Pete Lawrie

Influenced by the eclectic likes of <a href="spotify:artist:4sSSkVtrCTzENCgm2vokiY">Roots Manuva</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:2CvCyf1gEVhI0mX6aFXmVI">Paul Simon</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:3dkbV4qihUeMsqN4vBGg93">Al Green</a>, gravelly voiced singer/songwriter Pete Lawrie has described his sound as "Southern blues country rock skiffle hip tronica." Born in Liverpool but raised in Wales, Lawrie grew up in a family of professional oboists, with his mother and father part of the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, while his grandfather appeared on <a href="spotify:artist:3WrFJ7ztbogyGnTHbHJFl2">the Beatles</a>' "Strawberry Fields Forever." Abandoning his trumpet and piano-playing abilities for a pair of record decks at the age of 15, he later discovered he could fuse the two together and began writing his own hip-hop-country-soul material. After studying for a film studies degree at university, he held down a number of dead-end jobs before forming the Lawries with drummer Elliot Wall and bassist Mike Shankleman, two musicians he continues to perform with, who -- despite championing from Radio 1's <a href="spotify:artist:6sEZuDlujwVVM8tEVeIdJC">Rob da Bank</a> -- failed to secure a record deal. However, as a solo artist, Lawrie signed with <a href="spotify:artist:5T4UKHhr4HGIC0VzdZQtAE">Faithless</a>' Rollo Armstrong's <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Island%22">Island</a> subsidiary, Field Recordings, in 2008 and released several highly acclaimed EPs, How Could I Complain?, In the End, and All That We Keep. After supporting <a href="spotify:artist:7x5rK9BClDQ8wmCkYAGsQp">Paolo Nutini</a>, appearing at the Glastonbury and Isle of Wight festivals, and teaming up with Tennessee soul vocalist <a href="spotify:artist:388N7KQACGPkR0VW0Uce6K">Lauren Pritchard</a> to form a hip-hop covers side project, River Kids, he received his first national exposure in 2011 when his single "Fell into the River" was playlisted on Radio 2. ~ Jon O'Brien, Rovi