By Sydney Conrad.

The eighth slot for the Black Bear Music Battle semi-finals was given to a local artist by the name of Otis B. Driftwood (stage name), whose unique sound and passionate stage presence made the vote unanimous among the judges.

Taking the stage for the third time in this competition, Driftwood – whose real name is Thomas Mulcahy – brought yet another style of music into the mix.

This rough 26-year-old belted out with deep love the songs of famous, yet not necessarily recognizable, artists such as the White Stripes and Neutral Milk Hotel.

Driftwood mentioned many other artists that contribute to his music, including Man Man, Modest Mouse, the Shins, Tom Weights, Violent Fins, Iggy Pop, and the Stooges. With such a wide base of inspiration, this local artist doesn’t have a specific genre title; he simply plays what sounds good.

“I never know what I am going to do [on stage],” Driftwood said. “That’s the thing I like about music; not only should people in the audience be constantly guessing at what you are doing, but you should as well. You are always going to gravitate to something you like but to not sound repetitive is really important.”

Thinking about pursuing music professionally was a far-fetched idea a mere 10 years ago when Driftwood discovered his passion for the guitar by accident.

“My sister played guitar for a lot of years; I went to a school that had a music room with a bunch of guitars, and one day just to try and impress [my sister] I brought this really nice-looking guitar home,” Driftwood said. “A year after that she started showing me some stuff. I eventually just started making my own stuff up.”

This accident became incredible talent as Driftwood developed his guitar playing skills. Although he was leaning towards classic rock at the time, this now diverse artist has a sound that cannot be defined.

Sounding similar to his musical mentors, Driftwood plays rough and loud music that, although contradictory, is surprisingly soothing. His deep lyrics captivate the audience and leave them anxious for more at the end of a show.

Showing his personality, Driftwood performed a few originals at Black Bear. Although he has only been playing for 10 years, the number of songs Driftwood has written stands in the thousands.

“I have always done this stuff [local venues] solo, but I also make music with Khalil and Jalal Zahir [brothers] and I have known them for 10 years,” Driftwood said. “They are the only guys I have clicked with right away. I have tried to jam with other people but we don’t mesh as well.”

Originally from New York, this emerging artist found the smaller city of Olympia to better fit his style. Since moving to Washington two years ago Driftwood has discovered many of the local venues, through which his musical talent has been refined.

“I have played The Hub bar and grill in Centralia, the Mandolin Cafe, Muddy’s Speak Easy in Portland, and I have a show coming up at The Spar in Olympia that I’m super excited about [on Dec. 9],” Driftwood said.

When introduced to the Black Bear scene by fellow competitor Gina Belliveau, Driftwood decided to experiment with a different crowd.

Although his music is usually heard by an older audience, the younger scene gave this shy artist another perspective.

“A younger crowd is willing to be more open to experimentation,” Driftwood said. “This place [Black Bear] also has great acoustics,” Driftwood added.

Although this unique artist found venues worth playing in the local area, he still hesitates to get on stage. Besides the constant anxiety felt before a show, Driftwood finds the politics of the music scene off-putting.

“I really hate the scene a lot; there are a lot of politics and cliques involved, which I really don’t like,” Driftwood explained. “But I can’t stop playing either. I’ll stay away for weeks and then be like, alright, I got to go out and play.”

With the judgments of others such a large part of the music industry, Driftwood does not envy the life of traveling artists. Not denying that some touring would be nice, this young artist is not looking for a life constantly on the road; Driftwood prefers the local scene.

To see and learn more about this intriguing artist, visit the Reverb Nation and Facebook sites under the name Otis B. Driftwood.

Otherwise, come see him perform in the Black Bear Music Battle semi-finals on Dec. 6 (which will take place in the Black Bear Frozen Yogurt shop).