All about this artist
Biography:
The creation of UK singer-songwriter Matt Hales (born January 1972, Southampton, Hampshire, England), Aqualung's music reflects both his classical music education and the influence of OK Computer-era Radiohead.
The precocious Hales earned a scholarship at the age of 16 to study composition in Winchester, and the following year conducted the performance of his first mini-symphony. He went on to complete a music degree at London's City University, where his quasi-classical mood pieces were first used to soundtrack art installations and advertisements.
During this period his affection for rock music also began to take a more serious form. A part-time covers band with his brother mutated into the indie rock quartet Ruth, with the Hales joined by bass player Stephen Cousins and drummer Matt Vincent-Brown.
The quartet plugged away with little success between 1992 and 2000, releasing several singles and a solitary album (Harrison) in 1999 on Arc Records. After Ruth fell apart, Hales and his band mates renamed themselves the 45s and signed a new contract with Universal Records.
When this venture also proved unsuccessful, Hales left the band and began work on new solo material. The romantic piano and string-based track, "Strange And Beautiful (I'll Put A Spell On You)" was used by car manufacturer Volkswagen in a commercial for their Beetle model during autumn 2002.
The explosion of interest in the song led to a new recording contract for Hales and the creation of Aqualung as a vehicle for his songwriting. A self-titled album was released in September, and shortly afterwards "Strange And Beautiful (I'll Put A Spell On You)" reached the UK Top 10.
Hales repeated the formula of his debut on the following year's Still Life, with the exquisite ballad "Brighter Than Sunshine" a notable highlight. Sadly, the curse of the one-hit wonder struck in his native England and the album sank without a trace.
After being dropped by his label he began concentrating on the American market, where Aqualung's music was already being picked up by influential DJs and used on hit television shows such as The OC. A compilation of his first two albums was a notable success and "Brighter Than Sunshine" became a radio hit.
Hales signed a new contract with Sony BMG and released his third album, Memory Man, at the start of 2007. The album was initially only available in North America, a reflection of the strange twist the artist's career had taken.
