Fearless. Trailblazing. Unforgettable. Just some of the words that have been used to describe Isaac Russell, the eighteen year-old singer, songwriter and guitar-playing troubadour who makes his Columbia Records debut in Summer 2010 with the release of his stunningly-affecting 5-song self-titled EP.
On songs like “Made Me a Man,” “Lighthouse,” and “Elizabeth,” Russell fuses ferociously daring song writing to masterful, moving guitar accompaniment. The result is a sonically-arresting collection of intimate stories that brim with both humor and heartache. Make no mistake - this is an artist like no one you’ve heard before.
“I never wanted a record that sounded like anyone else’s,” Russell says of his upcoming album, just minutes before taking the stage at New York’s famed Joe’s Pub. "I think we achieved it with this one. I’m proud of it.”
Like fellow renegade song-smiths Merle Haggard and Buck Owens, Russell was born in Bakersfield, California, to a family that fostered his musical development from the very beginning. “My Dad was my biggest musical influence growing-up,” Russell says. “His musical tastes were my musical tastes – everybody from The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, ELO, Bob Dylan, and Johnny Cash, to more modern bands like Portishead and Radiohead. He also introduced me to classic rock and classical music as well, so there was an amazing variety of sounds, in my house and in my head.”
Russell’s early musical fascination would progress to a full-on obsession with the blues.
“When I actually started breaking away and buying my own records, I listened almost exclusively to the blues, “he says. “I spent the better part of three years just listening and playing guitar. At that point, I never sang – I hated my voice and would just play guitar.
My brother Spencer was a huge influence in getting me into playing the guitar at the age of fourteen. He had stolen a guitar from one of his friends and had taught himself how to play. I idolized him, and wanted to learn how to play just like he did. It was all about the blues for me then - I was heavy into everybody from Robert Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Howlin’ Wolf, B.B. King, and Buddy Guy, to more modern players like Robert Cray, Doyle Bramhall II, and of course, Clapton. I just dove-into it – I wanted to be the best guitar player I could be.” Russell’s early dedication to mastering the fretboard would pay off years later with the creation of his nimble, guitar-centric sound that pulls from a wide array of genres – blues, folk, rock and beyond.
Russell’s life would be forever changed at the age of fifteen, when his mother Elizabeth lost her valiant battle with cancer. The experience would propel the young blues guitarist into previously unchartered territory – he would turn to song writing in an attempt to make sense of her senseless death.
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Artist info obtained from public profile, artist website or social media
Fearless. Trailblazing. Unforgettable. Just some of the words that have been used to describe Isaac Russell, the eighteen year-old singer, songwriter and guitar-playing troubadour who makes his Columbia Records debut in Summer 2010 with the release of his stunningly-affecting 5-song self-titled EP.
On songs like “Made Me a Man,” “Lighthouse,” and “Elizabeth,” Russell fuses ferociously daring song writing to masterful, moving guitar accompaniment. The result is a sonically-arresting collection of intimate stories that brim with both humor and heartache. Make no mistake - this is an artist like no one you’ve heard before.
“I never wanted a record that sounded like anyone else’s,” Russell says of his upcoming album, just minutes before taking the stage at New York’s famed Joe’s Pub. "I think we achieved it with this one. I’m proud of it.”
Like fellow renegade song-smiths Merle Haggard and Buck Owens, Russell was born in Bakersfield, California, to a family that fostered his musical development from the very beginning. “My Dad was my biggest musical influence growing-up,” Russell says. “His musical tastes were my musical tastes – everybody from The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, ELO, Bob Dylan, and Johnny Cash, to more modern bands like Portishead and Radiohead. He also introduced me to classic rock and classical music as well, so there was an amazing variety of sounds, in my house and in my head.”
Russell’s early musical fascination would progress to a full-on obsession with the blues.
“When I actually started breaking away and buying my own records, I listened almost exclusively to the blues, “he says. “I spent the better part of three years just listening and playing guitar. At that point, I never sang – I hated my voice and would just play guitar.
My brother Spencer was a huge influence in getting me into playing the guitar at the age of fourteen. He had stolen a guitar from one of his friends and had taught himself how to play. I idolized him, and wanted to learn how to play just like he did. It was all about the blues for me then - I was heavy into everybody from Robert Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Howlin’ Wolf, B.B. King, and Buddy Guy, to more modern players like Robert Cray, Doyle Bramhall II, and of course, Clapton. I just dove-into it – I wanted to be the best guitar player I could be.” Russell’s early dedication to mastering the fretboard would pay off years later with the creation of his nimble, guitar-centric sound that pulls from a wide array of genres – blues, folk, rock and beyond.
Russell’s life would be forever changed at the age of fifteen, when his mother Elizabeth lost her valiant battle with cancer. The experience would propel the young blues guitarist into previously unchartered territory – he would turn to song writing in an attempt to make sense of her senseless death.
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Artist info obtained from public profile, artist website or social media
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