Hugo
Born in England and raised in Thailand, Hugo -- a seriously dedicated songwriter, musician and performer -- has already plowed through several aesthetic incarnations on the road to his upcoming debut, Old Tyme Religion. He began working his way through pop sounds post-1977, citing Appetite For Destruction, Nirvana, Dr. Dre, Jeff Buckley, MGMT, Tame Impala, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Devendra Banhart, The Big Pink and "anything Jack White touches" as exemplary for the period. To Hugo, the putative conflict between the mainstream and the underground dissolves when the quality of the music is high enough. "The Doors were a mainstream band," he states, "and no one would doubt their credibility or importance. I think the Doors are as 'arty' as anything more obscure; same with the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones." One of his songs, "Disappear," found its way on Beyoncé's international best-selling album, I AM... SASHA FIERCE, in the proverbial nick-of-time. Hugo's London prospects were dimming and he was contemplating a retreat to the jungles. "I was going to pack it in and go back to Thailand," he admits. "That song was a life saver as far as my career was concerned. London is frigging expensive." The song led to more collaborations and a deal with Jay-Z's Roc Nation, an intriguing home for Old Tyme Religion. As a tip of the fedora to Roc Nation's founder, Hugo puts a twist on the classic "99 Problems," finding a new previously unforeseen nexus linking pop, rock, country, urban and hip-hop. Philosophic at heart, Hugo surmises that, "if reincarnation is for real, he'd like a couple more go-rounds on the great cosmic wheel." If you are in the New York area, you can catch Hugo at his residency at Rockwood Music Hall through the month of August.
http://www.myspace.com/hugoofficial
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