SAMUEL MARKUS

A new generation has found their poet/muse in the songs and voice of Samuel Markus-a truth teller who articulates the hope buried beneath the despair of the human condition. Following in the footsteps of fellow Montreal native Leonard Cohen, Samuel has the rare gift of hitting a universal nerve that transcends his age of 21.

A child of the 90s, Samuel grew up absorbing the lyrics and rhythms of Hip Hop and Alternative Rock. But it was at the acclaimed Idyllwild Arts Academy in California that Sam began his pursuit of music. Observing the way in which music affected film-the power of the right song with the right image- inspired Sam to begin his path as a singer-songwriter.

In 2005 Samuel decided to pursue his calling to perform his own music; he gave voice to some distinctive songs he had written during that summer, which became the acclaimed acoustic EP "No Mission," and began playing frequently up and down the West Coast.

Earlier this year Samuel and his band recorded a new set of songs in the historic Laurel Canyon area of Los Angeles, in a studio run by Jim Kaufman, the leader of Opiate for the Masses. With Jim as co-producer (along with brother Mitchell Markus), Samuel fleshed out 10 very dramatic and compelling songs that made for an incredibly dynamic blend of his melodic and hook-filled songs that tell cinematic like stories, with an edgy and deeply layered sound.

In a very transparent and intimate manner, Sam communicates what's in his heart and soul and inhabits these songs in a way that recalls one of his main influences, Bob Dylan, as well as contemporary troubadours such as Damien Rice, David Gray, and the late Elliot Smith. Together these songs mark the debut of an important singer-songwriter whose unique style encompasses folk, rock, and pop... Samuel Markus