King Tuff performing at The Empty Bottle in Chicago

An intimate crowd gathered at the Empty Bottle on this evening to hear King Tuff (aka Kyle Thomas) play songs from his new album, Smalltown Stardust, out now on Sub Pop. We hope to transport you to this show with the video, let you hear Thomas’ stories firsthand.

This 6th studio album was co-written and co-produced by SASAMI and showcases the skills of both artists in a wonderful way. This album is Thomas’ love letter, or a nostalgia trip to Vermont and the cherished moments of inspiration he finds there. “I wanted to make an album to remind myself that life is magical,” he reflected.

When reflecting on the album King Tuff particularly calls attention to “How I Love”: “Sasami wrote this song for me way back in 2018, but it didn’t really come together until we started demoing in 2020. This is the type of song I’ve wanted to do for years, but maybe never had the confidence to achieve. I’ve always hidden behind loud guitars, but here I’m exposed, and I love how open and empty it is, yet so comfortable too. I wanted to show another side of myself through this record, and I think this song is the perfect example of that.”