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Artist Bio

Tressa Thomas is, by definition, a powerful artist that has patiently waited for her turn to shine.

Having been in the music industry since six years old, and having shared stages with the likes of Patti LaBelle, Common, Carl Thomas, Robert Townsend, Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder and others, Tressa has an extensive list of appearances, accomplishments and professional milestones to her record. This would include starring in her first feature film - THE FIVE HEARTBEATS - at the tender age of twelve, and performing on the film's soundtrack with the Grammy-Award winning R&B Legend Patti LaBelle concurrently.

Since then, Thomas has navigated a life of film success, both in front and behind the camera, as well as featured appearances on stages throughout the world. She has also endured quite the personal tragedy with the loss of both her parents before turning 25. However, through the victories and defeats, she remains focused on her most rewarding and fulfilling talents to get her through the tough times: Singing and Songwriting.

This Chicago native's 2014 debut album, 'Hybrid Soul: The Organic Sessions', is highly anticipated and has already created a buzz amongst her eager fans and peers. Her desire to return to "truly organic and grassroots soul" has had a tremendous effect on the methodical execution, timing and release of her debut.

"If I was finally going to release an album, I had to take my time and truly sink into the words and direction," Thomas explains. "With this album, what you hear is what you get. The heart and soul... the abstract nature of my delivery... the original sound components... its all planned and balanced, and I wouldn't have released an album without that synergy."

Executive Produced by Shelley Hoselton and produced by The Soul People Band of Chicago, it goes without saying that anticipation for an album from this one-of-a-kind talent has been running high. The album is a rich showcase for Thomas’s powerhouse vocals and unique storytelling gifts on songs like “Silicone Swag,” “Tragedies,” “Just You and Me,” and “We Gotta Try,” a duet with friend and fellow Chicago artist, Yaw Agyeman.

Other highlights are the thoughtful ballad “All My Men,” which Thomas wrote to celebrate and embrace the loving men in her life that stepped in as fathers, brothers and friends upon her losing her biological father. “There are so many songs that vilify men and speak on how they 'do us wrong' or 'don't appreciate us'. I wanted to flip the script, and pay homage to the men that have actually been there for me... that have held me up when I needed a strong hand and a brave heart." she says.

On the contrary, Thomas does explore those common and opposite expectations - feelings of love lost, disappointment and frustration - in songs like "Noise", "Love Again" "Your Little Games" and "Otherside of the Mirror".

She embraces a subtle, yet sensual exploration of love with the song "Feel Me Darling" and keeps the love train moving with songs like "So Happy" and "ThYck Glow", which is Thomas's torch song dedication to the beauty and uniqueness of the "thyck" or curvaceous woman... which she happens to be and proudly represents. In fact, she is the CEO and Artistic Director of a 501(c)(3) performing arts company for curvy women in Chicago IL - ThYck Troupe Organization, NFP.

Thomas has always been inspired to create authentic, emotional prose to music, pulling from an array of life experiences and lessons learned. Her soulful, yet delicate vocal style was nurtured by years of not only church singing, but off-Broadway, musical theater, live television and stage performances throughout the world.

She fell in love with many genres of music at a very young age, as it was her mother's desire to forge a young artist who had her finger on the pulse of ALL music, and was not lyrically or vocally limited to just one genre. "My mom used to say just like there are thousands of different painters in the world, there are also thousands of different songs and styles. She wanted my musical mind to resemble an art gallery, and she succeeded," Thomas says.

As her mother introduced her to the classic R&B sounds of Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, and Phyllis Hyman, she also incorporated other genres to help Thomas understand the art of "telling a story" through varying vocal arrangements and tones. From the very beginning stages, examples of Thomas's repertoire included studying the tonal beauty, precision and emotion of Whitney Houston, Ella Fitzgerald and Peggy Lee, with a hefty dose of Chaka Khan and Shirley Bassey added for an impactful powerhouse belt.

Thomas wrote every song on the album, while collaborating with The Soul People Band, Chicago’s hottest soul, funk, hip hop and house band for more than seven years running. The Soul People have played with a wide variety of national and international recording artists including Dwele, Bilal, Omar, Estelle, Ice Cube, COMMON, Renee Neufville, Syleena Johnson, New Edition, Bone Thugz In Harmony, Eric Roberson and Jaguar Wright, just to name a few.

Thomas is excited to move forward and launch this new chapter of her life.... having finally achieved the millstone of laying a life-long journey in music on wax.

“I truly want people to reach for my album when they are ready to get knee-deep in "real music," she says. “This album is called 'The Organic Sessions' because I don't disguise or saturate the flow with what may be typical of other soul music. The songs are a merging of all that has inspired me, from every genre I've become familiar with and every artist that has left an impression on my musical mind. It's a mosh-pit soul party and I am spilling my heart and soul into every line. It's grassroots.... its guerilla-style.... its me and The Soul People... and it works."