The son of a Pentecostal preacher from Tupelo, Mississippi, singer Paul Thorn inherited his father's gift for words, weaving together vivid portraits of the South with his gospel and blues infused music. Thorn was a prizefighter and skydiver before embarking on his music career and being discovered by legendary manager Miles Copeland. Thorn recorded his first album, Hammer & Nail, in 1997 for A&M. Three years later, he recorded Ain't Love Strange for Copeland's Ark 21 label.

Thorn performed with Sting and subsequently toured with artists like Mark Knopfler, Jeff Beck, John Hiatt, Richard Thompson, Robert Cray, Marianne Faithfull, and John Prine. He has toured the United States, Canada, and the U.K., performing at The Royal Albert Hall, The Greek Theater, Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles, and Toronto's Massey Hall. By 2002, Thorn released Mission Temple Fireworks Stand on Back Porch Records. His most recent recording, Are You with Me?, was released in 2004 on EMI.