Luke Elliot
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Luke Elliot | |
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Background information | |
Born | Princeton, New Jersey, United States | June 30, 1984
Genres | Rock |
Occupation(s) | Singer, Songwriter |
Instruments | Vocals, Guitar, Piano |
Associated acts | Bob Dylan, Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Rufus Wainwright, PJ Harvey |
Website | lukeelliot |
Luke Elliot (born June 30, 1984) is an American singer-songwriter and composer.
Biography[]
Luke Elliot was born on June 30, 1984, in Princeton, New Jersey, the second of five children, to Lorna Silver, a poet, and Norbert Elliot, an English language professor. He grew up in Lawrence Township, Mercer County, New Jersey.[1] He currently resides in Europe.
Career[]
Playing in New York's Lower East Side, Elliot and his band made their way from the small bar scene to some of New York's more popular venues, including Mercury Lounge and Webster Hall.[2] Director Paul Cantagallo asked Elliot to compose the music for his film, Benny the Bum, which won Best Local Film at the 2012 Philadelphia Independent Film Festival. Elliot began headlining Philadelphia venues such as North Star and World Cafe Live.[2] After a chance meeting with an influential journalist led to his music being promoted in Norway's biggest daily newspaper, Luke traveled for the first time outside of the U.S. to Norway in 2014.
There, he formed a band, toured the country, and recorded his debut album, Dressed for the Occasion with producer John Agnello in Halden, Norway at Athletic Studio.[3] The album was released in 2015, and Luke toured Europe and the world to enthusiastic response. Soon after, he moved permanently to Oslo, met and married a Norwegian woman, and had a child.
Luke’s evocatively titled sophomore album, The Big Wind, released in 2020, is a barometer of these turbulent times. It is a boldly textured and instantly immersive album with a film noir-ish touch that is simultaneously sleek and modern at the eye of the storm. “These songs have to do with a pull to come into a stable existence,” Luke explains. “While writing them, I had no permanent residence, but I stopped being a mess and I scrambled to get this record done.”
Rolling Stone France picked “The Big Wind” as its Album Of The Month upon release and referred to Luke as an "undeniable talent combined with a truly stunning voice." MOJO Magazine in the UK called him “…a master of accessible, twisted, gothic Americana.”
His two critically acclaimed albums and EP, part of his growing discography, have garnered top scores and rave reviews. He has toured and sold out venues all over the world, and is especially cherished by his European fan base. New singles, collaborations, and a third record are expected in 2021.
Style and influences[]
Elliot has been described as having a dark crooning style,[4] with a traditional, melancholic and melodic sound.[5] He has garnered favorable comparisons to roots, folk, and rock icons such as Hank Williams, Big Joe Turner, PJ Harvey, and Nick Cave.[6]
Discography[]
- Provisions (2014)
- Dressed for the Occasion (2016)
- The Big Wind (2020)
- Live in Oslo (2020)
References[]
- ^ Robbins, Lynn. "For Elliot, a Gig Near Home & Heart" Archived October 4, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, U.S. 1 Newspaper, April 23, 2014. Accessed October 3, 2017. "'I like playing at events where I’ve grown up. This area is a special spot for me,' says Elliot who now lives in Jersey City but hails from Lawrence Township."
- ^ a b eMinor. "Luke Elliot | Folk from New York, NY". ReverbNation. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
- ^ "Lucky Luke". Adressa.no. May 13, 2015. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
- ^ Fredrik Wandrup. "Anmeldelse: Luke Elliot – "Dressed for the Occasion" – kultur". Dagbladet.no. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
- ^ Per A. Risnes Jr. (September 25, 2015). "Anmeldelse: Luke Elliot, «Dressed for the Occasion". DN.no. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
- ^ Davies, Mike. "LUKE ELLIOT: THE BIG WIND". Folk Radio UK. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- Living people
- American male singer-songwriters
- Singer-songwriters from New Jersey
- 1985 births
- American male composers
- 21st-century American composers
- Lawrence High School (New Jersey) alumni
- Mercer County Community College alumni
- People from Lawrence Township, Mercer County, New Jersey
- People from Princeton, New Jersey
- Musicians from Jersey City, New Jersey
- 21st-century American singers
- 21st-century American male singers
- Singer-songwriters from New York (state)