Press

Bio

Thomas Nordlund is a guitarist, composer, and producer currently based in Mérida, Mexico. For two decades, he anchored the US Midwest music circuit as an in-demand electric sideman and bandleader, culminating in the May 2026 release of his gritty, electric-centric cinematic record, Through The Clearing. Following this intense, five-track release, Nordlund underwent a drastic creative distillation—leaving behind the complex gear and ensembles of his past to strip his musical canvas down to a singular steel-string acoustic guitar.

This intentional artistic pivot resulted in his upcoming acoustic EP, Dripstone (September 2026). Recorded as a raw dialogue between guitar and sparse hand percussion, the record explores how advanced modern jazz harmony and classical structures behave under severe acoustic constraints.

Though his geography and primary instrument have shifted, Nordlund’s playing retains the deep narrative quality that has long defined his career. Skope Magazine previously praised his ability to “flesh out entire landscapes with only a few notes,” noting his fluidity between intimate, poetic moments and expansive soundscapes—a skill that takes center stage on his new acoustic material. His unique hybrid-picking technique bridges the foundational fingerstyle discipline he built decades ago under the mentorship of veteran acoustic guitarist Tim Sparks with the complex, open-string chordal architecture developed through intensive study with New York jazz guitarist Peter Mazza.

Prior to his acoustic reinvention, Nordlund released a trilogy of acclaimed electric instrumental records, beginning with his baritone-centric debut Divide Avenue (2015) and Miles Left Behind (2018). A deeply trusted staple of the Minneapolis/St. Paul music scene, he has collaborated, performed, and recorded alongside a diverse roster of artists across genres, including Chris Bates, John Raymond, Dead Man Winter, Sarah Morris, Maryam Yusefzadeh, and the Adam Meckler Orchestra.

Today, Nordlund’s work operates at the intersection of rigorous classical structure, modern jazz, and cinematic storytelling—proving that whether he is wielding a gritty electric or the barest of acoustic essentials, the musical horizon remains vast.