Little Tornados is the project of David Thayer, who in 1988 began making and releasing music by sending self-made “experimental” cassettes to SF bay area college radio stations which sometimes got played. In 1995 he began throwing electronic music parties at a Brazilian restaurant in San Francisco. In 2000 he moved to Zürich and since 2003 has been hosting the clandestine live music venue Sue Ellen Bar. In 2002 he began the electronic music project Xeno Volcano. In 2013, alongside Laetitia Sadier of Stereolab he started the band Little Tornados. Other collaborators include Caroline Sallee (Caroline Says), John Herndon (Tortoise) and Emmanuel Mario (Astrobal). In 2023 he will begin releasing music under a new project, The Art of Picnic.
David has also made films including Bigfoot: A Beast on the Run and Documental Rio Bogotá.