Corey Harper

He has the blonde, fresh-scrubbed looks of a young West Coast surfer, but Portland, Oregon, musician Corey Harper's radiant "California Sun" takes its musical cues from soul-baring sand and grit rather than crashing waves. With vocals that suggest Harper as John Mayer's breezier fraternal twin, his tunes are a mix of Seventies country-rock touched by Mississippi blues. The 21-year-old's "California Sun," from his upcoming debut EP, is highlighted by a melodic chorus that finds the singer-songwriter dealing with the emotional fallout of a break-up, but resolute as to why he's remaining rather Zen-like about the whole situation.
"I'm not going anywhere fast 'cause you always come right back," he sings. "You remind me of the California sun. I don't feel you as much when I get drunk."

Born in Missouri, Harper picked up guitar at a very early age, having come across a Fender Stratocaster at his uncle's house in Kansas City. With help from his uncle and father, he learned simple chords and honed his skills by watching videos of guitar greats Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton and Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham, copying what he was hearing them play.

He briefly studied music and literature history in Eugene, Oregon, but dropped out to pursue his musical path in Los Angeles, settling in the creative mecca of Venice Beach, where his organically crafted EP was recorded and produced by Andrew Wells.

"For me it was important to take an old-school approach," Harper tells Rolling Stone Country. "I wanted to avoid getting caught up in the stereotypical recording process and instead allow everything to come together naturally."
Beyond his own music, Harper also created an artistic collective called Winston House. A place for talented people from all over the world to hang out and create together, it also afforded the musician the opportunity to open shows for soul musician Allen Stone. And after seeing him play at Winston House, pop superstar Justin Bieber asked Harper to open shows for him on the Pacific Northwest dates of his Purpose Tour.

"California Sun" is now available at iTunes and Spotify, and the On the Run EP will be released this fall. - Rolling Stone

Folk-rocker Corey Harper has already gained acclaim from both fans and media alike, all without having released his debut EP. Said EP, On the Run, will arrive this fall but until then, Harper has already graced listeners with a handful of tracks that showcase soothing instrumentation and his deep yet crisp vocals -- a pairing that works well to deliver a warm and inviting sound.

On Wednesday (Oct. 12), Harper is sharing his latest track, the rollicking "Beneath," along with its music video exclusively on Billboard. "'Beneath' came alive sonically from a riff I had heard on a song called 'Broken' by Jake Bugg," Harper tells Billboard. "I went to the guitar to try and get something with a similar feel, and started singing lyrics mindlessly, finding melodies that fit the story I was searching for."

The story he ended up finding was a classic tale of boy meets girl -- though he tells it here with his own perspective and spin. He recalls when he first started seeing a girl and "everything was new and exciting," though the two didn't live close. "Times we could see each other were rare and fun," he says. "The lyrics explain the clichés of a typical modern relationship between two independent young adults."

He offers further insight into which lines within the song speak to larger and highly relatable notions, such as: "Visions and plans are always talked about and discussed excitedly, ('all this noise will be heard') and collateralized risks are taken to prove yourself worthy of being trusted, ('all this pain will return')."

In terms of his own visions and plans for the future, Harper seems to be headed in the right direction. So far, the Los Angeles by way of Portland artist has taken his music on the road with the likes of Allen Stone and Justin Bieber (at separate times) -- two artists situated on opposite ends of the spectrum, speaking to the diversity of Harper's sound that "Beneath" so clearly captures.

Check out the music video for "Beneath," well... beneath. - Billboard

Listen to the latest taste of singer-songwriter Corey Harper’s On the Run EP with our exclusive stream.

The 21-year-old Harper has had an impressive 2016 thusfar, with a string of solid singles and an opening slot of some of Justin Bieber’s Purpose tour dates in Seattle, WA, Vancouver, BC and Portland, OR. His latest offering is the acoustic title-track of the aforementioned EP and sees Harper deliver a soft, John Mayer-inspired ballad complete with some understated electric guitar towards the end.

“‘On The Run’ is a song of hope and personal growth, highlighting different phases in my life where I’ve needed answers, but been running from them at the same time,” Harper says.

Check out Corey Harper’s “On the Run” below. - American Songwriter