Thomson attended Bard College and was pursuing a PhD in physics at the University of Maryland when he decided to focus on music full time.

[4] Thomson's drumming career began in Washington, DC with the post-rock band Trans Am, formed with childhood friends Philip Manley and Nathan Means while the three were attending college.

Additionally, Thomson maintains an active solo act, Publicist, in which he mixes live drumming with recorded tracks inspired by rock, acid house, electronic music and Detroit techno.

When performing as Publicist, Thomson plays his drum kit in the middle of the dance floor, incorporating a synthesizer and vocoder.

[6][10][11] Thomson's US national television debut took place May 20–23, 2019, when he served as the guest drummer for The 8G Band on Late Night with Seth Meyers.