Harper
Gritty blues harmonica meets the deep, mystical drone of the didgeridoo. Soulful roots music for long drives and desert sunsets.
Gritty blues harmonica meets the deep, mystical drone of the didgeridoo. Soulful roots music for long drives and desert sunsets.
Peter D. Harper creates a sound that feels pulled directly from the earth, blending traditional American blues with the ancient, resonant drone of the Australian didgeridoo. It is music that occupies a unique space between the Mississippi Delta and the Australian Outback, characterized by a deep, woody percussion and a harmonica style that is both technically masterful and emotionally raw.
What truly distinguishes Harper is this 'mystical' approach to roots music. While many blues artists focus on the 12-bar tradition, Harper uses the didgeridoo to create a rhythmic, hypnotic foundation that feels more like a spiritual journey than a standard bar-room set. His voice, a powerful and soulful baritone, ties these disparate elements together with a grit that suggests decades of touring and storytelling.
Start with the album 'Rise Up' to hear his most polished realization of this fusion. It captures the expansive, cinematic quality of his songwriting while showcasing the interplay between his 'nasty' harp playing and those deep indigenous tones that have become his sonic signature.
Peter D. Harper (born 10 November 1970) is an Australian-American blues rock harmonica player, singer and songwriter. His unique slant on the blues and roots music genre includes his use of the Australian indigenous instrument - the didgeridoo. Peter D Harper is known for his powerful soulful voice and a deep, almost mystical approach to the roots genre. Harper has received 14 Music Awards in four different countries including a Gold Record. Billed with his backing band as Harper and Midwest Kind, his most recent release the 2020 Rise Up album debuted at No.3 on the Billboard Blues Album Charts . This new release is an expansive musical and lyrical journey, stirred up with masterful harp and the deep, woody percussive tones of the didgeridoo. Rise Up was listed in the Top 20 Albums of 2020 by Blues Blast Magazine USA. Rise Up has been nominated as Best Modern Roots Album by Independent Blues Awards, 2021 and Harper and Midwest Kind has also been nominated as Best Modern Roots Band. Rise Up follows the highly acclaimed Show Your Love which debuted at No. 9, and peaked at No. 3 in the US Billboard Blues Albums chart plus an incredible 25 week run in the Top Ten. Harper is a multiple award-winning artist who tours the Globe up to 200 shows per year. He has had four top ten Billboard releases to date. His latest album Rise Up was released worldwide on February 11, 2020, through Access Records USA, featuring 10 original tunes. His interest in the blues was inspired by his grandfather's record collection which included work by Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Muddy Waters, and Little Walter.
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