Bruno Merz

Bruno Merz
Born (1976-09-23) 23 September 1976
Origin Waikato, New Zealand
Genres Acoustic, folk
Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter
Instruments Guitar, piano
Years active 2006–present
Labels Black Robin Records
Website BrunoMerz.com

Bruno Merz is a New Zealand multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, who grew up in New Zealand to Dutch parents. Around the age of twenty, his search for ‘home’ led him as far from New Zealand as possible. Possessing only a cheap guitar, he traveled through France working on farms for food and pocket money, until he eventually found his way to Amsterdam. There, he worked a number of jobs and recorded his first album of demos of songs written during his travels, called Through Darkness into Day. One track from this album, "Nine Sixteen", was chosen as the iTunes/Starbucks pick of the week in 2009.[1]

Demand for shows grew as word spread and he recorded his first EP entitled Departing from Crowds in 2009, which has received critical praise.[2]

A track from this EP, "For You Now", was used in the soundtrack to the Hollywood film Life as We Know It, starring Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel.[3] Merz currently resides in Leeds, England, where he also works as an illustrator – mainly for children’s books and graphic novels.[4][5]

In 2014, he returned temporarily to his homeland of New Zealand to record his latest full-length album Highways,[6] which was released on 25 October 2014.

Merz is also the co-author and illustrator of the critically praised children's book Fins, Fluff and Other Stuff,[7] published by QED, part of the Quarto group.

In 2015 he was commissioned to compose the music for a 40 minute children's ballet for Northern Ballet's production of Tortoise and the Hare,[8] receiving critical praise.[9]

References

  1. ↑ Heringer, Mark. "Starbucks Pick of the week list". Mark-heringer.com. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  2. ↑ Servant, A. "Departing from Crowds Review". Themusicninja.com. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  3. ↑ "Life as we Know It- Soundtrack". IMDb.com. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  4. ↑ "Behance". Behance.net. Retrieved 2016-02-20.
  5. ↑ Collective, Cargo. "Bruno Merz Illustrations". Cargocollective.com. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  6. ↑ "Highways by Bruno Merz on iTunes". Itunes.apple.com. 2014-10-25. Retrieved 2016-02-20.
  7. ↑ Fins, Fluff, and Other Stuff (Storytime): Bruno Merz, Dreda Blow. Amazon.co.uk. ISBN 9781609928186. Retrieved 2016-02-20.
  8. ↑ "Tortoise & the Hare". Northern Ballet. Retrieved 2016-02-20.
  9. ↑ Foss, Roger (2015-10-26). "Northern Ballet's Tortoise and the Hare – 'delightfully performed'". Thestage.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-02-20.
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