Rupert Stroud

Rupert Stroud

Rupert Stroud is a singer-songwriter and musician from Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. He works in pop and rock, with an acoustic and indie edge, and builds his reputation through live performance, online audiences and radio play.

Background

Stroud is from Yorkshire and studies music and new media technology while working as a bar tender in Leeds, serving students and local people in his home city. He draws songwriting inspiration from that period and from everyday experiences around him. He starts out as a solo acoustic performer on the Yorkshire gig circuit after the release of his debut album.

Albums and recording

He independently funds and releases two albums. His debut album is recorded in 2009 with Leeds producer Will Jackson, whose credits include The Kaiser Chiefs, The Pigeon Detectives, The Cribs and Embrace. While making that album, Stroud meets drummer Mick Bedford and keyboard player/guitarist Mike Pearson. Bedford plays drums on both albums.

His second album, Chasing The Night, is also produced by Will Jackson. The record features Bedford and Pearson, and songbird Kate Peters appears on backing vocals on the title track. Stroud also invites the two Mikes onto the stage while recording the album, and they become permanent members of his live line-up.

Live work and recognition

With his band, Stroud develops a fuller stage sound from the solo acoustic format, and the group plays regularly. They appear on BBC Introducing, local radio and online radio stations in the UK and Europe, along with live lounge sessions and interviews. His songs include Hangover, 40 Days And 40 Nights and Chasing The Night.

Reviews describe his work as combining acoustic writing with indie rock and jangle-pop elements, while live performances emphasise emotive vocals, intricate guitar lines and strong drumming. He gains a worldwide following through social media.