Allen Stone

Allen Stone characterizes himself as "a hippie with soul," a self-view mirrored in his sound. Soul and R&B from the 1960s and 1970s shape his singing and melodies, whereas an idealistic fervor in his words echoes the folk-leaning songwriters of that period. Such a blend propelled his self-released debut effort from 2011, titled Allen Stone, onto the upper reaches of Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. He refined his approach further by incorporating elements of modern and 1990s R&B for Radius in 2015 and Building Balance in 2019, prior to revisiting earlier material in an intimate acoustic format with 2021's APART.

Born during 1987 in Chewelah, Washington—a modest community near Spokane—Stone grew up with a mother practicing obstetrics and a father serving as pastor at a nearby congregation. Gospel and Christian tunes filled his early years, leading him to direct youth worship ensembles by age 14. Secular sounds remained foreign until his teenage period, when classic soul captured his interest and prompted him to amass old R&B recordings alongside timeless singer/songwriter works. Upon finishing secondary school, the 18-year-old departed Chewelah for junior college in Spokane, later moving to Bible college. One term there proved sufficient before he abandoned studies and headed to Seattle. Songwriting commenced, soon followed by assembling a group of local players. The ensemble established itself on the West Coast performance circuit, earning acclaim for energetic concerts amid roughly 200 annual gigs. During 2010, Stone captured Last to Speak, issuing it digitally via his Stickystones imprint.

The subsequent effort, Allen Stone, arrived in autumn 2011 and swiftly achieved independent acclaim. Digital purchases elevated it atop online rankings while securing placement on Billboard's Heatseekers chart, all absent conventional distribution. Expanded performances brought invitations to Conan, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and Last Call with Carson Daly. Profiles appeared in Esquire and Billboard.

ATO Records, known for supporting artists, inked a deal with Stone in 2012 and re-released his self-titled album that summer. He next joined Capitol and collaborated closely with singer/songwriter Tingsek. Their efforts yielded Radius, which included the track "Perfect World" and launched in May 2015, reaching number 80 on the Billboard 200. The following year brought a deluxe edition containing seven extra songs. "Brown Eyed Lover" emerged as a single in 2018, coinciding with Stone's duet performance of "Unaware" alongside contestant Dennis Lorenzo on American Idol. That song also introduced his fourth album, Building Balance, from 2019. Jamie Lidell co-produced the project, which merged 1970s soul with 1990s New Jack Swing textures. APART marked his inaugural fully acoustic release in 2021, reinterpreting selections from prior recordings under Ryan Hadlock's production and featuring Alessia Cara on "Bed I Made."