Ed Harcourt

England's Ed Harcourt, a former chef and member of the defunct indie-rock outfit Snug, progressed from bass guitar to a number of instruments (including piano/keyboards, guitar, banjo, drums, and the kitchen sink) during his prolific, genre-hopping solo career. A fan of Tom Waits and Jeff Buckley (as well as such disparate artists as Chet Baker, incendiary blues showman Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Perry Farrell, the Beasties, and At the Drive-In), Harcourt launched his diverse career at the age of 23. His marriage of his dreamland Americana and England's South Coast quickly attracted a devout fanbase, and Harcourt spent the better part of the 2000s on EMI's roster, releasing unique albums whose tracks veered between orchestrated anthems, minimalist ballads, and Britpop nuggets. Maplewood, the singer/songwriter's solo debut, sounds like a work in progress. Indeed, Heavenly Records released the four-track recording in its original state, despite Harcourt's original plan to use those atmospheric songs (which were recorded in the rural setting of his grandma's Sussex house) as demo material. 2002's Here Be Monsters was recorded in a proper studio, featuring thickened and enriched versions of some of Harcourt's earlier work. The following year saw the release of From Every Sphere, a stripped-down sophomore effort, and Harcourt toured with Wilco and R.E.M. before releasing his third studio album, Strangers, in 2004. Beautiful Lie and the compilation Until Tomorrow Then: The Best of Ed Harcourt followed in 2006 and 2007, respectively. ~ Mark Joseph & Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide