With his new album The Beautiful Unknown out now, we talk to Foreverinmotion's Brendon Thomas about what inspires him in part one of our special two-part interview.

• Genre: acoustic / rock / folk
• Brendon Thomas (instruments / engineering / production)
• Sounds like: Damien Rice / Sigur Ros / Bright Eyes / Dashboard Confessional
• Home: Chester, Vermont, US
• Foreverinmotion

Forever Emotion

When Brendon Thomas released his debut CD in 2004 under the guise of Foreverinmotion, few could have predicted how much it would connect with so many people. A landscape of beautiful songs and storytelling, it was a bright new voice in the often darker territory of indie music.

Now, with his new release The Beautiful Unknown expanding on that debut with songs full of ethereal grace and emotive feeling, we caught up with Brendon to talk about his own inspirations: bringing back the art of songwriting, and how light can still be found in the darkest places.

Here, in part one of our special two-part interview, Brendon tells us about his continuing journey that is Foreverinmotion. Special thanks go to Brendon for taking the time to talk to us, and to Mike Cubillos at Earshot Media for his help arranging everything.

Brendon Thomas Interview

Suite: First, congratulations on an absolutely beautiful record. You must be very proud of it?

Brendon: Thank you! You are very kind. I am proud of this record. I put a lot of work and love into it, and the reactions to the album have been lovely. However, aside from the pride, there is a part of me that remains humble, as I see this album as just a step in the journey, and I know that even better albums are to come in the future.

Suite: Your debut album came out in 2004 and sold half a million on downloads alone. Would you feel "unhappy" if the new record "only" sold the same or less, with the growth you've made as a songwriter?

Brendon: Well, that is a misconception (laughs). I didn’t sell half a million downloads of the first album. There were a combined half a million free downloads of the songs from my first album since it came out in 2004 on various websites. I would never be unhappy either way though; the joy is in the music and the moment it puts you in, not the sales or lack of them.

Suite: You're still only 23 yet your songs have wisdom seemingly beyond your years. Do you ever wonder what you'll be writing about in 10 or 20 years' time?

Brendon: Sometimes. I wonder how my music and intellect will mature, and how my approach might change in 20 years' time. However, in truth, I can only be here and now so it doesn’t keep me up at night. I’ll make it there someday and I hope its good.

Suite: Your albums's very simple, as in it's all about the songs, yet still feels full and rich. Do you feel sometimes many of today's artists go for overblown production as opposed to good old-fashioned songwriting?

Brendon: I think it can be easy to hide behind the “cut and paste” features of Pro Tools, Auto-Tune, harmonizers, and all that stuff. Something is definitely lost in that for a lot of artists. Their records sound amazing, but the human factor is missing… the part that is real and imperfect. Its like looking at a pretty girl who has no substance. She’s nice to look at, but there’s nothing true about her. Not to say I don’t enjoy using effects and going for a polished sound - in some songs on the new album, it's obvious that I do. But I feel that as long as you stay honest and maintain your integrity in the performances, there’s a happy medium between production and what‘s coming across in the song.

Suite: One of the wonderful things about your new album are the influences you can hear, yet how you still make them into your own unique sound. What albums were you personally listening to whilst recording The Beautiful Unknown?

Brendon: At the time, I specifically remember listening to these records a lot:

~ Sigur Ros Untitled

~ Damien Rice O

~ Nickel Creek Why Should The Fire Die?

~ Jimmy Eat World Futures

~ Death Cab For Cutie Plans

~ Peter Mulvey Kitchen Radio

~ Bob Dylan The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan

~ Nick Drake Pink Moon

• Brendon Thomas Interview Part Two: Evolution Of Themes
• The Beautiful Unknown CD Review
• Where to Buy The Beautiful Unknown
• Contact Foreverinmotion