GRAMMY® Winner Leon Thomas Introduces Us to His PHOLKS
“Led by the singles ‘Just How You Are’ and ‘My Muse,’ which could trigger a ‘Soul Train’ line at any moment, the project feels warm and nostalgic, yet anchored in forward-thinking production and playful storytelling that helps push it into the future.”
—Los Angeles Times
With PHOLKS, Leon Thomas brings the influences that shaped his musicianship to the forefront, moving between R&B, funk, and rock with a sensibility entirely his own. “My Muse” is an immediate standout, vintage textures and a funk-driven groove meet a contemporary sensibility. The track reflects Thomas’s ability to draw from different eras without being confined to any one of them. Featuring 4batz, “Lonewolf” takes that versatility in another direction, exploring a more solitary side of Thomas and the complexities of navigating love and connection.
Then there’s “Just How You Are,” an homage to musical visionaries like Jimi Hendrix, Prince, and George Clinton, artists who challenged convention and made their individuality central to their sound. That spirit carries across PHOLKS, where classic R&B, live instrumentation, rock, and funk converge in a sound that pushes beyond the boundaries of traditional R&B. Following MUTT and its expanded edition HEEL, PHOLKS continues Thomas’s exploration of the influences and instincts that define him as an artist.
GRAMMY Award-winning artist, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Leon Thomas has spent years building a career both in the studio and on stage. After early acting roles, including his appearances on Nickelodeon’s Victorious and HBO’s Insecure, he developed an equally formidable reputation as a songwriter and producer before increasingly putting his own artistry at center stage. His sophomore album MUTT introduced a wider audience to the genre-fluid approach that has become his calling card, blending R&B with psychedelic textures, rock influences and deeply personal songwriting. With PHOLKS, Thomas continues that evolution, drawing on the sounds that raised him while refusing to simply recreate them. The result feels like an artist who knows his musical history well enough to have some fun rewriting the rules. And his future.
For more on Leon Thomas and PHOLKS, click here.
REVIEWS
“He’s one of R&B’s foremost practitioners of melisma, stretching out rhythmic riffs like pebbles skipping in water.”
—The New York Times
“For Thomas, the precocious singer-songwriter is fully off the leash. No longer strictly defined by his songwriting prowess, he’s evolved into a go-to feature savant, lending his vocal talents to anyone seeking his services. This year alone, he’s landed double-digit features, and the number continues to climb.”
—Billboard
“Thomas is aiming to reinstate the ‘live musicianship’ of his guitar heroes, Prince and Jimi Hendrix.”
—The Guardian
“...instinct has carried Thomas throughout his 20-plus-year career in the entertainment industry, and has cleared a path for him to emerge as a leading force in modern
R&B music.”
—Los Angeles Times
“Onstage, Thomas channels the intensity of some of his musical heroes — James Brown, Prince, Jimi Hendrix and D’Angelo.”
—Los Angeles Times
“Thomas has finally tasted success under his own name…”
—Variety
“Thomas, an established singer-songwriter who broke through as a solo artist with his hit 2024 record, Mutt, has shown a knack for crafting memorable live performances in any setting.”
—Rolling Stone
...we've found ourselves enthralled by Leon Thomas performances all over”
—The Cut
