07/30/2025
This week St. Francis Records is introducing you to the artists included on the ‘No Distance Between Us’ album benefiting the work of International Rescue Committee. NDBU releases Friday, August 1, 2025.
Pre-order your copy here and get it delivered to your Bandcamp Collection on 8/1/25.
For three decades Michelle Lynn Thompson has been singing backups for other people's projects or in the band The Wayside with her husband John. It's been in the last few years that she has focused on developing her own artistic vision. She writes and performs gorgeous, heart felt folk based songs. On NDBU, she shares her moving single "Riptide" with us.
SFR: When did you begin playing music and who are some of your influences?
Michelle Thompson: My first public performance was in church at 5 years old. I sang Kitty Wells' "How Far Is Heaven". I grew up always singing and pretending to be Dolly Parton or Olivia Newton John. I'd stand on my canopy bed and sing into the bedpost finial. In school I was a part of various choirs and ensembles, but I started seriously performing and recording around 1990 with a band called Vague and eventually renamed The Wayside with my husband, John Thompson and we've performed, written, and recorded together now for 35 years. I got my first paid vocal recording session gig in 1992 for a metal band called White Cross and have really enjoyed recording as a guest vocalist on many projects over the years as well as being invited to perform live guest backing vocals with bands like Sixpence None The Richer, Vigilantes, Of Love, The Violet Burning, Cory Crowder, Julie Lee, and touring with Rick Elias and his wife Linda for a bit. I recorded my first original song around 1991 called "Cry In My Sleep". I did not write or record another of my own original songs again until 2012 when I wrote and recorded my first solo ep, "Words That Fell" produced by Kenny Hutson (of Vigilantes of Love, Over the Rhine, and Old Black Kettle, and David Crowder band). I was very proud of that first EP and it featured some stellar musicians including Eamon McLoughlin of the Grand Old Opry. Throughout my adult years my main focus has been raising and homeschooling our four kids. That made it a bit difficult to consistently write or record, so I just participated in music wherever I could. An absolute stand out performance moment for me, was being invited by Lady Erne of Crom Castle, in Ireland to sing a song for her and her husband, the Earl, Lord Erne, in their drawing room after a dinner. I sang "Say I Do" a song I wrote for my grandparents. It can be found on my 2012 EP "Words That Fell" on my Bandcamp page. A few years ago our youngest went off to college and I became an empty nester. I saw this as an opportunity to open a new chapter and really dive into my songwriting. I recorded and released about eight songs in 2024 and focused my releases first to my bandcamp store that I share with John. I love sharing music FIRST with the fans and people who really love to support good music. Without a record label, I'm paying for all this myself by writing custom kids songs and cleaning my airbnb. I recoup as much of the cost as I can through a "pay what you want" format on Bandcamp before I eventually release my songs to streaming platforms. As far as my influences, there are way too many incredible ones to mention here, but I'll name some female artists who have either shaped my journey vocally or as a writer. Olivia Newton John, Dolly Parton, Amy Grant, LeeAnn Womack, Alison Krauss, Karin Bergquist, Julie Miller, Emmylou Harris, Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James, Tricia Yearwood, Martina McBride, Julie Lee, Kacey Chambers, and most recently Brandi Carlile, Brandy Clark, Caroline Spence. I love music about real life, delivered with authenticity, not flawless perfection.
SFR: What part of the country are you in? Do you get to play out live? See your music as a recording project for your creative endeavors?
Michelle Thompson: Originally from Illinois, I'm currently living in Nashville, TN and have been since 2007. As far as my solo "career" goes, it's new territory for me to play out on my own without John. I've been learning enough guitar to join some songshares, writer rounds, and to have done a few concerts. I hope to do more. I think I shine best in a situation where I can share stories along with my songs. The absolute best thing is when someone unexpected comes up to me after a performance to tell me how one of my songs touched them. In this new chapter of my life I have written and co-written a lot of songs. I think I have a valuable perspective to offer. It is my hope and dream to record as many of them as I can as funds allow. I have had a lot of folks suggest I do a full album. I'm not sure if I'll do that or just continue to release singles. There's something freeing about thinking of each song as it's own thing. Then I don't have to worry about if they weave together in a certain way. But I do love a good album. We'll see. I'd need something big to come along financially for me to be able to record a whole album. A favorite standing gig I'm part of is called "Live On Music Row". I get to sit in with a group of pro musicians and absolutely wonderful human beings every other month and sing cover songs to raise money for clean water wells, and caring for the homeless. It happens at the Well at Koinonia on 16th ave.
SFR: Tell us about your song included on NDBU and why you selected it for this project?
Michelle Thompson: The song I chose is called "Riptide". It came from a very deep, frightened, tired, and confused place in my heart. I co-wrote it with Steve Hindalong and John Mulder in Hot Springs, NC at Mercyland Songwriting Workshop (a workshop put on by my good friend, Phill Madeira). I was really struggling with feeling lost and confused like being tossed around and pulled deeper and deeper into the "the waves" of this chaotic world we are living in. I had a sense of deep loss and desperation wondering where in the world God is in all of it. Strangely, the two people I felt safe sharing this with were Steve and John. I did this separately during the day and then we happened to be all put together for a write that afternoon. As I poured out my heart, Steve would ask questions and draw more out of me. John Mulder played it all out on his guitar bringing everything to life. My friend, Sam Wade, produced the recording of this song with Steve Hindalong on drums, John Mulder, on guitar, John Thompson on electric guitar and Sam adding additional acoustic. Right after the recording the awful hurricane and flooding devastated North Carolina, including damaging the very town we wrote the song in. I originally release this to my Bandcamp page giving all proceeds to flood relief. Watching the news of the awful things going on in Ukraine, this song "Riptide" would play in the background of my mind like a soundtrack to the chaos, fear, and confusion. So, when I was asked to submit a song for this relief project, I knew it had to be "Riptide". I feel like this song was given to me at just the right time to be used to help others in difficult circumstances. It's the song that keeps giving.
SFR: Why were you interested in contributing to NDBU?
Michelle Thompson: If anything I have to offer can possibly bring help to the hurting my answer is yes.
Links where listeners can learn more about Michelle Lynn Thompson are in the comments below.