Edward Hartline

Working his way through the early-woodshed stages is Alabama’s own upcoming singing/songwriting prodigy Edward Hartline, who at the age of almost-twenty has four CDs, credible notices from national IndieMusic trade publications, a successful crowd-funding campaign, a triumphant tour of FL/TX/LA, and an appearance in a renegade SXSW showcase. Literate, debonair, immediately engaging, EH has been sure-footed in his preparation for what promises to be a steady ascension in regional acoustic respectability. - Moonlight on the Mountain (venue)

Edward Hartline is pretty extraordinary. The self-taught musician spins lyrics and weaves melodies that’ll quiet a crowded room, claims skill in at least five different instruments, and wields a voice that‘ll sing some gnarly goose bumps across your arms. Even more extraordinary? He’s 18 years old.

Last month, we saw Hartline play an acoustic set at Sofar Sounds’ intimate Dallas show, and were blown away by the singer-songwriter’s raw talent, fearless honesty, and maturity beyond his years.

We’re pleased to be able to debut Hartline’s performance at Sofar DFW, before the video’s official premiere tomorrow. See a sample from his set above, read our full review of this month’s Sofar DFW event, and be sure to keep Hartline on your indie radar. - The Vinyl District

Yet, perhaps one of the evening’s most outstanding performances belonged not to an industry veteran but to an 18 year-old rookie: Alabama-native Edward Hartline. Imagine a cross between the old school stylings of James Taylor, the raspy folk of Ray LaMontagne and, at times, the modern tones of singers like Alex Clare, and then throw in some teenage angst and skinny jeans: voilà, you’ve got yourself an Edward Hartline. The kid is young, a bit scrawny even, but he’s got the stage presence—and the chops—of a man who’s been doing this for decades. And it was clear by the amount of unhinged jaws around the room that, with a few more years under his belt, Hartline is going places. Definitely be on the lookout for this guy in the near future, folks. - The Vinyl District

Top Song for the month of June is... Edward Hartline's “Gone Tonight”. A song about people who are living in difficult circumstances and/or believe they've reached the end of their shattered and limited lives. This self-taught musician begins the song with beautiful guitar notes and strong poetic lyrics:

"There's a sad old man on the side of the road,
with his final words on the tip of his tongue
so he knows what to say when he goes."

Through out the song you'll hear different vivid stories about people who's hearts are cold as ice and who will be gone tonight. This is definitely a song worth listening for many reasons, besides the fact that its a beautiful song, with meaningful lyrics we can all relate to, and a beautiful melody. Look for this song and many others in his profile: http://chessboardradio.com/profile/edwardhartline - Chessboard Radio

Self-taught musician and Alabama native, Edward Hartline (18) and his manager who has been at his side since he first opened his eyes, have captured our imagination with his silvery voice and his ability to create vivid stories that reside within every word and every melody. Edward’s love and passion for his music fulfills our longing for meaningful music, which is something that, in my humble opinion, has become hard to find.

Nonetheless, I’ve found a handful of songs that I truly enjoy from Edward. They are in no particular order and equally hold special meaning with me: “Scarlett Anne” about a girl who seems to have lost her way in her young life. “Raincloud Over 7th Street” a voodoo/haunted story about conjures, a dead man down in his pride and a merchant selling souls to heaven. “Born for Blues” has an upbeat sound that will immediately get your left foot to dance along and admire the story of a lonesome boy. “Morris Avenue”, which is a real street, dwells a past first love that ended with him in loss. So it had to be he titled it Morris Avenue so that everyone would know where she lives. My utmost favorite of all, “Gone Tonight” is filled with people’s last moments of their shattered and limited lives.

They don’t call it the Blues for nothing. If you are not particularly fond of this genre, continue in your life’s course and eventually you’ll feel it. My apologies if I’ve dampened your day…. After all this is supposed to be a fun reading about a young, gifted, musician with an entire life’s worth of inspiration ahead of him. I can conclude with this: Morgan Raymond (Manager) said to me, “It’s easy to visualize his songs because his songs are like windows listeners can peek through”. Well, I now understand what she meant. It’s all there, in his voice – worth a thousand pictures. - Chessboard Radio

Edward Hartline is rather striking for two main reasons
first is the young voice and a rather polished mature rich
sound and second is the incredible vocal range of the
singer himself which is an unexpected surprise in itself.
The Lost EP in itself does sound like a bit of a love
letter to a loved one and you could imagine him writing or
singing about somebody close to him, and in many respects
comes across as a personal record from Edward Hartline and
full of emotion with a dash of blues mixed in.

The EP in itself is a very stripped back affair and is
almost a very naked record with a simple “One boy and his
instrument” feel; however the compositions in of itself are
rather delicate and intricate affairs that compliment his
voice and vocal range well. However because Edward
Hartline is young I could imagine him getting a much
romantic attachment to the listeners and fans of his music.

I must admit in much of the EP there is a rather melancholy
undertone to the whole EP especially to the tracks “I Wont
Let It Go Away” and “She Loves Me Not” however this doesn’t
detract from the record at all and there is a consistent
feel throughout the record. In fact the whole EP seems to
flow exceptionally well telling a tragic love story from
beginning to end. Although the EP does come with a few
surprises in store as well. Like the very atmospheric and
slightly more uptempo “I'm Fine” which in all fairness I
could consider to be a rather decent pop record with soul
which rather stands out from the Lost EP. Also the sudden
switch from guitar to piano in “She Loves Me Not” which
almost takes you back but it is a fitting end to an EP even
if it is out of step with the rest of the album.

The one thing that strikes me about this artist is that his
music is very easy listening and could fit in quite easily
with any middle of the road radio station playlist, however
there is this modern contemporary young fresh twist in the
classic mix which makes this rather a compelling record to
listen to. Although as time goes on I could imagine him
fitting in easily with the likes of Michael Buble, James
Morrison and James Blunt. - Love Music Magazine - The Spread with Kevin Mann

Edward Hartline is a folk artist from Alabama. Although good folk writing usually stems from troubled personal experiences and the subsequent wisdom of those experiences, you have to wonder where Edward has found his inspiration at the age of 16. You would think at this age he hasn't had a chance to be stung by the worries of life that have been evoked in his songs. However, his writing shows a maturity that contradicts his tender age and this combined with his husky voice makes you feel like you are listening to a man three times Edward's age.
The young Alabaman has managed to perfect his craft at an early age, perhaps because he started even younger than most. Dedicated to his music, he has been writing since the age of eleven and has already toured across the southern states of America. In this time he has managed to write some truly beautiful songs and will surely only get better with age.
He has released a CD entitled Candy for Bread Map which is available at http://www.edwardhartline.net. The throaty tone and soulfulness of his voice on 'Gambling Man' brings to mind a similarity to UK singer-songwriter James Morrison. Songs such as 'Table for Two' and 'You're to Blame' offer a James Taylor like sincerity while 'Sinner's Blues' shows a darker side, yet Edward proves equally adept at both.
If he has managed to get this far at the age of 16 there is no telling how far he can go in the next few years.
***** - Music Review Unsigned - Ciaran Sweeney