Thorns

The Thorns came together as an unexpected side venture for Matthew Sweet, Pete Droge, and Shawn Mullins. Each had already built a reputation working alone as a singer/songwriter, so shifting into a full band required fresh coordination. Their overlapping tastes—spanning the Beach Boys, Joni Mitchell, Gram Parsons, and Simon & Garfunkel—nevertheless pointed toward a workable fit even without any prior shared history. During summer 2002 the three started writing new songs; by fall they had locked into a groove and entered an Atlanta studio with producer Brendan O’Brien. Layered vocal harmonies and multiple guitars took center stage while Jim Keltner anchored the rhythm section. Sony released the resulting self-titled album in May 2003, where it drew notice for reviving the bright, melodic tone associated with CSN and Fleetwood Mac. An acoustic promotional tour came next, followed by shows with the Jayhawks. The group’s own club itinerary stretched into late autumn, when they joined John Mayer for several dates on his arena circuit.