LEON THOMAS RELEASES NEW EP PHOLKS VIA EZMNY/MOTOWN RECORDS
Grammy Award-winning artist Leon Thomas unveils his new EP, PHOLKS, out now via EZMNY/Motown Records. A love letter to beautiful chaos and the need to feel, PHOLKS builds on the acclaim of MUTT, marking a bold new chapter meant to be disruptive and felt, not just heard. Across seven tracks, the project channels the sounds and eras that have shaped Leon while reimagining them in his own voice. Blending funk, the golden age of R&B, and the raw defiance of classic rock, the EP showcases Leon’s command as a multi-instrumentalist and visionary, cementing his evolution as one of R&B’s most daring voices.
Accompanying PHOLKS, Leon releases the video for, “MyMuse,” a track that bridges vintage sonics with a contemporary edge. Directed by Arrad, the visual turns the song’s pulse into motion as Leon is caught in the orbit of his muse. Set in a retro-inspired home and framed by sunlit poolside scenes, Leon and his bandmates D. Phelps and Freaky Rob flow between performance and play as sound, style, and chemistry move in perfect rhythm.
“My Muse” follows the release of the PHOLKS trailer featuring Issa Rae, his former Insecure co-star. The full-circle cultural moment lit up social media and built anticipation for the project, alongside the single and video “Just How You Are” (featuring Lovie Simone), a genre-bending fusion of funk, rock, and R&B that deepens Leon’s world and captures the spirit of PHOLKS.
Next week, Leon launches his MUTTS DON’T HEEL World Tour, produced by Live Nation, in support of HEEL, the deluxe edition of his critically acclaimed sophomore album MUTT. The completely sold-out North American leg kicks off October 30 in Dallas with support from rising R&B standout Ambré, before heading overseas in 2026 for European and Australian dates, including stops in London, Paris, Berlin, Sydney, and Melbourne. Tickets available HERE.
Leon Thomas released MUTT (LIVE FROM NPR’S TINY DESK) EP at the end of summer, featuring “YES IT IS,” “MUTT,” “VIBES DON’T LIE,” “Treasure in the Hills,” and “Breaking Point.” Expanding on a viral breakout that launched Leon into a new stratosphere following MUTT’s release, his Tiny Desk performance became one of this year’s biggest, hitting #2 Trending on YouTube, #5 Trending on X, and surpassing 3.9M views to date. Both MUTT (LIVE FROM NPR’S TINY DESK) EP and MUTT Deluxe: HEEL are in Grammy contention, further defining Leon’s breakout year. Where MUTT explored duality, HEEL bares its teeth, pushing his sound into deeper territory with psychedelic R&B, raw rock textures, and emotionally charged storytelling, and continuing to position him as the “new king of R&B,” a sentiment underscored by Ty Dolla $ign.
From a viral Tiny Desk to BET nods and Hot 100 climbs, Leon Thomas has spent the last year rewriting R&B’s rulebook. Withthe MUTT era and the arrival of PHOLKS, Leon commands his craft, affirming his place as a generational talent everyone’s watching heading into the 2026 GRAMMYs.
PHOLKS TRACKLIST
1. Just How You Are
2. My Muse
3. 5 More Minutes
4. Trapped
5. Baccarat
6. Feel Alive
7. Lone Wolf ft. 4batz
MUTTS DON’T HEEL NORTH AMERICA TOUR DATES
OCTOBER 30 – Dallas, TX | House of Blues **SOLD OUT**
NOVEMBER 3 – Austin, TX | Emo’s **SOLD OUT**
NOVEMBER 4 – Houston, TX | Bayou’s Music Center **SOLD OUT**
NOVEMBER 5 – New Orleans, LA | The Fillmore **VENUE UPGRADE**
NOVEMBER 7 – Nashville, TN | Brooklyn Bowl **SOLD OUT**
NOVEMBER 9 – Atlanta, GA | Tabernacle **SOLD OUT**
NOVEMBER 12 – Ft Lauderdale, FL | Revolution **SOLD OUT**
NOVEMBER 14 – Charlotte, NC | The Fillmore **SOLD OUT**
NOVEMBER 15 – Raleigh, NC | The Ritz **SOLD OUT**
NOVEMBER 16 – Silver Spring, MD | The Fillmore **SOLD OUT**
NOVEMBER 19 – Philadelphia, PA | The Fillmore **SOLD OUT**
NOVEMBER 20 – Boston, MA | House of Blues **SOLD OUT**
NOVEMBER 23 – Brooklyn, NY | Brooklyn Paramount **SOLD OUT**
NOVEMBER 24 – Brooklyn, NY | Brooklyn Paramount **SOLD OUT**
NOVEMBER 26 – Toronto, ON | Danforth Music Hall **SOLD OUT**
NOVEMBER 28 – Detroit, MI | The Fillmore **SOLD OUT**
NOVEMBER 29 – Cincinnati, OH | Bogart’s **SOLD OUT**
DECEMBER 2 – Cleveland, OH | House of Blues **SOLD OUT**
DECEMBER 3 – Chicago, IL | Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom **SOLD OUT**
DECEMBER 6 – Minneapolis, MN | First Avenue **SOLD OUT**
DECEMBER 9 – Denver, CO | Summit **SOLD OUT**
DECEMBER 11 – Salt Lake City, UT | The Depot **SOLD OUT**
DECEMBER 14 – Seattle, WA | The Showbox SoDo **VENUE UPGRADE**
DECEMBER 15 – Seattle, WA | The Showbox SoDo **VENUE UPGRADE**
DECEMBER 16 – Vancouver, BC | Commodore Ballroom **SOLD OUT**
DECEMBER 17 – Portland, OR | Roseland Theater **SOLD OUT**
DECEMBER 19 – Oakland, CA | Fox Theater **SOLD OUT**
DECEMBER 21 – Phoenix, AZ | The Van Buren **SOLD OUT**
DECEMBER 22 – Los Angeles, CA | The Wiltern **SOLD OUT**
DECEMBER 23 – Los Angeles, CA | The Wiltern **SOLD OUT**
MUTTS DON’T HEEL 2026 EUROPEAN/UK TOUR DATES
MARCH 5 – Helsinki, FI | House of Culture
MARCH 7 – Stockholm, SE | Fållan
MARCH 8 – Oslo, NO | Sentrum Scene
MARCH 10 – Copenhagen, DK | Vega
MARCH 12 – Warsaw, PL | Klub Stodoła
MARCH 15 – Berlin, DE | Huxleys Neue Welt
MARCH 16 – Cologne, DE | Live Music Hall
MARCH 17 – Brussels, BE | La Madeleine
MARCH 19 – Utrecht, NL |TivoliVredenburg
MARCH 20 – Tilburg, NL | Poppodium 013
MARCH 21 – Paris, FR | Elysée Montmartre
MARCH 22 – Paris, FR | Le Trianon
MARCH 24 – Bristol, UK | O2 Academy
MARCH 26 – Birmingham, UK | O2 Academy
MARCH 27 – Manchester, UK | Academy
MARCH 29 – Glasgow, UK | SWG3 Galvanizers
MARCH 31 – Dublin, IE | 3Olympia Theatre
APRIL 3 – London, UK | Eventim Apollo
MUTTS DON’T HEEL 2026 AUSTRALIA TOUR DATES
APRIL 10 – Brisbane, QLD | Fortitude Music Hall
APRIL 11 – Melbourne, VIC | Forum
APRIL 14 – Sydney, NSW | Enmore Theatre
APRIL 17 – Adelaide, SA | Hindley Street Music Hall
APRIL 19 – Perth, WA | Metro City
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