I first met Thomas Stringfellow through mutual friends at The HUB Bike Lounge in Bentonville. His kind personality and contagious smile are stand-out qualities on their own, but when I learned of his musical talents through the House of Songs’ Troy Campbell, I was curious to understand why the former American Idol contestant was content to serve his community as a barista at the Meteor Cafe .
The more I got to know Stringfellow, I learned that making coffee with friends was a thoughtful choice. Instead of following a more traditional path, recording on his own dime allowed the singer/songwriter to develop his sound at an organic pace, investing in his music on his own terms. For years, he has periodically released new songs on streaming platforms, performing locally at places like Bar Kapu and RØDE House.
The Arkansas-native sat with me to unpack his journey to music making alongside local producer, Mike Bailey, at Bailey’s Bella Vista recording studio.
“I think I always sang, but I found out I was okay at it when I performed in my fifth-grade talent show, and my classmates liked it.”
Stringfellow shared how he would learn worship songs to sing for his mom, and started teaching himself to play guitar in middle school. “I led worship once around junior or senior year of high school, and ended up going to American Idol soon after that.”
At 17, Stringfellow finished high school early and auditioned for the 2016 season of American Idol. “It was their ‘Farewell Year,’ so they were cancelling it on Fox,” he said. “You’re signed to their label for a year, so I didn’t really make anything for a while.”
About a year later, he was introduced to Bailey, another Arkie-native, whose background includes projects with Shay Mooney [Dan + Shay], Ross Hogarth [Producer; Van Halen], and Layton Robinson [The Voice].
“I’ve been here most of my life,” Bailey said. “There aren’t a lot of major label artists here (yet); they don’t see Bentonville like Nashville, as they should. Nashville is saturated; everyone is so talented because of the cluster, but a lot of producers would say the culture generates cookie-cutter sounds.”
Bailey consolidates his role with the producer label, but wears many hats. Like Stringfellow, he is self-taught. His skill with multiple instruments helps him break down songs to their basic ingredients. “‘Producer’ kind of encompasses all the jobs I do, whether I’m a session musician or mixing tracks; I feel like my identity is a mix of everyone I’ve worked with.”
Between American Idol and collaborating with Bailey, Stringfellow had been traveling and doing shows with some major Filipino artists. “That was my only job until COVID,” Stringfellow shared.
When the pandemic put live music on hold, the singer was faced with a tough decision: to go to college or focus on making music. “I had written a lot of songs and decided that I’m either going to go to college, or I’m going to work at the Meteor and spend all my money on making music.”
He explains not knowing his sound at first, but time and practice helped build the confidence he needed to communicate what he wanted to make as an artist. “For a long time, I just wanted to make things that were good, as opposed to making what I want, and hoping it’s good.”
He describes the last few years as a turning point in his music. “I had written a lot, but I couldn’t record every day like I can now. Having the money to invest in my music and the confidence to make things I’m proud of, I think that tends to be what makes it good.”
As talented a barista as he may be, it isn’t coffee that’s funding Stringfellow’s boost in studio time.
During the summer of 2025, he released a song produced by Bailey called “Lemonade.” Sharing the new song on social media, in his signature quirky way, ‘Tommy from Arkansas’ caught the attention of Atlantic Records and soon after signed a record deal with their indie label 10K Projects. He also earned a publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music, owned by Warner Music Group [Warner Bros. Music].
This milestone in his music career afforded Stringfellow the liberty to record wherever he wanted. Despite the invitation to move to Los Angeles and the funds to work full time on his music, he chose to stay in Northwest Arkansas, recording with Bailey and working two days a week [for now] with his friends at Meteor Cafe …because it makes him happy.
“The pandemic changed where people make music,” Bailey explained. “We think of the main hubs — New York, LA, and Nashville — but the unique stuff comes from other places; the outskirts,” Bailey said. “Bentonville is a uniquely beautiful place, and I’ve been able to meet really talented people because of the investments being made in the arts here. Hopefully, Thomas staying here encourages more of that.”
The Bailey-Stringfellow dynamic is a special thing to witness; a testament to their abilities, friendship, and years of working together.
“Most of the stuff we create is just the two of us,” Stringfellow said. “I write all the lyrics and melodies, usually with a piano or guitar. Then, we’ll track it, and that’s the reference we build from.”
Sitting in Bailey’s studio, Stringfellow shared a preview of his new song called “Jane Eyre.” While he played guitar and sang from lyrics saved to his phone, Bailey assimilated into the unplugged performance with ease, adding piano and other digital elements.
The sound was both romantic and swoony, which makes sense given that many of Stringfellow’s songs are written about love and living with heart. His pop-forward themes, relatable lyrics, and powerful voice blend with Bailey’s layered mixes to create songs with staying power; the kind that get stuck in your head, in the best way.
Stringfellow is currently recording his first full album with Bailey, which they expect to finish in May of this year. You can follow his Instagram [@thomas_stringfellow] for regular updates about the project.
Despite the invitation to move to Los Angeles to work full-time on his music, Stringfellow chose to stay in NWA.
"I’ve been able to meet really talented people because of the investments being made in the arts here. Hopefully, Thomas staying here encourages more of that.”