Everyone remembers where they were the first time they heard Thompson Square, with their multi-platinum mega-hit “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not”, and crowds remain hungry for more. The Grammy-nominated duo has toured the world; won multiple ACM, ACA, CMA, and CMT awards; appeared on The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, NBC’s TODAY Show, CBS This Morning as well as numerous primetime tv specials and awards shows; earned No. 1 records in three countries, and even launched their own podcast. They’ve been praised as “remarkable” by Taste of Country, “deeply personal and emotional” by Sounds Like Nashville, and “vivacious” by Rolling Stone. And now Thompson Square has come home.
After taking time out over the last few years to focus on family (venturing out briefly to release their critically lauded Masterpiece album), the pair are back on the scene in full force and have reunited with Benny Brown, the veteran label head who spearheaded their chart-topping success.
“Keifer and I really got back to our roots,” says Shawna of this country music homecoming, “But we’ve grown too, and the music reflects all of that.” The duo’s new material promises all the hallmarks that made audiences fall for the Thompsons in the first place, as well as showcasing everything that life, touring and starting a family has taught them.
Thompson Square’s music has always been quintessentially grounded in their identity as a couple. Whether basking in the light of one another in the No. 1 smash, “If I Didn’t Have You,” or shocking the neighbors with flirty, distracting thoughts in Top 10 hit “Everything I Shouldn’t Be Thinking About,” Thompson Square’s openness with its audience has always made them one of the most intimate acts working today.
And Thompson Square’s new music is no exception. Each song tells a story of a life-lived romance that encapsulates both the dizzying highs and paralyzing lows of love and partnership. “We’ve started a family together, we’ve lost parents together,” explains Keifer, with Shawna adding “This is real stuff.”
The duo’s prodigal return to recording with Benny Brown for his new label Quartz Hill Records has allowed them to craft music that cuts to the core of everything Thompson Square is. Indeed, each of Thompson Square’s offerings - including latest single “Without You” and “Country In My Soul” - celebrate different facets of the pair.
Their debut single with Quartz Hill at the helm - the breezy, vintage ballad “Country In My Soul,” clearly resonated with country fans from coast-to-coast, charging out of the gate as the No. 2 Most Added Song at U.S. Country Radio upon impact.
Next, the pair embarks on the release of upbeat show-stopper “Without You.” Banjo-backed and laden with their refreshing, husband and wife harmonies, Keifer takes the lead, lamenting over all he’d be (or wouldn’t be) in the absence of his loved one. Co-written by Tim Nichols, Anthony Olympia, and Brent Rupard, “Without You” released to DSPs on 3/10, and was the #1 most added song at country radio the week of 5/1.
From the moment Keifer and Shawna met, playing a game of pool after a show during their first week in Nashville, there has been nothing but electricity coming from Thompson Square. As much as the duo has constantly evolved, in many ways, they’re the same as they’ve ever been. “We’re best friends, and that’s it,” Shawna says, “God just blessed us with each other. We love making music, and to be able to do it together is extra special.”
