The Echo can seem like a smarmy place, host to an implausible number of meaningless hookups, unfriendly elevator eyes and worst of all, bands that pass off little that’s genuine and true. But that’s on a bad night.

On a good night, someone like Thao Nguyen, 23, blows in, with her black hair, laidback strumming and a set of charmingly downplayed lyrics that seem lived in, cozy. Don’t miss her opening for Xiu Xiu tonight at the Echo. Tonight will be a good night, a showcase for her mellow, absorbing Kill Rock Stars debut, “We Brave Bee Stings and All.”

I talked with Nguyen last week as she was tucked into a van in the middle of Texas with her band, The Get Down Stay Down.

–Margaret Wappler

So you’re in a van somewhere outside El Paso. Do you enjoy touring?

It’s so fascinating, such an unnatural lifestyle. It can be amazing and it can be awful. At any point, either good or bad, you say to yourself, “I can’t believe this is my life.” You harness it in a good way… when it’s good, it’s the best thing you could think to do. When you’re with a really warm crowd, who know all the lyrics to your songs, it’s totally worth it.

You’ve got a good story about meeting Slim Moon, the founder/former head of Kill Rock Stars.

Well, I was still in school. I’m not very good at the business or promotion side of things or really exerting myself in most ways so this was totally out of character but I was a fan of Laura Veirs so I sent a blind email to her website, asking if I could open for her. The note was sort of like, “If there’s a chance in hell, maybe you’ll take me?”

Her manager at the time was the head of Kill Rock Stars, Slim Moon. He fielded my email. He heard the first record (I sent him a link) so he got in touch and he said, “We don’t really have any opening slots right now but I’ll keep you in mind.” A little later he asked, “Do you want to contribute a song to this compilation?” I agreed and we recorded it … one thing led to another and we started discussing a management relationship. A few months down the line, he says, “Can I be your manager?” And I say, “Are you kidding? Of course you can!” I didn’t want to keep doing open mic nights, no matter how cool they are.

When did you start playing guitar?

I was 11 or 12 when I started playing guitar. That was born of loneliness and boredom. We had a guitar around the house, my Dad would strum sometime but no one really pursued music in the family on any level.

I know that you are a big fan of Laura Veirs and Erin McKeown. There’s also another crop of female singer-songwriters such as Kate Nash and Lily Allen. How are you related to them, if at all?

To be honest, I’m not really familiar with their sound. I do know they are a lot more popular than me… Actually, I did hear a Lily Allen song in the van the other day because [our drummer] Willis has it on his iPod and the line was: “You think you’re poking me, you must be joking me.” Which I thought was fantastic and I was laughing for minutes afterwards. Power to her! I probably wouldn’t write a lyric like that because I don’t think I could pull it off.

What do you mean you couldn’t pull it off?

I don’t think that’s my style of writing… that sort of confidence and audacity and that type of irreverence is not really my scene, but I totally appreciate it. I can’t see myself saying something like that in real life. And maybe she would say that in real life and that’s the difference.

What do you want for yourself 10 years down the road?

I think I have very realistic goals. To be honest, I’d like to get a salad spinner. I think that implies that I have a kitchen with counter space, that I have a home somewhere. Really we’re just wanting to make a living. It was never going to be more demanding than that. It’s such a fortunate position to be in, I know how lucky I am. And as long as creatively I’m not imposed upon, then I’m game.

Photo courtesy thaomusic.com