Photos: Teddy Thompson KCRW Live Session
Teddy Thompson by Jeremiah Garcia Watch the session in the archives Teddy Thompson is the 35-year-son of folk legends Richard and Linda Thompson. His lineage is hard to ignore but…
By Rachel Reynolds • • 2 min readWatch the session in the archives
Teddy Thompson is the 35-year-son of folk legends Richard and Linda Thompson. His lineage is hard to ignore but it was clear last night in a private performance for KCRW –which will air on Morning Becomes Eclectic on April 4 – that he has purposefully steered his career in a different direction. Namely, country.
Even though he told us last night he “tried really hard not to make a country album” it’s impossible to ignore the twang with which he sings his lovelorn songs.
His voice is truly a gorgeous instrument that reminds me of two swoon-worthy singers I adore – Roy Orbison and Chris Isaak.
KCRW DJ Chris Douridas hosted a mid-set interview with Teddy, who told us he’s benefited from being different from his parents, musically speaking. He says he only really started listening to them in his late teens and that’s when he realized they were really good. He also said their music played an important role in his life once they divorced.
“I used to listen to my dad a lot as a way of trying to be close to him, as well, because my parents were divorced and I didn’t spend that much time with him. And I used to put headphones on and listen to my dad talk and sing and I found that quite…bonding with him, in a weird way.”
Teddy couldn’t have been more charming (he’s very funny) while performing with a trio for a crowd of about 150 people at Apogee’s Berkeley Street Studio just hours after taping a set for Conan.While my favorite song, Take Care of Yourself” wasn’t on the set list, I fell in love with a few new ones off his recently released album “Bella” – “Delilah” and “The One I Can’t Have”.
“Bella” is Teddy’s 5th album but its clear many in the crowd were just getting to know him – and were impressed by what they saw.
He even introduced us to his musical alter ego – a rockabilly band he calls Poundcake — to play a cover of “It’s So Easy to Fall in Love” during the encore.
Teddy is the first artist to be featured in KCRW’s Berkeley Street Sessions in 2011. Last year, we hosted Manu Chao, Interpol, Janelle Monae, Nas and Damien Marley, David Gray and Chrissie Hynde and the Fairground Boys at Apogee’s Berkeley Street Studio, all with producer Bob Clearmountain at the boards.
Check out photos courtesy of Jeremiah Garcia and the set list below.
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Teddy Thompson – Set List (Airing on MBE April 4)
Gotta Have Someone
Next One
The One I Can’t Have
Don’t Know
Over and Over
>interview
I Should Get Up
Delilah
I Feel
Looking for a Girl
It’s So Easy to Fall in Love
In My Arms