thurmond & The Millennials are set to release their "MercuryRetrograde" EP in the Spring of 2018.