Thor Leseman is a singer/songwriter known for artfully weaving passionate lyrics about life, love, and the ultimate pursuit of freedom. Combined with a soulful punching guitar that is rooted in folk and country but explores expressions of rock, punk and American bluegrass.
Thor’s work digs into the American song tradition, uncovering and shedding light to some of the heaviest emotion. Expressing raw rhetoric that encapsulates the listener with the surroundings of the song catapulting them into the center for them to feel the intensity and explore the scape for themselves.
Photo by Jake Rice
A brief history...
Rooted in the vast vein of red iron dirt, Thor grew up in the same area as some of Minnesota’s, and the world’s greatest musical legends. The Mesabi Iron Range. In his youth he’d kicked around the same streets as rocker Rich Mattson, kitty-corner from guitar master Bill Bullinski, and his rythmic father Tim Leseman. Surrounded by music prenatally and fully immersed at birth, Thor recalls early moments in his life listening to his fathers bands dreaming of being able to make the same sounds he was witnessing.
Taking an interest in elementary music class, learning many of the early American classics from a smelly old worn out songbook that had been passed down by students for generations, Thor’ll tell you it was a sunny fall morning the day the class sang This Land is Your Land. (The overtly-animated Mr. Lischalk probably had something to do with keeping that one close.) Fourth grade rolls around and the spring sing was around the corner. Memorizing the lyrics on his grandmothers internet to You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away and I Want to Hold Your Hand by The Beatles when a lone snare shot out of the speakers and into his ears followed by “once upon a time you dressed so fine!” confused asking his grandmother who it was and she’d replied “Oh, that’s Bob Dylan, he’s from Hibbing.” before walking away pulling out his rug and flipping his world.
Photo by himself
With the work ethic of an old steamer hummin’ down the tracks Thor spent many a-day keepin’ them big ol’ rock trucks running and turning the mines. Formally trained as a heavy equipment technician Thor spent his years coming of age learning the trade in Hibbing, MN. Stomping around the same moldered city as Dylan back in the 50’s. Ruminating in his thoughts and dreams of playing music, encumbrances of the ghost towns, Thor steadily pulled away at the wrenches already dreading the following day. Finding solstice in open mics, and to anyone that would (or wouldn’t) listen. He started pining away at his craft playing songs he’d written and learned over the years. Finally getting a regular gig at a local watering hole known for their cover acts, Thor started cutting his teeth and playing his own songs. To his surprise they called him back and has maintained the gig since.