Biografia
Ed Harcourt, a unique and gifted British singer-songwriter, was born on August 14, 1977, in Wimbledon, London. The son of an army officer and diplomat, he moved frequently during childhood and began learning piano around age nine or ten. In addition to piano, Ed is proficient in drums, bass, and guitar. He played keyboard and bass in the indie pop-punk band Snug before its breakup. Following the band's end, Harcourt briefly worked as a chef in a French restaurant before launching his solo career.
His debut EP, "Maplewood," was released in 2000, followed by albums including "Here Be Monsters," "From Every Sphere," "Strangers," and "The Beautiful Lie." Harcourt has opened for artists such as Patti Smith, R.E.M., Sparklehorse, Snow Patrol, Wilco, Beth Orton, Norah Jones, Neil Finn, Frank Turner, James, The Afghan Whigs, Gutter Twins, and Supergrass. A prolific songwriter, he has co-written songs for Marianne Faithfull, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, James Bay, Paloma Faith, Lisa Marie Presley, Jamie Cullum, Sam Palladio, and Hailey Tuck.
He collaborated with the French jazz quartet Erik Truffaz on their 2007 album "Arkhangelsk" and performed at the 2005 Meltdown Festival in London, curated by Patti Smith, where he opened alongside the Brian Jonestown Massacre. In 2007, Harcourt released the compilation "Until Tomorrow Then: The Best of Ed Harcourt," concluding his seven-year relationship with Heavenly Recordings and EMI.
Subsequently, he released albums including "Russian Roulette," "Lustre," "Back Into The Woods" (recorded in eight hours at Abbey Road Studios), "Time of Dust," "The Way That I Live" for Burberry, "Furnaces" produced by Flood, two instrumental cinematic albums "Beyond the End" and "Monochrome to Colour," and most recently "El Magnifico" under his own label, Deathless Recordings. An enthusiast of boxing, painting, and cats, Harcourt shares his life with his wife Gita, a singer, writer, and musician who plays violin alongside him in concerts and on several albums.
