premiere: let joy soar with 80-year-old soul legend ural thomas & the pain’s new 7″ “vibrations”

It’s been 50 years since Ural Thomas was out opening for Otis Redding and the Rolling Stones, but he hasn’t lost an ounce of that fire. Disillusioned with the soulessness of the music industry, the soul singer retreated to Portland in the early 70’s, and began hosting weekly jam sessions. Over the past decade, these jam sessions evolved into an unexpected late-career resurgence with his new backing band The Pain. Despite pushing 80, Ural Thomas & The Pain show no sign of easing up with their latest single “Vibrations” b/w “My Sweet Rosie.”

“Good vibrations go a long way, and help to spread joy. The song meaning comes from being around wonderful people and that’s the message I am always trying to share”

The two tracks form the A and B sides of a forthcoming 7” and could easily have been cut 50 years ago. Ural Thomas and bandleader Scott Magee are careful to keep everything as authentic as possible, down to the imperfectly tuned piano. There’s an undeniable warmth coming off these songs, as Thomas builds a monument to joy. The A side is a tribute to being around positive people, while the singer describes his tribute to his wife “My Sweet Rosie” saying simply “well, that’s what she is!”

Ural Thomas & The Pain will be dropping their next full length in the fall. In the meantime, grab your copy of the 7” here: https://tenderlovingempire.com/products/ural-thomas-and-the-pain-vibrations