A cross between Tracy Chapman and Martin Sexton, Chris O'Brien has a voice that will linger in your mind with Passionate, meaningful lyrics.

10 MP3 Songs
FOLK: Folk Pop, FOLK: like Joni



Details:
âChris OâBrien picks up where Martin Sexton, Richard Thompson and John Gorka leave offâ¦â
-Club Passim

âThe songs he writes brim with sincerity, taking on topics from relationships to cross-country travel.â
-The Boston Globe

Chris OâBrienâs debut CD, âLighthouseâ, produced by OâBrien, Austin Nevins and Ethan Baird, was recorded at Glowdog studios in Georgetown, MA. It features some of the finest musicians in the Boston area. Guitarist Austin Nevins (Deb Talen, Edie Carey), Zack Hickman (Josh Ritter) on Bass, John Sands (Aimee Mann, Lori McKenna) on Drums, Sam Kassirer (Josh Ritter) on piano and keyboards and Singer/Songwriters Antje Duvekot and Frank Marotta Jr providing backing vocals, bring this record to life and fully expose the depth of OâBrienâs songwriting.

O'Brien first took to the guitar after seeing Shawn Colvin and the Indigo Girls in concert when he was twelve. Struck by his passion to learn the guitar, family friend Dar Williams sat down with Chris and taught him to play some of his first chords.

Chris OâBrien grew up surrounded by music and musicians. He was raised on a steady diet of Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and Paul Simon. Influenced by Martin Sexton, David Gray, Richard Shindell and, of course, Dar Williams, he began crafting his own songs at the age of 14.

After a couple of years living in Oregon, Chris returned home and became an open mic regular at Northamptonâs famed music club The Iron Horse. With some encouragement from friend Stephen Kellogg, Chris moved out to Boston to try his luck in the renowned Cambridge music scene. The folks at the legendary acoustic music venue Club Passim immediately embraced the young songwriter and present him on stage on a regular basis. OâBrien has also played at clubs such as CBGB in New York, The Iron Horse in Northampton and many others. Bay State Sound featured OâBrien on their compilation CD, "Boston's Best Singer-Songwriter Showcase, Vol. 4."

Chris has shared the stage with such artists as David Wilcox, Brian Webb, Meg Hutchinson, Antje Duvekot, Vance Gilbert, Mark Erelli, Ryan Montbleau, Rachael Davis, Anne Heaton, Jess Klein, Gregory Douglass, Jake Armerding and many others.