Maia Sharp and Richard Julian March 7, 2006

Maia Sharp is a Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter who's been playing and writing music her whole life. By the time she was 11, she was already learning how to play the guitar, oboe, piano and saxophone. Such musical leanings were certainly encouraged by her father, Randy Sharp, a songwriter who penned tunes for Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire and Linda Rondstadt.
For years, Sharp honed her skills. Then when she was 24, Sharp caught the eye of Miles Copeland, Sting's longtime manager and the founder of Ark 21 Records. Sharp recorded and produced her debut album, ?Hardly Glamour,? and Copeland distributed it.
Last year, Sharp took three songs from "Tinderbox" and added eight new ones, to release her eponymous album with Concord Records. She's currently on tour with Garfunkel and Mondlock, playing songs from their album and opening each show with music from her solo CD.

Richard Julian demonstrates a talent for strong melodies and his own distinct sound. Born in Arden, Delaware, Julian became a classically trained pianist at a young age and found himself writing his own songs in his early teens. A planned move to Los Angeles got him as far as Las Vegas, where he became a keyboard player for several big name cocktail singers. After spending a year in the town, he moved to New York City and managed to score a recording contract within a few months of arriving. Releasing a self-titled debut on Blackbird/Sire, Julian got his name out nationally and received some good notices. But the following year's Smash Palace was a more varied effort, showcasing his talents for orchestrating many different instruments at once. An excellent effort, it still didn't make much of a financial difference and his label left him before 2000. Still playing live and working on new material, Good Life arrived in 2002 and coincided with a cover of the first album's "Young and Free" by Art Garfunkel. ~ Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide