Geoff Byrd's record debut of "Candy Shell" introduced the world to an artistic, compelling and gifted young artist whose talent and charisma were already well known to Portland club-goers. The album is an extraordinary accomplishment, offering the combination of raw emotion and eloquent song craft that originally drew hometown fans to the 29-year-old singer/songwriter. In a very short time Byrd's effortless, expressive and emotionally intense live performances have made him the toast of Portland.
Growing up in Portland, Oregon, Geoff was raised to regard music as a part of the foundation of everyday life rather than an isolated show-business ideal. His love of music started at the young age of five when his mother noticed how well he would harmonize with songs playing on the radio. His grandfather was so impressed with Geoff's natural singing talent that he bought him a Stetson hat and Ovation guitar at age seven stating, "He wanted him to be a country star."
Geoff took singing seriously throughout elementary and high school by performing in choir and musicals. During this time he experienced a personal fondness for southern gospel and classical music that struck a chord in this budding artist and shows in his music today. Geoff's talent did not go unrecognized; in junior high school he was awarded a scholarship in art and illustration to attend school in Fairbanks, Alaska. After graduating high school Geoff went on to attend the prestigious Cornish College of the Arts where one of his classmates was Brendan Frazier. During this time his writing and arranging skills were developing even though he didn't play an instrument. Inspired he went out and bought a guitar chord book teaching himself to play and continued his development as a songwriter. His emotional commitment gave him courage to take his talent to the public performing solo gigs at local clubs with positive feedback that gave Geoff new insight into his own work.
As Geoff was developing his music, he also received a scholarship to attend Portland State University where he would study jazz. It was during this time that Geoff found another love, working with kids at a Boys and Girls Club in Portland. Geoff's love of education took him on to pursue and receive a BS in History and Masters in EDU at George Fox University with a 4.0 grade average. After receiving his Masters he would go on to teach Cultural History with his former teachers at Reynolds High School in Portland. His popularity grew with his students through his creative teaching style. He fused his passion for music and the arts teaching music and cultural history, and creating "Americana," a class that utilized the student's artistic side. His students were encouraged to learn about different cultures and music history through songs, performance, art, writings and artistic expression. This curriculum is still being followed today.
The class was so successful that after 2 years his students challenged Geoff to his own dream as a student asked, "Are you going for your dream?" Geoff quit that day effective the end of the contract year. It was during this time that Geoff started working with Deep Roots, an organization formed to help students write lyrics that are put to music and recorded by local artists. The students also market, promote and sell the CDs, doing everything from hanging posters at school to preparing press kits for reporters. Geoff would volunteer to meet with students, talk about songwriting, and show them around recording studios and play alongside the students who also happen to be musicians. www.deeproots.com
Not feeling restricted by the regimentation of his academic career Geoff unquestionably became one of the most forward thinking and hardest working artists in music today. He emphasized on his professional craft of writing with a primary focus on melody, an important component of his music. Geoff is truly a special songwriter with his influences of Prince, Smokey Robinson and Al Green along with his love of R&B, gives Geoff's music that smooth soulful sound. Adding other influences like The Bee Gees, Paul McCartney, Beach Boys and the Beatles only fueled his own unique rendition of today's pop music.
While developing as a songwriter and performer to pay the rent, Geoff worked as a colorist at Dark Horse Comics, Head of Marketing at Cdbaby.com and Program Director at Auricast. During this time, purely by reputation and word of mouth, he found the musicians to form his band. Geoff is perfection driven and only wanted the cream of the crop.
No stranger to shifting gears, bass player Colby Hendricks was the first to join. His influence of Motown and 80s Pop gives Colby ability to flip from aggressive high energy to bluesy sensual vamps that is essential to the bands substance. The rest fell in place as drummer Eric Storm (known as the Perfect Storm) joined bringing his energy driven collision between pop and rock with visceral emotion and energy for a more Pop/Rock driven sound. Guitarist Steve "Skillet" Killen adds his jazz influence and electric composition giving a perfect combination of edge and melody to the band's resonance. Matt "Bernie" Burnett, pianist (who is one of the only Americans offered a lifetime position at the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow as an accompanist), brings sophistication for a wider consumption forming the foundation of Geoff's band.
In 2003 producer Steve Sundholm (who's father started Sunn Amplifiers and now has Sundholm Acoustics in Portland) went to see Geoff perform live and knew within minutes Geoff was going to become a pop icon. Nine months later "Candy Shell" was produced and ready for the public. "Candy Shell's" timeless depth and soulful sound attest to Geoff's clear vision of his identity as an artist.
By early 2004 Geoff's reputation and audience continued to grow so he augmented his local club shows with a higher profile showcase appearance at The Whiskey in Los Angeles. In the audience was artist manager Dave Austin of Crestview Management (whose partner is Phil Ehart, of the renowned band Kansas). Geoff wowed the audience to such a degree that Dave and Phil signed as his managers almost immediately. Also in the audience was CAA rep Jon Pleeter who believed that his performance lived up to the buzz and was more than impressed with his sound and talent. Jon pulled the powers to be and signed Geoff with CAA (Creative Artist Agency), which is basically unheard of without a major label backing an artist.
Geoff's music has emerged into mainstream radio. After winning the local "Gimme The Mike Contest," one of the judges, Sheryl Stewart, on air personality and music director at The Buzz, was so impressed by Geoff that she took his CD directly to her program director and he became the first Indie artist to get full rotation of his single. "Silver Plated" hit #1on Portland's 105.1 The Buzz. You can now hear "Silver Plated" nationally on many mainstream Hot AC stations.
Thanks to Garageband.com, Geoff (after four songs from "Candy Shell" hit #1) is being promoted as the first Pop Star to break via the Internet. Garageband.com CEO, Ali Partovi, formed an alliance with MSN Music and introduced Geoff to the executives of MSN. They were so impressed with his talent that they would utilize Geoff's newfound notoriety as a new marketing tool for MSN Music. Soon Live365 jumped aboard and so was formed a partnership between Geoff and the three innovators within the industry.
Geoff is fast becoming the buzz in the music industry. His profile keeps growing as an emerging artist and his audience is growing nationally at a speedy rate. Geoff is being profiled and featured, including covers in national magazines, covered on national news networks and interviewed for many national media outlets.
Looking past the buzz that's currently swirling around him, this levelheaded artist is keeping his eyes on the big picture. "It's all about the music and my fans," states Byrd. He believes that the fans are the single most important piece of the indie musician's puzzle. He is more concerned about giving good positive music instead of changing to what is perceived as cool. What is most important to Geoff is making a connection with his fans, which makes a lot more sense to him than trying to be the next "Big Thing." As his fan base builds nationally purely through the Internet, major labels are taking notice of Geoff. But other than succumb to the obvious temptation; Geoff and his management team are weighing many options so that Geoff will not loose control of his artistic genius.
Instead of accepting major label offers, Geoff made a bold decision to sign with Granite Records, distributed by Fontana Distribution, a Universal Music Group Company.
Geoff kicks off a 50-city radio tour on April 29th to support his debut single "Before Kings" and will be followed by a national performing tour booked by Creative Artist Agency (CAA) to support the release of his full album "Shrinking Violets" scheduled to be in stores nationally on July 21st, 2005.
