Jeffrey Gaines w/ Belle-Skinner

Jeffrey Gaines has been heralded for his soul-searching lyrics and his powerful live performances. With only his voice and a guitar for accompaniment, Gaines has earned a reputation as a captivating performer, entertaining his audiences worldwide.

Throughout his three-decade recording career, Gaines has maintained an impressive standard for soul-searching, introspective lyrics and catchy, uplifting melodies. Since bursting on the scene with his self-titled 1992 debut album, the charismatic singer-songwriter-guitarist has built a beloved body of recordings that’s won him a large and deeply devoted international fan base. He has sold out theaters and clubs throughout North America and Europe, and has earned high respect from his peers, Gaines was featured as Special Guest on tours with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Tracy Chapman, Stevie Nicks with Sheryl Crow, among many others.

Gaines landed his first record deal shortly after graduating from high school, and in 1992 released his widely acclaimed debut album Jeffrey Gaines. The eponymous disc won massive amounts of critical and audience acclaim, spawning the hit “Hero in Me.” Somewhat Slightly Dazed (1994) and Galore (1998) further expanded his audience. Interview magazine described Gaines’ work as “soul-searching” and “refreshingly free of jargon, sentiment or cliché.”

In 2001, Gaines’ release Always Be yielded a surprise hit in his deeply felt interpretation of Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes”; 2003’s Toward the Sun attracted even more critical accolades, with Mojo praising the “soul-folkie’s sexy growl” and The Boston Globe declaring that “Gaines’ soulful, wounded vocals make a case for his being one of pop’s finest singers.” Toward the Sun was followed by a pair of live albums, the 2004 CD/DVD Jeffrey Gaines Live and 2012’s Live in Europe, which reflected the deep and abiding rapport that Gaines has with his fans. In 2018, Gaines released his eighth studio album, Alright. The album was recorded in Los Angeles with Chris Price, Val McCallum and Elvis Costello’s Imposters, Pete Thomas and Davey Faragher.

“The biggest pleasure I derive from this is playing live,” Gaines notes. “There’s nothing more satisfying for me than a good live gig. I’m in control, but the audience can take it to a place that’s higher than I can imagine. When I show up for a live gig, I don’t need much, there’s no rider. It’s just, turn it on, let the audience in, and we’ll do the rest. It’s the best job anyone could ever have.”

With more than a quarter-century of recording and performing under his belt, Jeffrey Gaines is enjoying life and music more than ever. “Nowadays, I know what the job is about so there’s nothing to stress about,” he says. “I know that there’s people out there who want it, so I have the opportunity to extend their experience. I guess I could lay my albums all out and see that they tell a story, but personally I prefer to keep looking forward.”

BELLE-SKINNER
Belle-Skinner is a dark nostalgic singer-songwriter based in New York. With a hauntingly beautiful, lilting soprano and innate sense of melody she crafts tales of songbirds, sirens and desert nomads – nuanced and layered stories which bridge the gap between past and present. Though her influences cover a broad range of genres – from French chansons and Russian folk to contemporary alt-pop and rock – her voice often draws comparisons to the likes of Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush, Jeff Buckley, Mary Hopkin, and early St. Vincent.

Opening for acts such as Mitski, Cautious Clay, Haley Reinhart, China Forbes (Pink Martini), Ondara, Rhett Miller (Old 97s), Sean Rowe, and Saint Saviour (Groove Armada), she has performed at venerated venues like The Linda Performing Arts Center, Proctor’s Theatre, The Bluebird Cafe, Bowery Ballroom, Le Poisson Rouge NYC, Caffe Lena, and the Roundhouse Theatre in London.

She has been a finalist in numerous prestigious songwriting competitions including Telluride Troubadour Competition, Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Contest, The Great American Songwriting Contest – and most recently the 2022 and 2023 Grassy Hill New Folk Competition at Kerrville Folk Festival, as well as winner of the 2022 Tarrytown Music Hall Rock the Hall Competition.

She has released 7 records since 2015: Operator, We Shut Our Eyes, Violets, The Early Covers, There Grows A Tree In Paradise, Love Spell – including most recently a live Joni Mitchell tribute album (now streaming everywhere). Her songs have been featured on several Spotify editorial playlists, and have garnered over 1 million streams worldwide.
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