Paolo Nutini

Paolo Nutini delivers vocals marked by a throaty, yearning quality that steers him away from any polished Italian pop persona his name might suggest, positioning him instead as a Scotland-rooted singer/songwriter steeped in soul and adult alternative sounds. Widespread recognition arrived via his 2006 debut These Streets, which reached number three on the U.K. albums chart and introduced the hit single “New Shoes.” He claimed the top spot on the U.K. album charts with 2009’s Sunny Side Up, earning a coveted Ivor Novello Award that same year, then reclaimed the summit in 2014 with Caustic Love before reemerging after a long absence with Last Night in the Bittersweet in 2022.

Born in Paisley, Scotland, in 1987, Nutini grew up surrounded by music that spanned folk, opera, jazz, and the R&B records favored by his father. After absorbing the work of homegrown folk artists such as John Martyn, he abandoned school as a teenager to pursue his own musical growth, relocating from Paisley to London at age sixteen and building notice through performances at local venues. Two years later, just weeks past his eighteenth birthday, he secured a recording contract with the British division of Atlantic Records.

Collaborating with producer Ken Nelson, known for his work with Coldplay and Badly Drawn Boy, Nutini cultivated significant early attention ahead of the summer 2006 release of his first single, “Last Request.” He performed at exclusive Atlantic Records events held at Carnegie Hall and the Montreux Jazz Festival while also serving as an opening act for the Rolling Stones and Paul Weller. His debut album These Streets finally appeared in July 2006 alongside the follow-up single “Jenny Don’t Be Hasty.” In the U.K. the record achieved double-platinum status and placed four singles inside the Top 40, prompting an American release in January 2007.

For his sophomore effort Nutini assumed greater production responsibilities, working alongside Ethan Johns yet overseeing much of the material himself. The resulting Sunny Side Up arrived in June 2009, showcasing stronger input from his backing band and a buoyant, lively character. The album topped the U.K. charts as one of the year’s biggest sellers and later received the Ivor Novello Award for Best Album.

Nutini began studio work on a third album in 2011, and that year he contributed to the tribute collection Johnny Boy Would Love This…A Tribute to John Martyn while playing shows at Glastonbury, Latitude, and the Montreux Jazz Festival. His profile reached a new peak when he performed at the 2012 London Olympics concert in Hyde Park.

After an intense touring period and the end of a relationship with his childhood sweetheart, Nutini stepped back from music to reconnect with the creative impulse that had fueled his earlier records, returning to his hometown of Paisley. Fresh songs eventually emerged, leading to the recording of Caustic Love, which included a guest appearance by American vocalist Janelle Monáe. Issued in April 2014, the album again topped the U.K. charts and peaked at number 31 on the Billboard 200.

Following another lengthy run of live dates, Nutini entered a period of relative quiet, surfacing only for select performances that included two sold-out shows at Edinburgh’s Hogmanay New Year’s Eve Party in 2016. Eight years later he resurfaced in July 2022 with his fourth album, Last Night in the Bittersweet. Nutini produced the record alongside Gavin Fitzjohn and Dani Castelar, weaving his established soulful singer/songwriter pop approach together with post-punk and Krautrock elements.