Soul and blues singer/songwriter
Jo Harman was born in Luton, but grew up in Devon in the south-west of England. Although she didn't come from a musical family, she committed to studying it, and attended the Brighton Institute of Modern Music. Following her graduation, she self-released Live at the Hideaway, which caught the attention of music promoter Live Nation and landed her a slot supporting
the Cranberries.
Harman followed up that live record with her debut studio album,
Dirt on My Tongue, which she also released independently. Although her music was influenced heavily by the blues, she also cited contemporary artists like
Lauryn Hill,
Jill Scott, and
Amy Winehouse as influences alongside legendary singers like
Aretha Franklin,
Ella Fitzgerald, and
Etta James. In 2014 she was awarded a grant from the Music Export Growth Scheme so she could promote her album in the U.S. market. The success of her first record saw her performing at London's Bluesfest at the Royal Albert Hall, and in 2015 she was invited to perform with
Patti Smith and
Joan Baez at Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience awards in Berlin.
Harman's second studio record,
People We Become, was recorded in Nashville and scheduled for release in early 2017. ~ Bekki Bemrose