Jo Harman

Soul and blues singer/songwriter Jo Harman entered the world in Luton yet spent her formative years in Devon, situated in England’s south-west. Though music played no role in her household, she pursued formal training regardless and enrolled at the Brighton Institute of Modern Music. Upon completing her studies she issued the self-released Live at the Hideaway, which drew the notice of promoter Live Nation and secured her an opening slot on a Cranberries tour. She next unveiled her first studio effort, Dirt on My Tongue, again without label support. While the blues formed the core of her sound, she drew additional inspiration from Lauryn Hill, Jill Scott, and Amy Winehouse as well as from Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, and Etta James. A 2014 grant awarded through the Music Export Growth Scheme enabled her to introduce the album to American audiences. Momentum from that debut translated into an appearance at London’s Bluesfest inside the Royal Albert Hall; the following year she joined Patti Smith and Joan Baez onstage at Amnesty International’s Ambassador of Conscience ceremony in Berlin. Her sophomore studio album, People We Become, was tracked in Nashville and slated for release in early 2017.