Jeffrey Gaines

In the words of ROLLING STONE Magazine, "Jeffrey Gaines is the voice of a new generation."

Jeffrey Gaines has been heralded for his soul-searching lyrics and his powerful live performances.

With only his voice and a guitar for accompaniment, Jeffrey Gaines has earned a reputation as a captivating performer entertaining his audiences everywhere he goes. On the road for over 150 nights a year, Gaines is preparing to record his eighth CD, featuring all previously unreleased songs (first studio album since 2003's "Toward The Sun").

Raised in Harrisburg, PA by parents more inclined to spin soul classics by Aretha and Otis than the New Wave and Brit Rock blasting from their son's room, a teenaged Gaines began playing guitar in several local garage bands covering The Who, The Kinks, and The Jam. He soon decided to set out on his own and quickly landed a record deal in 1992, releasing Jeffrey Gaines, the first of his five studio releases. The album garnered four stars from The Philadelphia Inquirer, describing Gaines as "…an ethereal soul…insistent, impassioned, full of self-knowledge." 1994's Somewhat Slightly Dazed, and 1998's Galore followed suite. Interview Magazine called Gaines' music "soul-searching" and "refreshingly free of jargon, sentiment or cliché."


In 2001, Gaines released Always Be (Artemis) to both critical and commercial praise. Featuring his emotional interpretation of "In Your Eyes" and his own soaringly beautiful "Always Be," the album hit #5 on R&R Callout America CHR/Pop list, also reaching #45 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart. The New York Post proclaimed Always Be as "a dozen-song mix…that completely illustrates the depth he is capable of."

Gaines' impressive catalogue grew with 2003's Toward The Sun, produced by Mitchell Froom (Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt, and Crowded House). The Boston Globe declared that "Gaines' soulful, wounded vocals make a case for his being one of pop's finest singers…an artist who deserves far more attention than some of his more hyped, yet less talented peers." Mojo noted, "This established soul-folkie's sexy growl has an underlying edge, making it a memorable album. Heartfelt unpretentious."

Throughout his career, Gaines has built a rapport with his fans unlike any other in popular music today. Gaines goes as far as letting his fans influence the songs he performs each night. "When its just me playing, I only know the first song I'm going to play, but from there the energy and the vibe tell me what the next song is gonna be. Someone may yell a song, and I'm like 'Exactly! Good call.' That's so fun to me, keeping it really exciting and spontaneous. I don't even know what's around the corner, and the crowd doesn't either." Based on that relastionship with the audience, Gaines released Jeffrey Gaines Live (CD / DVD) in 2004, followed by 2012's Live In Europe, which was recordied during his 25-city tour with Joe Jackson.

2013 will mark the first studio release of brand new Gaines' material in 10 years, much to his fans' delight.