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You might not have heard of Rosie Thomas, but the Seattle folk-pop artist is garnering strong reviews from the likes of Billboard, Entertainment Weekly, and NPR. With obvious comparisons to Joni Mitchell, Sarah McLachlan, Sarah Masen, and Sara Groves, her strong 2002 debut When We Were Small was followed up by the equally engaging Only With Laughter Can You Win in 2003, both on Sub Pop Records. Additionally, Thomas moonlights as a comedian, closing her shows as the accident-prone pizza delivery girl, Sheila. It all adds up to a delightfully exuberant personality—and a burgeoning songwriter who was happy to share her journey with us.

How did you begin playing music professionally?

Rosie ThomasBoth my parents performed professionally around Michigan, and they inspired me to know how valuable music is—how it can change a moment or a heart. I started playing publicly with my Dad around Detroit. I'd walk down the street with my guitar all day and go into every coffee shop asking if I could play, demonstrating on the spot. We'd usually do it for nothing and put out a tip jar.

When I moved to Seattle, things were a bit more competitive. Getting into bars or the bigger coffee shops, you definitely had to be somebody. Thank God for my friend [Sub Pop recording artist] Damien Jurado, because he shared his performance opportunities with me, which allowed me to play some of the better venues.

Were you always a Christian?

ThomasI did come from a Christian background. My mother was very much a stronghold in that, and my father as well. But I didn't fully understand God and have that friendship until I was 20 or so. I was at a time in my life where I didn't know what to do with myself, so I accompanied a friend on her drive to school at Calvary Chapel Bible College [in Murrieta, California]. I was such a lost case at the time, and she began to share with me her faith in the Lord. She kept insisting I go to school with her, and I kept saying "No way!" But I had nowhere else to go and the school let me stay in one of the dorms for free. They'd gently invite me to church services and classes without having to pay.

One thing led to another, and I ended up accidentally staying for a year or so. It just really changed everything for me in the end—a pivotal point in my life where everything became clear for me. That was my turning point to accepting [Christianity] on my own.

Your story's not all that different from other Christian artists whose faith became real in college, when they were first experiencing independence.

ThomasIt's a very important point, isn't it? I learned that faith is so much more than going through the motions. I learned that God has so much more there that I wasn't getting. I was so broken, so bummed, and so confused. It's that point of desperation where you kind of come to it.

I remember talking to my friend from Bible College during the drive, "You know, maybe this will be good! I mean, I'm falling apart here, so if this God is who he says he is and he can put my life in order, that'd be cool! I can hang out with him a bit, and then he can solve all my problems and I'll go back to doing whatever I want." I didn't realize at the time that it's a lifelong process and that I can't do anything without him.

What sparked the move to Seattle?

ThomasAfter a lot of soul searching and traveling, I found out about Cornish College of the Arts, a private performing arts conservatory in Seattle. At that point, I had been a Christian for a couple years, and I felt strongly that God would want to put me in a community of people outside the church because I thought I would be most effective there. I thought, Theater! There's broken people everywhere in entertainment, so that could be my field. So that's what got me there initially.

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