The Sound of Hush
Encyclopedia
Hush is a Danish
pop
duo composing and performing music since 1997. The duo consists of singer Dorthe Gerlach and guitarist Michael Hartmann.
guitarist and musician for singer-songwriter Marie Frank, but in 1997 he chose to work with his own ideas. He met Dorthe Gerlach when she was singing as a busker
in the streets of Randers
, and at first they formed a group with three other musicians, playing with more tempo and rock than later. In 2000 the duo agreed to play a more calm and simple music, and they moved to Copenhagen
. Here they tried for some time to get a record contract, but did not succeed despite radio rotation and a movie appearance.
The duo decided to go to a showcase in London
in 2002 playing for the English music industry, where Tina Dico
set them up with her English manager Jonathan Morley. He arranged for them to go to Nashville to exchange ideas with American song writers in 2003, and this trip reaffirmed their belief of having a special musical expression. Another showcase in London brought good reviews in the British music press, and finally they got a contract with Universal
. In 2004 their first album A Lifetime sold 20,000 copies in Denmark.
Since then, they have toured in various countries including UK and Canada
, sometimes with support of musicians such as Sally Barris, other times acting as support for Turin Brakes
and Stephen Fretwell
in 2005, Jamie Cullum
in 2006, and Runrig
in 2010. Various artists have contributed to their music, including Billy Burnette
.
In 2005 the duo agreed with VW about using the song "Lovestruck" from A Lifetime in a Europe
an commercial for the Polo
.
, banjo
and mellotron
.
, but did not win.
They won a European Border Breaker award in 2005 as one of the European artists whose debut album have sold the most in the EU outside their own country.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
duo composing and performing music since 1997. The duo consists of singer Dorthe Gerlach and guitarist Michael Hartmann.
History
Michael Hartmann has a past as a speed metalSpeed metal
Speed metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from NWOBHM and hardcore punk roots. It is described by Allmusic as "extremely fast, abrasive, and technically demanding" music....
guitarist and musician for singer-songwriter Marie Frank, but in 1997 he chose to work with his own ideas. He met Dorthe Gerlach when she was singing as a busker
Busking
Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
in the streets of Randers
Randers
Randers is a city in Randers municipality on the Jutland peninsula in central Denmark. It is Denmark's sixth-largest city, with a population of 60,656 . Randers city is the main town of the municipality and the site of its municipal council.-Overview:Randers municipality has 94,750 inhabitants...
, and at first they formed a group with three other musicians, playing with more tempo and rock than later. In 2000 the duo agreed to play a more calm and simple music, and they moved to Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. Here they tried for some time to get a record contract, but did not succeed despite radio rotation and a movie appearance.
The duo decided to go to a showcase in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 2002 playing for the English music industry, where Tina Dico
Tina Dico
Tina Dico is a singer and songwriter inspired by artists such as Tracy Chapman, Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen.In Denmark she performs under her real name, Tina Dickow.- Beginnings :...
set them up with her English manager Jonathan Morley. He arranged for them to go to Nashville to exchange ideas with American song writers in 2003, and this trip reaffirmed their belief of having a special musical expression. Another showcase in London brought good reviews in the British music press, and finally they got a contract with Universal
Universal Records
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
. In 2004 their first album A Lifetime sold 20,000 copies in Denmark.
Since then, they have toured in various countries including UK and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, sometimes with support of musicians such as Sally Barris, other times acting as support for Turin Brakes
Turin Brakes
Turin Brakes are a modern folk duo, comprising Olly Knights and Gale Paridjanian, hailing from Balham, London. They had a UK top 5 hit with their song "Painkiller ".-1999–2003:...
and Stephen Fretwell
Stephen Fretwell
Stephen Fretwell is an English singer-songwriter.-Biography:Fretwell attended St. Augustine Webster Primary School in Scunthorpe and St. Bede's Catholic School in Ashby before furthering his study at John Leggott College...
in 2005, Jamie Cullum
Jamie Cullum
Jamie Cullum is an English pop and jazz-pop singer-songwriter. Though he is primarily a vocalist/pianist he also accompanies himself on other instruments including guitar and drums. Since April 2010, he has been presenting a weekly jazz show on BBC Radio 2, broadcast on Tuesdays from 19:00.- Early...
in 2006, and Runrig
Runrig
Runrig are a Scottish Celtic rock group formed in Skye, in 1973 under the name 'The Run Rig Dance Band'. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included songwriters Rory Macdonald and Calum Macdonald. The current line-up also includes longtime members Malcolm Jones, Iain Bayne, and more...
in 2010. Various artists have contributed to their music, including Billy Burnette
Billy Burnette
William Beau "Billy" Burnette III is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter who was part of the band Fleetwood Mac from 1987 to 1995. Burnette also had a brief career in acting.-Family background:...
.
In 2005 the duo agreed with VW about using the song "Lovestruck" from A Lifetime in a Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an commercial for the Polo
Volkswagen Polo
The Volkswagen Polo is a supermini car manufactured by Volkswagen. It is sold in Europe and other markets worldwide in hatchback, saloon, coupé and estate variants....
.
Music
The group differs from most pop groups in using instruments such as mandolinMandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
and mellotron
Mellotron
The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music...
.
Discography
- A Lifetime (2004)
- For all the right reasons (2007)
- Backroads (2008)
- Dark Horse (2011)
Awards
The group was nominated for five categories in the 2005 Danish Music AwardsDanish Music Awards
The Danish Music Awards is a Danish award show. The show has been arranged by IFPI since 1989, and was originally called IFPI-prisen until 1991, when it changed its name to Dansk Grammy . The current name was given in 2001, after the American Grammy Awards took copyright on the name Grammy....
, but did not win.
They won a European Border Breaker award in 2005 as one of the European artists whose debut album have sold the most in the EU outside their own country.
External links
- Official homepage of Hush
- http://www.myspace.com/thesoundofhushHush on MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
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