Rupert Blackman

British singer/songwriter Rupert Blackman was first discovered by popular Dutch vocalist Anouk while entertaining on the streets of Amsterdam. In 2008 he had moved to The Netherlands, where he began writing music with a band of musicians and self-released an EP, If You Only Knew, the following year. After his chance encounter with Anouk, she invited him to join her on a nationwide theater tour, which was later canceled. However, the interest in Blackman had already taken hold as news of his appearance with Anouk circulated and he toured across the country with artists such as Beth Hart, Sabrina Starke, and Valerius. He went on to ink a deal with PIAS Records in 2013 and that year his debut album, The Lights of Home, arrived. The acoustic guitar-led songs were produced by Martijn Groeneveld in Utrecht and the album was well received in The Netherlands.