Mar 10

Mar 10 Thao & The Get Down Stay Down To Release New Album: "Temple"

Breaking news, CQ’s! Thao & the Get Down Stay Down, led by queer singer-songwriter Thao Nguyen, are releasing their fifth studio album called Temple through Ribbon Music on May 15, 2020.

Few can conquer the nuanced marriage of folk, funk, and hip hop—but for the last decade, Thao & The Get Down Stay Down have risen to the occasion. With their title track, Temple, released earlier this afternoon, the band showcases the rhythmic beats and flashy basslines of their trademark sound while giving us a taste of what’s to come on the new record.

While Thao & The Get Down Stay Down have been creating music since 2009, their last record “Man Alive” was released over three years ago. Thao Nguyen addressed the hiatus on her social media today, stating that she hasn't been in the spotlight for good reason — lots of solo touring, guest hosting the incredible podcast Song Exploder, and—the news we’re most excited about—marrying her girlfriend! Anticipating our need for details, Thao promised that there will be “more info in the songs.” Expect us to be listening extra carefully.

If you’re new to Thao Nguyen, here are some essentials you need to know. She’s a San Francisco-based musician who is bold in sound and spirit. She’s an accomplished songwriter who shapes her deeply personal experiences into artistic, musical poetry. And she focuses elements of her songwriting on subject matter like being the daughter of a Vietnamese refugee, a dedicated political activist, and now with the release of Temple, her identity as a queer woman. Thao states that Temple will be the most “honest and open project she has done,” and that’s in large part because of her courage to open up about her true identity.

“I have divided myself into so many selves,” Thao states. “I am nervous, but hopeful that in belonging to myself, I can still belong to my family, and my Vietnamese community, especially the elders.” She continues, “I believe that shame has made my work more general, when I’ve always wanted to be specific. This record is about me finally being specific. If you listen to my music, I want you to know who you are dealing with.”

— Thao Nguyen

So who are we dealing with? The short answer is a truly inspiring woman. The long answer is a powerhouse musician who has toured and collaborated with queer artists of an equal caliber, like Merrill Garbus of tUnE-YarDs and Mirah. She’s a show-stopping performer, who can play the slide guitar like an electric goddess (though my personal favorite moments as a fan are the Missy Elliot and Ludacris covers I screamed to in the front row of many a dive bar). And she’s a fierce, passionate political activist who has worked with the Valley State Prison For Women (inspiring her 2013 record We The Common), Oxfam—a global organization working to end the injustice of poverty, and who routinely encourages her listeners to get out and vote.

As if I have yet to describe how lovely and talented Thao Nguyen is, she’s also just a genuine, kind-hearted person who gives a lot of love and support back to her fans. I personally reached out to Thao in 2017 because my wife and I were getting married and planning on sharing our first dance with our LGBTQ friends and family. We chose Thao’s cover of The Troggs’ “With A Girl Like You” as our song. When I told her about her music holding such a special space on our wedding day, Thao responded with a heartfelt video congratulating us and joining in with our friends and family to send her best wishes from afar

If you’re like us and can’t wait for the full release of Thao & The Get Down Stay Down’s newest album, we’ve added the official music video for their title track, Temple down below.

Check out Temple tour dates here to catch Thao & The Get Down Stay Down in your city.
And if you want to hear CQ’s favorite Thao songs, we’ve made a grooving playlist just for you.