Produced by Grammy award winning studio legend Don Was, Maia Sharp’s latest album, Echo heralds her ascension into the spotlight after being embraced by Bonnie Raitt, Carole King, the Dixie Chicks, Art Garfunkel, Keb’ Mo’, Cher, Trisha Yearwood, Edwin McCain, Lisa Loeb, David Wilcox and many others who have recorded her songs and treasured her talent. From this point, the secret is out and Sharp stands on her own – a uniquely gifted singer, writer and multi-instrumentalist, whose peers are the most discerning artists in the business but whose music on Echo reaches out toward the wider world.
Sharp started early on the journey that led ultimately to Echo. She had barely hit her teens when she started performing on piano, guitar and saxophone. Following the example of her father, Randy Sharp, a highly respected songwriter/producer/musician, she played in local Los Angeles clubs and kept her ears open not only to contemporary folk and rock but also to jazz and classical elements. She won significant critical notice and radio airplay with her albums, Hardly Glamour (Ark 21), 2002’s self titled Maia Sharp (Concord) 2005’s Fine Upstanding Citizen (KOCH) and in that same year Sharp was one third of the exquisite collaboration with Art Garfunkel and Buddy Mondlock on Everything Waits to Be Noticed (EMI/Manhattan) produced by Billy Mann.
Maia is just as comfortable writing for others and it shows. She has had her songs recorded by The Dixie Chicks (“A Home” from Home), Bonnie Raitt (“I Don't Want Anything To Change,” “Crooked Crown” and “The Bed I Made” from Souls Alike), Trisha Yearwood (“Standing Out In A Crowd” from Jasper County), David Wilcox (“Ask For More” from Into The Mystery), and many others including Cher, Lisa Loeb, Edwin McCain, Keb' Mo', Art Garfunkel, Mindy Smith, Paul Carrack, Amanda Marshall, Kim Richey and Kathy Mattea.
The albums, writing and collaborations have led to years of performing on stage, radio and Television. Maia has been all over the US and UK headlining clubs and theaters, opening for (and often sitting in with) Bonnie Raitt, Art Garfunkel, Jonatha Brooke, Patty Griffin, David Wilcox, Pat Benatar, Edwin McCain, Shawn Colvin, Keb' Mo' and more and appearing on Mountain Stage, Acoustic Cafe, XM, Sirius, NPR's All Things Considered, CBS Early Morning, the Today Show and many other noteworthy forums.
As every step is a stepping stone, Echo is a reflection of experience and a thorough representation of who Maia Sharp is today. “These songs were written over a period of three years,” she sums up. “I wrote other songs during that same time, but these felt especially right for me now and they seemed to get along with each other. There’s a common thread of flaw and imperfection...recognition and then celebration. Perfection is highly overrated and, I’m betting, pretty boring.”
Between touring and writing, Maia has been producing other artists including platinum selling singer songwriter, Edwin McCain and Canadian Idol finalist Donny Anderson. Both albums, which feature many of Maia's songs are due out early 2011.
Contact info:
Management – Meg MacDonald – M:M Music
323.939.8206 / Meg@M-MMusic.com