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Born in Belfast, raised in Penicuik, Scotland and living in Dublin, Ireland for many moons now, Robin James Hurt plays guitar like a 'demon gadgie' (Edinburgh vernacular). He also sings like a wee bird, plays mandolin like a man doling, composes, arranges and, when asked nicely, engineers sound. Robin has a rich background in touring and recording worldwide with all manner of Irish and Scots musicians, from familiar folks such as Ronnie Drew and Sinead O'Connor to more recently acclaimed artists such as The West Seventies, Gael SlĂ, Garrett Wall, Martin Furey, Linda Coogan and Camille O'Sullivan.
Since 2006, Robin James Hurt has been performing solo, with a style all his own and a repertoire which runs the gamut of Scots, Irish and northern English folk music and beyond.
Robin brings in his guitar case a wide collection of folksong, original compositions, a little storytelling, and a hell of a lot of nifty guitar picking; all carried off with spiked lo-fi quirkiness and genuine warmth and passion.
Robin's debut solo release, a 4-track EP entitled "The Spider's Legs", was unleashed on the world in March 2007. Since then, it has been picking up airplay on radio stations all over Ireland, and also further across the world...America's prestigious national NPR radio network featured the EP, delighting in "lively songs, wonderfully evocative lyrics and storytelling...and impressively intricate guitar and fiddle work". ("Open Mic", NPR, Oct 2007)
Following on from a highly successful 2007, Robin began 2008 with an appearance at the prestigious "Celtic Connections" festival in Glasgow, Scotland, as well as shows in the Netherlands, Denmark and all over Ireland. The recording of a highly anticipated solo album is near completion, and the summer and autumn will see a constant stream of concerts and festival performances in Ireland, the UK, Germany and the USA, to tie in with the album's release.