Martin Grech (pronounced ‘Greck’) is a Maltese-English singer, songwriter and musician from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, born in 1983. He is known for his dark and powerful music, remarkable voice, and frequent subversion of style and genre. He first achieved serious critical acclaim after his haunting falsetto track Open Heart Zoo (written when he was 19 years old) was featured on a Lexus car advert on UK television in 2002.
It was not that long ago that Anna von Hausswolff was just an anonymous architecture student in Gothenburg, Sweden. Now she´s much better known as a singer-songwriter. Anna von Hausswolff´s debut EP Track of Time was released in February 2010 by Kning Disk – magnificent avant-garde pop with its crosshairs trained on the heart. The first album Singing From the Grave appeared in May. Everyone who hears Anna von Hausswolff sing, immediately stops, listens and gets touched by her magic. Her voice is that of total expression. Sometimes it caresses you, sometimes it roars up a storm.
Matt Nathanson (born March 28, 1973 in Lexington, Massachusetts) is a singer-songwriter whose work is a blend of folk and rock music. In addition to singing, he plays acoustic and electric guitar (usually a twelve-string), and has played both solo and with a full band. The Faster Songfacts says that his seventh studio album, Modern Love debuted on #17 on the Billboard 200 for the week of July 9, 2011, making it Nathanson's most successful album to date.
Dan grew up in upstate NY. His years there were spent with footballs and baseballs in his hand instead of an acoustic guitar. There was not much of an "art scene" in the area so Dan made due with what he had. Most nights he found company in the millions of miles of starlit sky and the AM radio frequencies that traveled through it. It was many a sleepless night with only the radio as a companion that first introduced Dan to all kinds of music and ideas.
Patty Griffin, born Patricia Jean Griffin, March 16th, 1964 in Old Town, Maine, is an American folk singer. She brought out her debut album Living With Ghosts--a set of demos featuring only Ms. Griffin and her guitar--to critical acclaim in 1996. Her sophomore album, Flaming Red, demonstrated a more rocking, full-band sound. The ill-fated Silver Bell album was never released by her record label, however, and the label terminated her recording contract shortly after that. Many of the songs from Silver Bell were re-recorded for subsequent albums.
Chris Letcher is a singer-songwriter and film composer based in London. Frieze, his international debut release offers a combination of artistic depth, solid and accessible hooks and quirky originality. The album was the 6th most downloaded album on the US Emusic.com in November 2007. Frieze is currently number one in Commercial Alternative and Progressive Rock Chart US e-music chart and has been receiving rave reviews around the world. The first single from the album, ‘Deep Frieze’, was playlisted on over 100 radio stations and spent three weeks in the national US college radio top 30.
After walking away from huge hype and a major label deal in 1999, disappearing completely, UK's Merz (Conrad Lambert to his mum) returned in 2005 with his 2nd album, the critically lauded, Loveheart (released by UK indie Gronland Records). His third album, Moi et Mon Camion (released by Gronland in March 2008), produced the same kind of acclaim from all corners with its mixture of beautiful balladeering, heartfelt tunes, intricate production and a display of Merz
Freshly formed in Spring 2009, Circus Sands are a group of banjo-toting, ukulele strumming youths, the six-piece line up bringing together some brilliant musicians and all-round nice people. In fact, they're so nice that they're offering you their first single, 'Not This Time/The Life You Lead' for free download here. The single, by turns a a gentle ode to lost love and a raucous cossack romp, is a perfect sampler of the dynamically folk-tastic Circus Sands sound.
Son of the legendary folk/blues singer-songwriter Roy Harper, Nick Harper has forged his own way ahead to become recognised as one of Britain’s finest acoustic singer/guitarists. Having played the guitar from the age of 10 (he is completely self-taught) and surrounded by the likes of Keith Moon, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and David Gilmour during his early years, it was no surprise when Nick made his recording debut on his father's Whatever Happened to Jugula? in 1985.
Jasper Erkens is a young, seventeen-year-old singer-songwriter from Diest, Belgium. He cited Damien Rice as his role model. At the age of 11, he got his first guitar as a gift from his parents and about two years later his first songs were conceived. 2008 was Erkens's breakthrough year, as he supported well known artists, such as singer-songwriter Anton Walgrave, Spinvis and the British Adele. Erkens played in well known venues, such as Ancienne Belgique in Brussels, Petrol club in Antwerp and Melkweg in Amsterdam.