Gregory Alan Isakov (born October 19, 1979) is a South African-born singer-songwriter currently based in Boulder, Colorado. He and his family immigrated to the United States in 1986 and he was raised in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

. Isakov's music combines indie and folk, featuring instruments such as the guitar and banjo. He is widely known for the songs "Words", "The Stable Song", "Big Black Car", "If I Go, I'm Goin" and "San Luis". Isakov has released seven albums, most recently ''Evening Machines'' in October 2018.

Life and career

Isakov was born in

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a Megacity#List of megacities, megacity, and is List of urban areas by p ...

on October 19, 1979. He immigrated with his family to the United States in 1986 during the

apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

era because his father Nissen started an electronic-engineering business in Philadelphia. In Philadelphia, he began touring with a band at the age of 16. Isakov later moved to Colorado to study horticulture at

Naropa University Naropa University is a private university in Boulder, Colorado. Founded in 1974 by Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chögyam Trungpa, it is named for the 11th-century Indian Buddhist sage Naropa, an abbot of Nalanda. The university describes itself a ...

. Isakov had played instruments his whole life, but began a life as a professional musician playing occasional gigs while also working as a gardener. His musical career became more serious when he began touring with Kelly Joe Phelps. In 2003, Isakov self-released his first album ''Rust Colored Stones.'' In 2005, he self-released ''Songs for October''. In 2007, he self-released ''That Sea, the Gambler.'' In 2009, Isakov self-released ''This Empty Northern Hemisphere'' which featured vocals by Brandi Carlile on five tracks and a cover of

Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...

's "One of Us Cannot Be Wrong". In 2013, Isakov created his independent label Suitcase Town Music on which he released ''The Weatherman.'' In 2016, Isakov released ''Gregory Alan Isakov with the Colorado Symphony,'' an album of eleven of his earlier songs orchestrated by several composers and recorded with the full Colorado Symphony. On October 5, 2018, he released ''Evening Machines'' on his Suitcase Town Music label. Isakov has been influenced by the music of

, Kelly Joe Phelps and

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

. He has played at many music festivals around the United States, Canada and Europe. In November 2019, Isakov's album ''Evening Machines'' was nominated for the

Grammy Award for Best Folk Album The Grammy Award for Best Folk Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for releasing albums in the folk genre. Honors in several ...

in the

62nd Annual Grammy Awards The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on January 26, 2020, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from October 1, 2018, to August 31, 2019. Al ...

. The song "Big Black Car" from the 2009 album ''This Empty Northern Hemisphere'' was featured in a 2012

McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food Fast food is a type of mass-produced food designed for commercial resale, with a strong priority placed on speed of service. It is a commercial term, limited to food sold ...

commercial. Isakov donated the proceeds to non-profit organizations that help further sustainable farming and nurture community.

Discography

* ''Rust Colored Stones'' (2003) * ''Songs for October'' (2005) * ''That Sea, the Gambler'' (2007) * ''This Empty Northern Hemisphere'' (2009) * ''The Weatherman'' (2013) * ''Gregory Alan Isakov with the Colorado Symphony'' (2016) * ''Evening Machines'' (2018)

References

External links

*
Folk Radio UK Session
{{DEFAULTSORT:Isakov, Gregory Alan Musicians from Colorado American folk rock musicians South African emigrants to the United States Living people 1979 births Musicians from Johannesburg White South African people