Nick Harper
Nick Harper (born June 22, 1965) is a British singer/songwriter/guitarist who is working hard to convert critical acclaim and a cult following to popular success. He is a guitarist's guitarist, with a talent for both sensitivity and showmanship, as well as a unique personal style where detuning mid-note goes hand-in-hand with changing broken strings mid-song without pause. Though his first acclaim came as the son of legendary British folk musician Roy Harper, he is shaking off the "son of..." tag to win his own accolades. As fansite the House of Harper said about him, "...he is great at all times and he can be awe-inspiring at the best of times. Not only can he do things to a guitar that would probably be declared illegal in 28 states, not only can he write a song that is full of raw emotion or humour or militant fire, not only is he funnier onstage than people who want to be comedians, but he can also sing like an angel. Or the devil, if that better suits. He's mad as a hatter, he's cute as a button, and he is one of the nicest, most down to earth people you might ever dub a virtuoso..."
Table of contents |
Live work
Nick frequently plays solo acoustic tours of the UK and Europe. In 2003, he was awarded a Herald Fringe Angel award for performance excellence at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where he plays a residency most years. In 2004, he was chosen as a main performer at the Cropredy Festival hosted by Fairport Convention. In 2005, he was asked to play the International Guitar Festival for the second year running. He also toured Thailand to raise money for Indian Ocean tsunami relief. He will play sets at the Glastonbury festival and the Beautiful Days festival in summer 2005, amongst others.
Work with other artists
Nick's first recordings and major live exposure were with his father Roy. He still works and tours with Roy occasionally.
Nick was a touring member of British pop/rock band Squeeze from 1996–7. Glenn Tilbrook of the band produced Nick's Smithereens and Harperspace albums, which were released on Glenn's Quixotic label. The pair often work together, with Nick most recently appearing on Glenn's 2004 solo album Transatlantic Ping-Pong.
Nick has written and played with Brighton-based political indie group the Levellers. He recently guested on the band's Top 40 UK single Make U Happy – he co-wrote, played and sang on b-side Not in my Name.
Discography
- Light at the End of the Kennel (Sangraal EP, 1994)
- Seed (Sangraal, 1995)
- Smithereens (Quixotic, 1998)
- Instrumental (Sangraal EP, 1999)
- Harperspace (Quixotic, 2000)
- Double Life (2-CD live set – Quixotic, 2002)
- Blood Songs (Sangraal, 2004)
External links
Categories: Guitarists