Les Thomas is a Melbourne singer-songwriter whose songs explore history through the lives of the people who lived it. Rooted in folk and country music, his writing moves between family, working life, love, loss and social change, finding intimate stories within larger events.

Winner of the Troubadour Foundation’s Keeping the Flame Alive Award, Les has earned a reputation for thoughtful songwriting and a warm, commanding baritone. His songs give overlooked people room to speak, whether he is writing about Australian manufacturing, the labour movement, parenthood or the search for belonging. There is conviction in his work, but also humour, tenderness and an abiding interest in what connects us.

His third album, I Remember Everything, has drawn acclaim in Australia and the UK. Americana UK called it “an absolute gem which should be studied line by line in schools”; FATEA described it as “poignantly personal and deeply humanist”; and Liverpool Sound and Vision awarded it 8.5/10, writing that Les “underlines what it means to be human.” Every track on the album has received radio airplay.

In 2026, Les took these songs on his first major UK tour, performing at the Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival and in folk clubs, bookshops and listening rooms across England. He sold out of the CDs he brought with him and received invitations to return. The tour showed how songs grounded in Australian experience can speak to audiences far from home.

Performing solo with acoustic guitar and harmonica, Les gives each song space to breathe. He shares the stories behind them, finds the laughter alongside the harder truths, and makes a room feel part of the performance. After seeing him in Belper, UK promoter Mike Jones called him “a force to be reckoned with.”

Across three albums and performances in Australia and overseas, Les has built a body of work about memory, dignity and solidarity. His songs remind us that history lives in families, workplaces and communities, and in the choices people make for one another.