Fusing an expressive lyrical stance with a passionate mix of gritty rock and lonesome indie folk,
Anthony D'Amato rode a pair of well-received homemade releases to a spot on New West Records' roster for his acclaimed 2014 album
Shipwreck from the Shore. His follow-up album two years later helped bolster his growing reputation as he continued to expand his touring base throughout the U.S. and Europe.
D'Amato was born November 27, 1987 in Blairstown, New Jersey. His literate and folky songwriting style was refined and developed when he was a student at Princeton University. There he took an independent study class on songwriting with
Paul Muldoon, the Pulitzer Prize-winning scholar and critic who was also the poetry editor of The New Yorker.
D'Amato recorded a D.I.Y. album, Down Wires, in his dorm room as part of the independent study, and eventually released it on his own in 2010. The album attracted a lot of critical press for its sharp, intelligent songwriting, and
D'Amato followed it up with a second home recording, Paper Back Bones, in 2012, which also garnered positive reviews. He began touring behind the two albums, and shared bills with
Josh Ritter,
Pete Yorn,
Ben Kweller,
Rhett Miller, and others, culminating in an appearance at the Newport Folk Festival.
After signing a deal with New West Records,
D'Amato released his third album,
Shipwreck from the Shore, in September 2014. It was produced by
Sam Kassirer and recorded at the Great North Sound Society in Maine with members of
Bon Iver and
Megafaun lending a hand. His second album for New West,
Cold Snap, arrived in June 2016. This time working with Omaha-based producer
Mike Mogis, it included contributions from members of
the Faint,
Cursive, and
Bright Eyes. After several years of hard touring,
D'Amato returned with the lush single "Passing Through." ~ Steve Leggett