| Born: Genre: Style: |
9-1-1987 – Paisley, Scotland Funk/Soul, Blues, Folk, World & Country Modern Electric Blues, Soul, Folk |
| Year | Album Title | Label | In House |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Snny Side Up | Atlantic | No |
| 2014 | Caustic Love | Atlantic | On Website |
| 1986 | Last Night In The Bittersweet | Atlantic | No |
With his tight, yearning vocal style, Paolo Nutini isn't a slick Italian pop star, as his name suggests, but rather an alternative singer/songwriter with soul influences from Scotland. Nutini achieved widespread success with his 2006 debut, These Streets, which reached number three in the UK and spawned the hit "New Shoes." He topped the UK album charts with 2009's Sunny Side Up, the same year he won a prestigious Ivor Novello Award. He returned to the top of the UK charts with 2014's Caustic Love. After a long hiatus, Nutini returned in 2022 with Last Night in the Bittersweet.
Nutini was born in 1987 in Paisley, Scotland. He grew up in a music-loving family where he was exposed to folk, opera, jazz, and his father's favorite R&B. Shortly after discovering homegrown folk artists like John Martyn, the teenage Nutini left school to focus on his own musical development. He eventually moved from Paisley to London at 16 and gained attention through local performances. Two years later, just weeks after his 18th birthday, he signed a deal with the British branch of Atlantic Records.
Collaborating with Coldplay and Badly Drawn Boy producer Ken Nelson, Nutini generated an impressive amount of buzz before the release of his first single, "Last Request," in early summer 2006. He performed at special Atlantic Records showcases at Carnegie Hall and the Montreux Jazz Festival, opening for the Rolling Stones and Paul Weller. Nutini's debut album, These Streets, was finally released in July 2006, along with his second single, "Jenny Don't Be Hasty." The album performed very well in the UK, where it achieved double platinum status and spawned four Top 40 singles. An American release followed in January 2007.
For Nutini's second album, the songwriter took a more active role in the production. He collaborated with Ethan Johns, but wrote much of the material himself. The result, Sunny Side Up, was released in June 2009, featuring more contributions from Nutini's backing band and a bright, sparkling sound. Sunny Side Up became a number one hit in the UK – one of the best-selling albums of the year – and subsequently won Best Album at the Ivor Novello Awards.
Johnny Boy would love this: A tribute to John Martyn
Nutini entered the studio in 2011 to begin sessions for his third album and an appearance on Johnny Boy Would Love This…A Tribute to John Martyn was followed in 2011 by performances at Glastonbury, Latitude and the Montreux Jazz Festival, before Nutini achieved his (probably) largest audience ever as part of the London 2012 Olympic Games concert in Hyde Park.
After a busy touring schedule and a breakup with his childhood sweetheart, Nutini took a break from music to rediscover the inspiration that drove his first two albums, returning to his hometown of Paisley. Eventually, the songs started flowing, and Nutini recorded his third album, "Caustic Love," featuring American singer Janelle Monáe. "Caustic Love" was released in April 2014 and peaked at number 31 on the Billboard 200.
After another extensive tour schedule, Nutini quietly went on hiatus, making only a handful of live appearances, including two sold-out shows as part of Edinburgh's Hogmanay New Year's Eve Party in 2016. After an eight-year hiatus, he returned in July 2022 with his fourth album, Last Night in the Bittersweet. Produced by Nutini, along with Gavin Fitzjohn and Dani Castelar, the album fuses his soulful singer-songwriter pop with post-punk and Krautrock influences.
