Thao Nguyen met drummer Willis Thompson while studying for her degrees in Sociology and Women's Studies at
College of William & Mary. Willis Thompson was a member of Camp Tigerclaw, Acousticore, and Murphy's Kids. He is also a contributing member to the band The Light Footwork. Thao Nguyen and Willis Thompson met Adam Thompson (no relation) during a show at the Harrison Street Coffee Shop in
Richmond, Virginia. At the time, Adam Thompson was performing as a solo jazz-influenced act under the moniker The OK Bird. Frank Stewart, member of the bands Durian and Verbal, would produce the first album
Like the Linen in 2005 and join the band as a lead guitarist. Although only Willis and Nguyen initially performed live on tour, the four members began touring as a group during the
Kill Rock Stars' Sound the Hare Heard tour during the summer of 2006. The name of the band was originally suggested by a former bassist of the band. Nguyen would expand the initial suggestion of "The Get Down" to "The Get Down Stay Down". During this period Thao Nguyen still occasionally performed as a soloist, including a European tour with
Laura Veirs and the Tortured Souls in August 2006. After sending
Like the Linen to Laura Veirs, Thao connected with
Tucker Martine, Veirs' drummer and producer for
The Decemberists and
Sufjan Stevens. In August 2006, the group began recording with Martine in Seattle and released the album,
We Brave Bee Stings and All, in January 2008. Thao Nguyen has since moved to
San Francisco,
California. The band toured in 2008 with
Xiu Xiu, and separately with
Rilo Kiley before heading out on their first headlining tour that summer. Thao & the Get Down Stay Down released their second album,
Know Better Learn Faster, on October 13, 2009. Most of the album was written within a week, and Thao was joined by
Andrew Bird on the title track. The band toured the US with
The Portland Cello Project and David Shultz and the Skyline in late 2009, and spent time touring the US and Europe in Winter/Spring 2010. In early 2010, Nguyen collaborated with
Mirah, culminating in a collaborative album. The band's track "When We Swam" is the opening theme for the Australian prime-time TV series
Offspring (which premiered in Australia in August 2010). The band also composed and performed the soundtrack for the 2011 film,
American Teacher. On October 25, 2012,
Ribbon Music announced Nguyen signed with the label for the release of her new album entitled,
We the Common, and unveiled the first single "Holy Roller" via
YouTube. The album, released on February 5, 2013, features 12 tracks including a collaboration with indie singer
Joanna Newsom on "Kindness Be Conceived", Nguyen and Newsom having met at a songwriters' retreat. This time around, she says, her album is "a lot less about my problems and more about how I could be a better participant in my life. There's a sense of revival and gratitude throughout the record that adds to this vitality of it." As part of the promotional tour for the album, Thao & the Get Down Stay Down joined the lineup of numerous music festivals, including 2013's
South by Southwest and
Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival. In November 2013 the band released an
EP,
The Feeling Kind, which included
cover versions of songs by
Melanie,
the Troggs, and
Yo La Tengo. Thao & the Get Down Stay Down released their fourth studio album,
A Man Alive, on March 4, 2016. The album was produced by
Merrill Garbus, who also produced Thao and Mirah's collaborative album,
Thao + Mirah. Thao & the Get Down Stay Down released their fifth album
Temple, Nguyen's first album since coming out publicly to the press as queer.
The A.V. Club wrote that the album marks "the reconciliation of her queer identity and her Vietnamese culture with a 10-song set that similarly combines post-punk deconstruction with hi-fi grooves." On October 3, 2021, Nguyen announced via Instagram that the group was "dissolving," with her and Thompson "moving on to pursue other projects." == Band members ==