Marcus Bonfanti

Marcus Bonfanti

Marcus Bonfanti is a London-born blues musician and singer-songwriter from North London. He is born in 1983 and grows up in London, with an English mother and an Italian father. His younger brother is also a respected bass player. Bonfanti is self-taught on guitar, and he also plays trumpet, which he performs in brass bands and orchestras during school. He first gets a guitar at 15, although he has already been playing music before that on a homemade instrument made from a tissue box and toilet rolls with elastic bands.

His early musical interests range across blues, rock, country, soul, bluegrass, jazz and heavier rock, and he cites influences including Tony Joe White, Led Zeppelin, Tom Waits, Van Morrison, Jimmy Page, Cat Stevens, the Beatles, Buddy Holly, Crosby, Stills & Nash and Link Wray. He describes blues as his favourite genre to play and listen to, while also saying that his songs are shaped by life in the city and by experiences in London.

Career

Bonfanti studies at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, though he does not complete the full three years. He later returns to play at the institution’s graduation party. He also works as a session musician at a high level and plays low-paid gigs in places including Newcastle while building his career as a jobbing musician.

His debut album, Hard Times, appears in 2008 and helps establish him as a new British blues voice. His second album includes songs such as ‘What Good Am I To You’, ‘Will Not Play Your Game’, ‘Give Me Your Cash’, ‘Goin’ Down’, ‘Devil Girl’ and the instrumental ‘Tweed Blazer’. The material mixes British blues with American and roots influences, while Bonfanti aims for a sound that reflects all the parts of his style rather than a traditional blues record.

Bonfanti is associated with the label Audio Network. His work is rooted in blues, and his style is often described as a North London blues sound.