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Gregory Alan Isakov

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Gregory Alan Isakov
Gregory Alan Isakov performing in San Francisco, February 14, 2019
Gregory Alan Isakov performing in San Francisco, February 14, 2019
Background information
Born (1979-10-19) October 19, 1979 (age 45)
Johannesburg, South Africa[1]
Genres
OccupationSinger-songwriter
Websitewww.gregoryalanisakov.com

Gregory Alan Isakov is a singer-songwriter born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He and his family emigrated to the United States in 1986 and he was raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[3] He currently resides in Boulder, Colorado.[4]

Isakov's music combines indie and folk, featuring instruments such as the guitar and banjo. He is widely known for the songs "The Stable Song", "Big Black Car", "If I Go, I'm Goin" and "Raising Cain". Isakov has released seven albums, most recently Evening Machines in October 2018.[5]

About

Isakov was born in Johannesburg on October 19, 1979. He immigrated with his family to the United States in 1986 during the apartheid because his father Nissen started an electronic-engineering business in Philadelphia.[6][7] In Philadelphia, he began touring with a band at the age of 16.[4] Isakov later moved to Colorado to study horticulture at Naropa University.[8] Isakov had played instruments his whole life, but began a life as a professional musician playing occasional gigs while also working as a gardener.[7] His musical career became more serious when he began touring with Kelly Joe Phelps.[8]

In 2003 Isakov self-released his first album Rust Colored Stones.[9] In 2005 he self-released Songs for October. In 2007 he self-released That Sea, The Gambler. In 2009 Isakov self-released This Empty Northern Hemisphere which featured vocals by Brandi Carlile on five tracks and a cover of Leonard Cohen's "One of Us Cannot Be Wrong".[10] In 2013 Isakov created his independent label Suitcase Town Music on which he released The Weatherman.[11][12]

In 2016 Isakov released Gregory Alan Isakov with the Colorado Symphony, an album of eleven of his earlier songs orchestrated by several composers and recorded with the full Colorado Symphony.[6][13] On October 5, 2018 Isakov released Evening Machines on his Suitcase Town Music label.[5]

He has been influenced by the music of Leonard Cohen, Kelly Joe Phelps and Bruce Springsteen.[1] Isakov has played at many music festivals around the United States, Canada and Europe.[14]

Discography

  • Rust Colored Stones (2003)
  • Songs for October (2005)
  • That Sea, The Gambler (2007)
  • This Empty Northern Hemisphere (2009)
  • The Weatherman (2013)
  • Gregory Alan Isakov with the Colorado Symphony (2016)
  • Evening Machines (2018)

Appearances in media

  • The song "Big Black Car" from the 2009 album This Empty Northern Hemisphere was featured in a 2012 McDonald's commercial. Isakov donated the proceeds to non-profit organizations that help further sustainable farming and nurture community.[14]
  • The song "Second Chances" from the 2013 album The Weatherman plays towards the end of the sixth episode of the first season of the American drama television series Forever and was featured in the 2014 Veronica Mars movie.
  • The song "This Empty Northern Hemisphere" from the 2009 album of the same name plays at the conclusion of the final episode of the fourth season of the American drama television series Suits.
  • The song "That Moon Song" from the album This Empty Northern Hemisphere, featuring Brandi Carlile, was featured in the 2010 independent documentary film Ride The Divide and on the soundtrack from the film.
  • The song "The Stable Song" from the album That Sea, The Gambler was featured in the 2010 independent documentary film Ride The Divide and on the soundtrack from the film.
  • The song "If I Go, I'm Goin'" from This Empty Northern Hemisphere plays at the end of the fourth episode of season four of Showtime's Californication.
  • The song "She Always Takes It Black" from The Weatherman was featured in season seven, episode 11 of Showtime's TV series Californication.
  • The song "Time Will Tell" from The Weatherman was featured in a 2015 Subaru commercial.
  • The song "Suitcase Full of Sparks" from The Weatherman was featured in episode 20 of season three of The Blacklist and the instrumental version was featured in a 2019 Subaru commercial "A Big Day Out".
  • The song "Second Chances" from the 2013 album The Weatherman plays toward the end of the short film "One Man’s Mission to Revive the Last Redwood Forests" by National Geographic Society.
  • The song "Amsterdam" from the 2013 album The Weatherman was featured in episode 1 of season six of Girls.
  • The song "Second Chances" from the 2013 album The Weatherman plays at the end of the first episode of the fourth season of the American drama television series Rectify.
  • The song "If I Go, I'm Goin'" from This Empty Northern Hemisphere plays the end of the tenth episode of season one of Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House.
  • The song "The Stable Song" from the 2016 album Gregory Alan Isakov with the Colorado Symphony is included in the soundtrack for the film The Peanut Butter Falcon.

References

  1. ^ a b "Biography". gregoryalanisakov.com. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
  2. ^ Ismail, Noora. "Gregory Alan Isakov: The Indie Folk Singer Building His Own Off-Grid Paradise". Huck. TCOLondon Publishing. Archived from the original on December 1, 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ Van Leuven, Chris. "Deep Music From Up In The Hills". Elevation Outdoors Magazine. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
  4. ^ a b Monger, James. "Artist Biography". allmusic.com. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
  5. ^ a b "Gregory Alan Isakov: Evening Machines". pastemagazine.com. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  6. ^ a b Lacroix, Kate (January 16, 2017). "Gregory Alan Isakov's Dad Beams as His Son Plays With the Colorado Symphony". Westword. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  7. ^ a b "Gregory Alan Isakov". P O T F. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  8. ^ a b "A Singer-Songwriter Who Puts His Garden First". Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  9. ^ "Rust Colored Stones - Gregory Alan Isakov | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  10. ^ "Gregory Alan Isakov - This Empty Northern Hemisphere (Suitcase Town) | Northern Sky Magazine". www.northernskymag.com. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  11. ^ Desk, BWW News. "Gregory Alan Isakov Comes To Boulder's Fox Theater". Retrieved October 5, 2018. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  12. ^ "Gregory Alan Isakov album review, 'The Weatherman'". Washington Post. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  13. ^ "Gregory Alan Isakov with the Colorado Symphony Album Released Today, Receives National Critical Acclaim". Colorado Symphony. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  14. ^ a b "Gregory Alan Isakov interview: 'It's a scary time to be alive'". The Independent. Retrieved October 5, 2018.

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