Heralded by Rolling Stone as "an ethereal soul ... insistent, impassioned, full of self-knowledge ... the voice of a new generation," singer-songwriter Jeffrey Gaines grew up in Harrisburg, PA. Raised 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 teenage 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 his self-titled debut that same year. The album featured the hit single "Hero in Me" and garnered four stars from the Philadelphia Inquirer. Somewhat Slightly Dazed (1994) and Galore (1998) followed suit in the ensuing years, prompting Interview Magazine to call Gaines's music "soul-searching" and "refreshingly free of jargon, sentiment, or cliché."
In 2001, Gaines released Always Be to both critical and commercial praise. Featuring his emotional interpretation of Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" and the beautifully soaring title track, the album hit No. 5 on the R&R Callout America CHR/Pop list and reached No. 45 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. His impressive catalogue grew with 2002's Toward the Sun, of which The Boston Globe declared: "Gaines's 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."
Throughout his career, Gaines has built a rapport with his fans unlike any other in popular music today. He goes as far as letting his fans influence the songs he performs each night. "When it's 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 going to 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." Jeffrey Gaines Live (2004), the singer-songwriter's sixth and most recent release, captures that live energy in a stirring tribute to his fans. Currently anticipating the release of his next album, Live in Europe (due out on June 26th), Gaines looks forward to welcoming new legions of fans to the fold. "For those who are new to my music, I would love it if they come on board. We're ready for you. We've always been ready for you, so c'mon!"
