TOM ARMSTRONG is a songwriter, singer, and player of honky-tonk heart songs in a Country & Western vein, based in Portland, Oregon. Tom draws much of his inspiration from the rich heritage of West Coast country music, artists like Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Wynn Stewart, Skeets McDonald, Bob Morris, and many more.

As a singer, Tom’s style is loud & proud in the tradition of Ray Price, Webb Pierce, and the Louvin Brothers. As a guitar player, he favors the gutty twang of Luther Perkins and Grady Martin’s work with Johnny Horton. But his secret weapon is his songwriting. Tom embraces all the plainspoken forthrightness of classic country songcraft, as practiced by the greats of the genre: Hank Williams, Harlan Howard, Willie Nelson, Jimmie Skinner, Wayne Kemp, Roger Miller, and many others. Tom’s songs dig into both the pain and the humor of everyday life. Give them a listen, and you will recognize the truth in them.

Tom has released three CDs of original music on his own Carswell Records label.

You can see Tom play in & around Portland with his own five-piece band: Andrea Bohon, guitar & vocals; Keith Brush, bass; Scott Pettitt, drums; and Robin Suskind, pedal steel. Tom also plays bass with The Jackson County Kills, guitar with Zach Bryson & the Meat Rack, and guitar with Johnny Credit and the Cash Machine.