Ed Harcourt
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| Ed Harcourt | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Edward Harcourt |
| Born | August 14, 1977 |
| Origin | Lewes, East Sussex, England |
| Genre(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 2000- |
| Label(s) | Heavenly Records (2000-present) |
| Website | www.edharcourt.com |
Ed Harcourt (born August 14, 1977) is an English singer-songwriter from Sussex.
Harcourt's primary instrument is the piano, but he also plays numerous less common keyboard instruments as well as the guitar and percussion. When performing live he is most often accompanied by a band typically comprising a drummer, guitarist (usually Leo Abrahams), violinist and trumpeter, but he sometimes performs solo.
In mid-October 2007, Ed released the retrospective collection Until Tomorrow Then: The Best of Ed Harcourt, collecting material from the first 7 years of his solo recording career. A tour of the UK followed.
Ed has opened for many artists over the years including R.E.M., Snow Patrol, Wilco and Neil Finn. Bands and artists who have supported Ed on his own tours include Magnet, The Magic Numbers and Feist, as well as a wide variety of emerging British talents, notably Hush the Many (Heed the Few).
He recorded several tracks with the French Jazz quartet Erik Truffaz for their album "Arkhangelsk", released in 2007. Harcourt also performed live with the group to promote the album.
He is now on Dovecote Records in the U.S. In the UK, however, speculation on the official Ed Harcourt forum claims that Ed and Heavenly Records/EMI have parted ways, although no official statement has been issued. The speculation sustains that Until Tomorrow Then: The Best of Ed Harcourt fulfilled his record contract, and that EMI--since being acquired by new owners Terra Firma Capital Partners--dropped Ed from the label.
Harcourt more recently opened for the Gutter Twins on their European tour as well as joining the group on stage to play guitar on some songs, most notably on their appearance on 'Later! with Jools Holland' [1].
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Maplewood EP (November 13, 2000)
- Here Be Monsters (June 25, 2001) UK #84, Sweden #28
- From Every Sphere (February 17, 2003) UK #39, Sweden #6, Norway #25, France #103
- Strangers (September 13, 2004) UK #57, Sweden #7, France #130
- Elephant's Graveyard (Digital download only album with B-sides and rarities) (August 8, 2005)
- The Beautiful Lie (June 5, 2006) UK #97, Sweden #31
- Until Tomorrow Then: The Best of Ed Harcourt (October 15, 2007) UK #191
[edit] Side projects
- Arkhangelsk with Erik Truffaz (May 14, 2007)
[edit] Singles
[edit] From Here Be Monsters
- "Something in My Eye" (June 11, 2001)
- "She Fell into My Arms" (September 10, 2001)
- "Apple of My Eye" (January 21, 2002)
- "Shanghai" (April 8, 2002) [CANCELED; released as a promo single only]
[edit] Single only
- "Still I Dream of It/The Ghosts Parade" (October 28, 2002)
[edit] From From Every Sphere
- "All of Your Days Will Be Blessed" (February 3, 2003)
- "Watching the Sun Come Up" (May 19, 2003)
[edit] From Strangers
- "This One's for You" (August 30, 2004)
- "Born in the '70s" (November 1, 2004)
- "Loneliness" (February 14, 2005)
[edit] From The Beautiful Lie
- "Visit from the Dead Dog" (May 29, 2006)
- "Revolution in the Heart" (October 23, 2006 - Digital Download only) [CANCELED as a commercial single release]
[edit] From Until Tomorrow Then: The Best of Ed Harcourt
[edit] Miscellaneous
- Before going solo, Harcourt played the bass and keyboards for Snug.
- Ed's collaborations include work with Jamie Cullum, Bryan Ferry, Erik Truffaz, Rosie Thomas, Shivaree, Dawn Kinnard, as well as tours and performances with a variety of artists including Neil Finn, KT Tunstall, Nada Surf, Tom McRae, Josh Rouse, The Magic Numbers, Jonna Lee, Sondre Lerche, Jarvis Cocker, Brian Eno, Bryan Ferry and Paul Simon.[citation needed]
- He is married to the singer and musician Gita Harcourt, née Langley.
- He covered Vera Lynn's "We'll Meet Again" for the closing titles of 2006 horror film Severance.
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Profile on MySpace
- Non-official site (in French).
- A documentary about the recording of 'Arkhangelsk' featuring Ed Harcourt, Nya, & Christophe.
- Official website of Leo Abrahams
