Biography

An eclectic British singer/songwriter with a penchant for pairing English folk with Americana and country, Manchester-born Bobby Long emerged in 2009 with a string of independently released albums and a rustic sound that evoked Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. Subsequent efforts like A Winter Tale (2011), Ode to Thinking (2015), and Sultans (2019) saw Long taking a more energetic approach, adding some pop craftsmanship and juke joint swagger to the proceedings. Born and raised in England and based out of New York, Bobby Long received his first big break in 2008 when his song "Let Me Sign" was included on the digital release of the Twilight soundtrack. Although the Twilight version featured vocals by Robert Pattinson, Long's close friend and star of the blockbuster vampire flick, its inclusion helped spark interest in his stripped-down acoustic music, which he modeled after simpatico artists like Elliott Smith and the Felice Brothers. A series of self-released albums followed, and Long signed with ATO Records in April 2010 before issuing the Stranger Songs EP later that year. His official full-length debut, A Winter Tale, followed in 2011, featuring a dynamic sound that moved beyond Long's acoustic roots to encompass electric country, folk, and bar band rock & roll. He supported the album with an American and European tour, and made appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and on the CBS Early Show. In 2013, Long issued the Ted Hutt-produced Wishbone, followed in 2015 by the Mark Hallman-produced Ode to Thinking, the latter of which was crowd-funded and released via Compass Records. In 2019, Long released Sultans, a ten-song set that was inspired partly by his love for the Beatles. ~ Andrew Leahey, Rovi