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Like Patty Griffin before him, Howie Day emerged from the country quietude of Bangor, ME, into Boston's coffeehouse scene and the world of folk music, proving his talent on his first release, Australia. Singer/songwriters come a dime a dozen, but the truly eloquent ones are priceless, and like Griffin, Day found a place in that lineage. Born in 1981, Day started playing piano as a youngster and eventually took hold of a guitar when he was 14. By the next year, he had his first live gig at Captain Nick's. Within another two years, Day was touring full-time in support of his independently released debut. Citing the likes of Jeff Buckley, Radiohead, and Dave Matthews among his influences, Day incorporated these artists' defining characteristics into his style while still striking out an original sound. Being without the resources of a major label's backing never hindered his touring schedule, as Day opened for everyone from the Wallflowers and Shawn Mullins to Remy Zero and David Gray. He issued the Australia LP in 2000 through his own Daze imprint, and continued gigging relentlessly, both in Boston and beyond. The strong word of mouth found its way to Sony, who put Day on the payroll and re-released a slightly cleaned-up Australia in June 2002. "Ghost" was a minor hit at modern rock radio, and the exposure only strengthened Day's college-age constituency. The Madrigals EP appeared in April 2003; it featured demo and live material and acted as a setup man for Day's official Sony bow. When Stop All the World Now appeared that October, it was an ambitious, richly produced record that revealed a newfound maturity in Day's voice and songwriting. Singles like "Perfect Time of Day" and "Collide" did pretty well, and Day continued to tour in support of the album through 2005. Toward the end of that year he released the Live From... EP. ~ Kelly McCartney, All Music Guide |
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