Waiting Kind Of Girl: Introducing Leaving Thomas [Q&A]

In late November 2016, Leaving Thomas (Annika Odegard and Bryton Udy) took a big step towards their country music goals when they signed with MDM Recordings. In the month since their signing they've worked to release their debut single, Waiting Kind Of Girl, to Canadian country radio and film a music video to go along with it.

The duo have also been busy on an Alberta radio tour, they made a trip to Toronto to hang out with the rest of the MDM roster, and they took a little time for a Q&A with us!

Annika and Bryton have both been making music for years. But coming together to form Leaving Thomas has been the step that has brought them to where they are right now - and will take them on their next steps, wherever they may lead.

Congrats to Leaving Thomas on their new single, which you can request at your local country radio station now, and thank you from us for playing along with our questions.

Note: We'd also like to thank Leaving Thomas for sending us their Merry Christmas message that we were able to include in our Happy Holidays post!

Check out the Q&A and the video Annika and Bryton released to learn a little more about one of Canada's newest country radio duos.

Q. There has to be a story behind your name, right? Is Thomas a guy that really needed to be left? Is Thomas a place? Tell us please!

A: Well, originally when Bryton and I started performing together, we discovered that people had a very difficult time pronouncing our names (Bryton and Annika) correctly! However, we really wanted to have our names be part of our band name so we found a way to incorporate our middle names!

B: Yeah! When we were tossing around potential band names the one that stuck, obviously, was Leaving Thomas because my middle name is Thomas and Annika's is Liv, pronounced "Leave". So that's pretty much the story, there was never a Thomas that either of us ever physically left like some people think!

Q. Can you tell us about the emotions and reactions you went through when you found out that you were officially joining the MDM Recordings family?

B: We were thrilled! It was almost surreal to the point that it didn't really sink in until we spent a weekend in Toronto where we were hanging out with the rest of the artists and the team!

A: After our trip to Toronto in December, we are even more excited for what 2017 has in store with such a great team behind us!

Q. It's not going to be easy, but can you pick the MDM artist that you would most like to record a song with?

A: This is a tough one! For me, I would say performing with Jess (Moskaluke) would be on the top of my list because she is such a vocal powerhouse. I think the three of us performing together would be EXPLOSIVE!!!

B: That really is tough... I think it would be really cool to write a hockey song with Chad (Brownlee) someday, seeing as we both played at a pretty high level! It would be fun to record a song with any of the MDM artists though! They are all amazing!

Q. The single, Waiting Kind Of Girl, being released to radio on Christmas day has got to be a pretty great present, yes? Best ever?

A: Well, we would say so! But we may be biased... I know there have been people that can't wait to call in and request the song which has been very encouraging to hear. We see the release as a chance for people who haven't heard our music to get a taste of who we are, and also a chance for fans to see us reach another level of exposure which is always exciting.

B: Absolutely, it is going to be really exciting to see the response from the single and I know I speak for both of us when I say that we cannot wait to record and release more music in 2017!

Q. When country fans listen to your music, or see a live show, what do you hope they feel and take away from it?

A: Bryton and I put a lot of thought into each live show, and we do our best to be our true, authentic selves on and off the stage. We also make sure that audiences get a sense of our passion and energy! If someone is coming to a live show, they are definitely going to leave feeling like they know us as friends!

B: We also try and create intimate moments in our shows. One of our favorite ways of doing that is by letting our band take a break and perform a few songs just Annika, myself and my guitar. It is always a special moment of the show and we love being able to perform our songs the way they were written.

Q. A lot of people are ready for 2017 to get here for a lot of reasons - in 50 words or less, can you tell us what excites you most for the new year?

A: When I look back on 2016, I was able to travel a lot and spend time with the people I love. I hope that 2017 brings more time with my family, new experiences (both in and out of Canada), and more opportunities to create, record, and perform with Bryton. Each year gets better and I hope 2017 is no exception!

B: I would have to say I am most excited to see where the next year takes Leaving Thomas! It has been a crazy couple of months, getting ready for the launch of our single, but I am excited for more craziness and the opportunities that lie ahead for Annika and I.