Today, more than ever before, having a compelling story may be the thing that attracts a potential fan to you (sometimes even before hearing your music).
Our highly-renowned musician bio writer will craft a Signature Story that will become the cornerstone of your PR and marketing efforts. A compelling musician biography is essential in catching the eyes of media makers and potential fans.
Musician Bio Writing: What To Expect
We will first introduce you to our writer who holds a master’s degree in Journalism from NYU and has written for The Village Voice, SPIN, Alternative Press, CMJ, among many others. He will email you within the next business day to setup a time to talk on the phone and get to know you better. You can send him your old bio, a draft, a story or notes, and your music so he can get a clearer image on who you are and what you do. You will arrange one conversation of (approx 30-45 minutes); all members of your band/team that wish to be part of this conversation will need to be available at the scheduled time. Within 10 business days following the phone conversation, he will send you a draft for your feedback and edits. Once you’ve submitted your requests for change, he’ll incorporate your edits, get your final approval, and you’ll have your new official Signature Story. Our signature stories are approximately 1 typewritten page.
“Working with Lorne was a holistic experience, as he delved deep into not only the practicalities of my career, but also the deeper motivations and emotions behind my art. The result was a powerfully insightful, inspiring biography, with which I can proudly tell the world, ‘This is who I am, this is what I believe in, this is how I bring value to my community.’” – Nate Maingard
“I felt comfortable opening up and telling my story to a complete stranger. I chalk this up to the fact that Lorne would ask me questions that made me reflect on my past and really appreciate how far I have come as a musician. The end result was a bio that totally encompassed who I am.” – Timothy Dark
Musician Biography/Signature Story Examples
Julia Michaels
You might not know young singer-songwriter Julia Michaels, but you know her songs. At just 22, she has already written chart-topping singles for a bevy of modern pop icons. Her infectious melodic sense and poetic and emotive lyrics have resonated authentically with the masses since she emerged as a prodigiously talented, teen songwriter.
Now, Julia courageously steps out front as an artist with an upcoming single, EP, and some plum live appearances. “After hearing so many other’s stories, and writing for other artists, I realized it was time to tell my story,” the Los Angeles-based artist confides. “These songs are my truth.”
Julia’s solo music favors an organic pop aesthetic with live instrumentation, emotionally raw lyrics, sophisticated hooks, and her sensually expressive vocals.
She will be ushering in this new era as a solo artist with live appearances in advance of single and EP releases. Upcoming, Julia will be performing alongside Kygo at the 2016 Olympics closing ceremony.
Reflecting on this fresh creative path, she says: “Now, I feel brave enough to talk about my life. All the great people in my circle have inspired me to push boundaries and not hide in the background. It feels so good to be able to finally express myself and share my stories. “
Lana Del Rey
Lana Del Rey has released the darkly glamorous Born To Die (Interscope). Her album debuted at #1 on iTunes in eighteen countries and has totaled over a million in sales worldwide, achieving great reviews such as “stunning” (NME) and “brilliantly realized” (BBC).
Many of her fans’ initial encounter with the singer-songwriter was through her DIY video for “Video Games.” But Del Rey—who filmed and edited the video on her Macbook—had already been recording music and making moody homespun videos for eight years when “Video Games” was posted on YouTube. Its distressed and disquieting Americana imagery and the vintage sophistication of Del Rey’s style was iconically resonant, and “Video Games” has since garnered over 32 million views.
Music blogs took to “Video Games” and influential BBC Radio One DJ Fearne Cotton became enamored with the track. Within weeks the video soared to a million views and by the end of July of 2011 she landed a worldwide deal with Universal Music.
Lana Del Rey was born Lizzy Grant, the oldest of three children, in the quietly rustic environs of Lake Placid, in Upstate New York. “It has an epic, nostalgic feel. It’s in the middle of a National Park,” she says of her home. Growing up she sang in the church choir. Her formative soundtrack included such diverse sounds as Nirvana, The Beach Boys, Daniel Johnston and Bruce Springsteen.
As a teen she discovered the literate irreverence of beat-poet Allen Ginsberg. His lush wordplay made an indelible impression and remains a keystone conceptual influence on Del Rey’s music. She told SPIN magazine, “The way I ended up having relationships and living life, it sometimes mimics those more wild relationships.” At 15, she found Ginsberg’s epic poem “Howl.” “It was one of the first pieces of literature that ever resonated with me. The fact that I related so closely to Ginsberg’s manic, drug-fueled rantings was a sign of very dark but creative times to come,” she said in Fader.
At eighteen, Del Rey moved to New York City to study philosophy at Fordham University and began honing her lushly romantic sound. “When I first got to New York City I was playing acoustic sets. Stylistically, I think my music has kind of stayed the same since then,” Del Rey revealed to Papermag. “My songs have always had a darker undertone just because…it came naturally.” Her first break was singing in a songwriting competition, which landed her a record deal with the indie 5 Points label. She used the recording advance to move into a New Jersey trailer park where she lived for a year and a half while she made her first record with David Kahne.
Del Rey made her performance debut when she was 19 at an open mic night in Williamsburg. The interlocking sounds of her mesmerizing, hushed voice and the bruised luxury of her music made an impression that night. “Somebody ran out after me and said ‘You should come to a night I’m doing next week and play some songs for me.’ I was afraid of everything. If they had laughed at me that night I would have never come back on stage. Ever,” she reveals. Around this formative period she changed her name. “It’s nice to be able to try and build the life you want for yourself. All the things you start off with are given to you by somebody else,” she says. “You have to be brave and try to start again. It might be a little scary. Not many people say ‘Let’s start life over and do it again the way I want to.’”
“I wanted a name I could shape the music towards,” she specified in a UK Vogue interview. “I was going to Miami quite a lot at the time, speaking a lot of Spanish with my friends from Cuba – Lana Del Rey reminded us of the glamour of the seaside. It sounded gorgeous coming off the tip of the tongue.”
In addition to her visual flair, Born To Die’s cinematic quality is also due to Del Rey’s affinity for classic arrangements. Her ability to fuse mannered torch song balladry with hip-hop bravado imbues the music with a sense of drama that feels familiar yet new. The 12-track Born To Die is dynamically expansive, from the rugged hip-hop flavor of “Off To The Races” to the mesmerizing grandeur of “National Anthem.” Del Rey’s producers and conceptual co-conspirator Emile Haynie helped her realize her musical vision, with Haynie capturing her sound in his intimate studio filled with vintage vinyl and recording equipment. Born To Die is rife with such contrasts as organic spy-movie guitars and swooning strings, grimy samples and juicy hip-hop beats.
In recent months, Del Rey revealed her gorgeous “Born To Die” video, directed by Yoann Lemoine, a tragic epic with the distinction of being the first ever video the French allowed to be filmed at the majestic Fontainebleau. After making her TV debut on the UK’s Later With Jools Holland to great acclaim, she won Q Magazine’s Next Big Thing Award and has since appeared on top programs across Europe and the US, including Saturday Night Live, Late Show With David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel Live, American Idol, Tonight with Jonathan Ross, twice on France’s Le Grand Journal, and Germany’s Echo Awards. Her refreshingly eclectic style has been praised in UK Vogue and New York Times’ T Style Magazine, and she’s graced a dozen covers including Billboard, Complex, Q, NME, UK Vogue, Wonderland and Interview Magazine (Germany). By January 2012, Lana won Best International Breakthrough Artist prize at the Brit Awards.
Her next single, “Blue Jeans,” was an alternate video to the signature montage-style one her fans discovered last year on YouTube along with “Video Games,” this one shot in LA is a beautiful film noir style black and white video. Acting as a prequel to Born to Die, it represents the dangerous beginnings of the relationship that she is reflecting back to in the video for ‘Born to Die.’ She’s currently finalizing her 2012 tour plans, as her loyal fan base grows worldwide. For the 25-year old, it’s an overnight success eight years in the making.
Julian Lennon
Julian Lennon’s sensitive and poetic vision of life courses through his exquisite photography, philanthropic pursuits, and his acclaimed music. On June 4th he returns with his first album in 15 years, the stunning Everything Changes (Music From Another Room), a masterwork of powerfully vulnerable and sophisticatedly accessible adult pop.
Julian’s melding of uplifting introspection and thoughtful social commentary with refined hooks has made for a compelling six-album body of work. His debut, Valotte (Atlantic), yielded two top ten hits—the title track and “Too Late for Goodbyes”—and was nominated for a Grammy for “Best New Artist.” He went on to have #1 singles on the U.S. album rock charts. Internationally, one of his most popular songs “Saltwater” charted successfully around the world, topping in Australia for four weeks and reached #6 in the UK. In advance of its June 4th U.S. release, his latest, Everything Changes (Music From Another Room), is already receiving national airplay and press plaudits nationally and internationally. The Sunday Press calls it a “revelation” and Herald Standard gushes Julian has “returned stronger and better than ever.”
Since 1998, Julian has devoted himself to altruistic concerns. He produced the compelling documentary whaledreamers that was shown at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival and earned 8 International Film Festival Awards. In 2007, Julian founded The White Feather Foundation whose mission “embraces environmental and humanitarian issues and in conjunction with partners from around the world helps to raise funds for the betterment of all life, and to honor those who have truly made a difference.”
He has emerged a renowned photographer, applying the warm candor of his vision in music to producing iconic images. Julian has worked extensively with U2, his brother Sean, and photographed his friend Charlene Wittstock, exclusively for Vogue, prior to her civil wedding to Prince Albert II of Monaco. His debut exhibition at the esteemed The Morrison Hotel Gallery in New York City garnered many outstanding reviews. He has followed this with two successful exhibitions at Art Basel Miami 2010 and 2012, among other venues internationally. He is currently preparing for a collaborative opening with Chinese artist Simon Ma, for the Venice Biennale 2013.
Everything Changes is a stunning achievement. It’s stately and intimate, and thoughtfully paced. Lyrically, it covers romance, introspection, and humanitarian concerns with artistic concision, mixing clever wordplay with emotional directness. The poignancy and poise of “Everything Changes” opens the album and sets a universally spiritual tone. The beautifully crafted lead off single “Someday” features mystical Eastern melodic motifs and boasts guest vocalist Steven Tyler. It engagingly combines Julian’s lifework as a philanthropist and gifted songwriter. Here, Julian sings pristinely with earnestness the timeless message: “We’re all in it together / One love, now and forever.” Other album standouts are the mesmerizing piano pop ballad “Lookin’ 4 Luv” and the euphoric rocker “Just For You.”
Besides Steven Tyler, also guesting on the album is musician/producer Peter Vettese (Jethro Tull, Annie Lennox, Pet Shop Boys), singer-songwriter Paul Buchanan (Blue Nile), legendary songwriter Mark Spiro (Heart, Laura Branigan, Lita Ford), singer/producer/composer Tim Ellis, as well as longtime friends Justin Clayton, Gregory Darling, Matt Backer and Guy Pratt. Julian and Grant Ransom jointly produced the album.
Julian recently sang backing vocals on Aerosmith’s critically acclaimed comeback album. He returns to his music fans with new confidence and renewed purpose. Everything Changes has all the hallmarks of Julian Lennon’s classic, sublime lifestyle music, yet glows with tender wisdom gleaned from his many life explorations.
Black Stone Cherry
Family comes first—you can never forget who was there with you from the start. The Edmonton, Kentucky-based rock n’ roll quartet Black Stone Cherry was raised on musical forefathers such as Cream, Led Zeppelin, Muddy Waters, and the Faces, among other 1970s staples, and, now, with its sixth album, Family Tree, BSC salutes its classic rock heritage and honors its legacy with a beast of a Southern rock n’ roll album.
“We caught divine intervention with this one,” guitarist Ben Wells says with a good chuckle. “We hit a creative spark and tapped into a spirit and a fire we hadn’t before.” Drummer John Fred Young adds: “On Family Tree, we’re letting the beast out of the cage and getting back to being a badass rock n’ roll band.”
For 17 years, Black Stone Cherry has put forth a new vicious breed of Southern rock, injecting youthful vitality and a myriad of fresh new influences into the beloved American rock tradition. To date, the band has released five critically acclaimed albums, and one well-received blues EP. Black Stone Cherry has also rocked 12,000-cap arena shows, topped the UK charts, and shared the stage with a diverse roster of superstars, including Def Leppard, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bad Company, Mötorhead, and ZZ Top.
Black Stone Cherry came together in 2001 in Edmonton, Kentucky, eventually coalescing around the lineup of Chris Robertson, vocals and guitar; Ben Wells, guitar and vocals; Jon Lawhon, bass and vocals; and John Fred Young, drums. Young’s dad Richard, and his Uncle Fred, are two members of the iconic country-fried rock n’ roots band The Kentucky HeadHunters, and the high school-aged boys came up honing their craft in the group’s Practice House, a 1940s bungalow.
“We grew up in the Kentucky Headhunters’ rehearsal space, looking up at posters of Cream, Led Zeppelin, Uriah Heap, the Stones, Montrose, and the Faces. We were like kids someone took in a time capsule and put in the woods,” says drummer John Fred Young.
Like the band’s previous album and EP, Black Stone Cherry opted to self-produce and track Family Treeat David Barrick’s Barrick Recording, the same studio where BSC recorded its debut album. BSC also opted to not over-rehearse in advance of the album, instead preferring the immediacy and spontaneity of in the-moment takes. “There was a lot of laughter in the studio this time, and an air of comfort because we had self-produced the last few releases. It helped us get down to the nitty gritty bones of our music,” says bassist Jon Lawhon. The band also entrusted guitarist and vocalist Chris Robertson to mix the album. This homespun approach perfectly suited the loose but epiphanic creative sessions that birthed Family Tree.
Family Tree boasts BSC’s tried-and-true lucky number with its 13 songs, and, like all BSC releases, features songwriting contributions from each member. The result is a modern and meaty blues-based rock album, with unexpected sonic twists like punchy horn sections, barrelhouse pianos, Southern gospel organ, atmospheric synthesizer passages, and forays into funk and country.
The title track melds brawny blues riffage with BSC’s most telepathic ensemble playing, showcasing the group’s maturation as a unit without detracting from its Southern, hard rock wallop. The album also packs some satisfyingly surprising moments. “Carry Me On Down The Road” is a sleek slice of pure 1970s American rock n’ roll—something you would hear blaring out of a 1972 Chevy El Camino. “James Brown” offers forth some stanky swamp-funk, replete with wah-wah guitars and gospel girl vocals. “Bad Habit,” however, dripping sensual innuendo hammered home by a horny groove-rock beat, delivers some prime hooky and heavy BSC.
One Family Tree centerpiece is the rustically elegant “My Last Breath,” a sweetly downhome ode to the unbreakable bonds of family. The song’s goose bump-inducing call and response male and female vocal breakdown is one of those musical moments where light just shines through the speakers and you know everything is going to be alright.
Two special guests bring Family Tree full circle, one being Chris’ 5 year-old son singing backup on the brawny swaggering “You Got The Blues,” and the other being jam band icon Warren Haynes’ vocal and guitar cameo on the delta stomp of “Dancing In The Rain.” The band first met Warren 17 years ago when they first came to New York as newly signed young bucks. “I remember coming to New York when we first were signed, and hearing Warren’s voice behind me the minute my feet hit the street,” recalls bassist Jon Lawhon. “Hearing him play on this track all these years later gave me chills.”
Having Warren guest on the album was a wonderful gesture of “you’re in the family now.” It was truly a validation of all the miles the band has clocked on tour, and the dues the guys have paid being away from home. “It’s amazing to me how four good old boys from nowhere Kentucky can still be around 17 years later,” singer/guitarist Chris Roberson says. Ben Wells concludes: “I don’t remember how life was outside of Black Stone Cherry. The four of us are family.”
Chelsea Grin
One year in a dog’s life equals seven for a human. Dog years are a lot like touring musician years: Being on the road and learning from more seasoned bands, playing music every night, traveling together every day, a lot of growth happens at super-human speed. “For a fulltime musician, a year is a long time; one album is a huge difference. We love that album [Desolation of Eden, Chelsea Grin’s debut] but like any musician, old stuff is old stuff, when you get better you want to write different things,” Chelsea Grin bassist David Flinn says, revealing, “We all sat down and talked about what we wanted the new album to be—we wanted it to include ideas that date back to our EP but open up to things we listen to now like Thrice, Black Dahlia Murder, and indie rock. We didn’t want to put out the typical deathcore album. “
“When we wrote the first album I was still in the Army and Dan [Jones, guitarist] joined the band on the way to the studio,” David says with a laugh. “Since we released Desolation of Eden we’ve had a stable lineup and we’ve become more confident. This time we weren’t rushed.” Though the band’s signature guttural vocals, whiplash-inducing breakdowns, and Middle Eastern-flavored melodies remain on the band’s latest, My Damnation, out July 19th on Artery Recordings, the Salt Lake City, Utah-based sixpiece’s latest assault is both more direct and diverse. “We recorded the track ‘My Damnation’ last summer at preproduction and when we took a step back and listened to it, it was like ‘Wow this is a big step for us.’”
Chelsea Grin is Alex Koehler (vocals), Michael Stafford (guitars), Jack Harmond (guitars), Dan Jones (guitars), David Flinn (bass) and Andrew Carlston (drums). The band started in high school inspired by Whitechapel, Emmure, and Job For A Cowboy, among others. The guys quickly made a name for themselves playing VFW Halls on the weekends and releasing a debut EP that sold out at local retailers. “Two years ago everyone was 18, just graduated from high school and started touring, it was like jumping from high school to college in a van,” David explains. After some brief regional tours the band signed to the Artery Foundation for management and then signed on as the first band on Artery Recordings, a joint partnership with Artery Management and Razor & Tie Entertainment. Chelsea Grin released its debut, Desolation of Eden, Feb 2010, it sold over 17,000 copies; garnered a spot on the coveted Alternative Press “AP Recommends” column; and was voted #2 in the September 2010 AP Readers Chart. The band toured throughout 2010-2011—highlights have been jaunts with Whitechapel, For Today, 2010’s Thrash & Burn tour, and 2011’s Bamboozle Festival.
My Damnation was produced by Zeuss (Hatebreed, The Acacia Strain, Emmure) who focused the band’s double bass and three-guitar dynamic. “His ears are trained to hear what works in terms of drums, three guitars and he helped fix parts.” The disc opens with the one-two jabs of “The Foolish One” and “Everlasting Sleep,” classic bowel-churning grooves with refined subtleties. Vocalist Alex Koehler tastefully branches out and the lead guitars are more lyrical. Alex has been working on his vocals with exercises and warm-ups, strengthening and diversifying his feral roar. On “Last Breath” Alex somehow manages to keep his vocals blood-raw while exploring a more melodic approach. “The songs really mean something, they go somewhere,” Dan says, adding that there is a conceptual bend to the album. “It’s based loosely on being condemned to hell and finding your way out to salvation, dealing with actions and consequences,” David explains. Guitar-wise, the team of three have upped the chops and widened their palette. Nowhere is this more evident than on the meditative classical acoustic guitar piece “Kharon.” “It’s completely crazy,” Dan says enthusiastically, “No one expects that but our guitarists love classical guitar.”
The album’s title track is a special track for the band as it features Whitechapel vocalist Phil Bozeman trading verses with Alex. Whitechapel was a foundational band for the guys when they were starting out. “When Phil sent the track back, we couldn’t stop listening to it. It was a dream come true to be the first band Phil ever did guest vocals for,” Dan says. “It’s been a wild ride. A year ago we were on our third tour and playing small halls, now we’re playing all-ages venues with bands we’ve been listening to for three years,” Dan marvels. Recently the band’s first headlining show in Washington sold out and -they reached the esteemed milestone of getting instrument endorsements to replace their shabby baby-band equipment. “When I look back at what’s all happened,” Dan states reflecting, “How far we’ve come from being a local broke-ass band with no idea what we are doing, I’m amazed. We’re so grateful.”
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