Theocles built his career on a simple philosophy: music from Virginia, for everyone. The Charlottesville singer-songwriter has spent years turning that idea into a working life, and his audience now stretches well beyond his home state.
Raised in a musical household, Theocles started humming melodies before he could speak, according to his mother, a singer-songwriter herself. He grew up immersed in the folk, bluegrass, and Americana sounds of central Virginia. By the time he enrolled at the College of William & Mary, music was already his central focus. He earned a degree in Economics, but spent his college years learning guitar, writing songs, and singing with choirs and a capella groups. The school later funded the recording of his debut EP, Short Stories.
After graduation, work took him to Philadelphia and then Minnesota. He kept performing wherever he could find an audience. Open mics, bar gigs, house shows, festivals, and street corners all became part of his routine. During the COVID period, he invited neighbors onto their lawns and porches and played from his driveway.
In December 2020, Theocles returned to Charlottesville and committed to music full-time. He partnered with the community organization The Front Porch and released the singles Pressure, Suburbia, and Johnny & Me. Reconnecting with the folk scene of his hometown shaped his next project. His first full-length album, Roses, showcased both his melodic instincts and his attention to lyric writing. The record ranges from the New Orleans bounce of “Don’t Blame It” to the emotional pull of “Wait For You to Wake Up,” a song written from the point of view of a family dog. The album earned him sets at the Southern Music Hall and the Ting Pavilion. Listeners can stream the full catalog on Spotify.
In 2024, Theocles moved to Richmond to enter the capital’s growing music scene. There, he recorded Fiddle Baby, an energetic folk-pop track rooted in the bluegrass tradition of his upbringing. The accompanying music video lives on his YouTube channel. The single earned local radio play and led to his first tour up the East Coast, joined by saxophonist Jake Vanaman of Kendall Street Company.
The X.O.S. EP followed, a four-song set tracing the arc of finding and losing love. The collection moves from the quiet intimacy of Moonlit Windows to the sharper hip-hop influence of Miss Independent. The release anchored his second solo tour in fall 2025.
That same year, Theocles connected with Charlottesville-based Nerdcore artists and producers McGwire, ASTRSK, and Wülf Boi, who brought him into their projects. He performed at sold-out 1,700-capacity shows opening for platinum artist The Living Tombstone. He also co-wrote, arranged, and performed MAIN ATTRACTION!! with McGwire, a track that gathered notable online attention.
In 2026, Theocles continues to release new work and expand his live presence. His backing band, Theocles & the Muses, is making its Virginia debut this year. He returns to the studio in July to record a new folk-rooted EP titled Grow. Fans can also expect an original holiday song, Gingerbread Home, in December, along with a dramatic ballad featuring McGwire. Behind-the-scenes updates appear regularly on his Instagram and Facebook page.
The tagline still holds. Theocles uses his presence in the Richmond and Charlottesville scenes to put on fundraising shows, give new artists a platform, and play street corners for the fun of it. For Theocles, the work centers on one goal: bringing joy through music, whether the room holds ten people or a thousand.
