Career

Harley moved with his family to Woking, Surrey, England as a small child.

He is the founder of The Martin Harley Band, a British blues trio and also performs solo as Martin Harley. Harley has been developing a steady solo career in the United States since the release of his first album, Mojo Fix, in the fall of 2012. The Martin Harley Band continues to tour in the United Kingdom and abroad, and Harley continues to be active in his solo career as well. The band audience includes blues fans and it is popular amongst surfers. This is mainly due to tours and support slots for G. Love & Special Sauce,^[1] Ash Grunwald,^[2] Newton Faulkner and Donavon Frankenreiter,^[3] Carus and The True Believers and The Beautiful Girls.

The band is known for their live concerts and their obscure instrumentation, which includes a Weissenborn guitar, balalaika, cocktail drum kit, cajon and double bass. To date they have released five albums, all of which have been released on independent record labels with national distribution. Harley first recorded a solo album in Australia at the beginning of his recording career. In 2012, he travelled to Texas to team up with Bob Parr, former Los Angeles studio bassist and producer and original bass player for The Brian Setzer Orchestra, and his wife, Claire Parr, to produce a US solo album entitled Mojo Fix. Mojo Fix featured the first time that Harley has used multiple outside musicians and features a more rock-tinged approach with more use of his Weissenborn guitar. Guest musicians on the album include Santana and Steve Winwood veteran Walfredo Reyes on drums, McKenzie Smith of Midlake, and Charlie Bisharat, a violinist known for his work with Shadowfax. Harley spent much of the year travelling between the US and the UK and opening for artists such as Beth Hart, Five For Fighting, Good Old War, and Gavin DeGraw. He launched his US release in Boulder, Colorado, performing as an opener with ZZ Ward and has been gaining ground on non-commercial adult alternative radio across the US. Harley was featured performing Mojo Fix on the VH1 television show Big Morning Buzz, and also had two songs from Mojo Fix appear in the backdoor pilot of the CW Network series The Originals, spun off inside the popular series The Vampire Diaries.

In the United Kingdom, The Martin Harley Band are a regularly touring ensemble, and have toured with James Morrison.^[4] They have also appeared on BBC Radio 2 on the Aled Jones, Bob Harris and Johnnie Walker shows.^[5] Harley has been interviewed by Guitarist magazine, and featured in a three DVD set providing slide guitar tips and tricks.^[6]

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has express interest in the band, and have played several gigs at River Cottage H.Q.; the band appeared on a charity compilation album sold to raise money for Rural Revival and CARE International.^[7]

Harley is currently endorsed by the luthier Andreas Cuntz.^[8]

Travel

In 2005, Harley took part in what has been recognised by Guinness World Records as the 'Highest Gig in the World', playing at an elevation of 21,000 feet on Kala Patthar in the Himalayas.^[9] Harley was endorsed by Blueridge Guitars for this concert.^[10][11] In early 2007, he spent six weeks wandering through Mali, Guinea and Senegal in the company of local musicians. The event was recorded by a French film crew, and a CD and DVD is scheduled for release. One of these sessions included Vieux Farka Toure.

In 2010, Harley undertook the "Blues Gone Green Tour", a 27 show, 1,200-mile acoustic tour of the UK by bicycle over thirty-one days. The tour was supported by Sustrans, Villages in Action, the Rural Touring Circuit, and Surly Bikes.^[12]

Collaborations

Harley's slide guitar work can also be heard on Kate Walsh's Tim's House,^[13] Fink's Biscuits for Breakfast, and Hardkandy's Second to None.^[14]