Nicholas James Thomsma was born and raised in Grand Rapids, MI. His songs are a folksy blend of rock, pop, and bluegrass firmly rooted in a bed of deep country and traditional folk. Wearing his heart on his sleeve his songs are about real life, true love and heartbreaking loss.
Michigan is certainly listed as an influence and the Great Lakes State shines proudly through his music. In Grand Rapids he hosts 2 open mic nights (Founders Brewing Co. and Z’s Bar and Grill), providing up and coming singer/songwriters a platform to cut their teeth as well as giving seasoned musicians a place to communicate their newest compositions. He also sees open mic’s as a place for musicians to socialize and build the community.
Nicholas James is well known for his inspired versions of other artists work, taking cover songs and making them his own. His repertoire includes literally hundreds of songs, from Bob Dylan to Bob Marley, Patsy Cline to Radiohead, Pink Floyd to Woody Guthrie and everywhere in between. Every year he hosts a Bob Dylan Tribute Concert, with several bands and singer/songwriters performing their versions of Dylan’s tunes.
In addition to paying tribute to some of the greatest songs of all time by performing them on a regular basis, he also writes his own material and has piles of notebooks filled with original compositions. His music has been used on compilation albums, at graduation ceremonies, and in student projects.
He has performed at weddings, bars and clubs, the illustrious Carnegie Hall, folk festivals, coffeeshops, bookstores, living rooms, back porches and even once at a funeral. And when it’s time for a sing-a-long his friends jokingly and lovingly say that he “owns the campfire.”
In 2009 he released Blue Feather (www.myspace.com/bluefeathermusic), a collaborative project with singer/songwriter Liz Dieleman of Holland, MI. The album was critically acclaimed and received a generous amount of airplay on WYCE, 88.1 FM in Grand Rapids. Nicholas James is currently laying down the foundation for his first full length solo album.