Tensheds sprang to prominence in 2011 with the release of his second album Crazy Beautiful. After receiving critical acclaim across the board and recognition from BBC Live Sessions, he set out on a 28 date UK Tour – this then turned into two years on the road, and a total of 288 shows. Luckily for him though, he was already living in his campervan. It was this sheer determination and dedication as an independent artist that has won him admiration from fans, peers and even childhood hero's such as John Mayall.
Born in the north of England, Tensheds broke rank and trained as a classical pianist at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music. Spending his life behind the piano, it is this training forged with his love of the Blues and Rock n Roll that makes his music so unique. Couple this with his individual looks and you can see why MOJO labelled him “A chameleon with an ear for the unexpected”.
As a live performer Tensheds has honed his craft through years of excessive touring. Oozing confidence with his formidable keyboard skills and a voice that seems to have lived twice as long as he has, it's no wonder that the likes of John Mayall, Mick Taylor, Manfred Mann, Paul Kelly, Roger Chapman, Paul Young and James Burton have all asked him to support them. In fact Hazel O’Connor was so taken with Tensheds that she personally invited him as support on her last five UK Tours.
In an era when artists tend to shy away from being individual and are full of blame towards the record industry, Tensheds has proved that hard work and self-belief still pays off. Whether you choose to see this in the numerous awards he has won, the music press he has received, the stages he has performed on - he even played alongside Bruce Springsteen, Noel Gallagher, The Darkness, Tom Petty at the 2012 Isle Of Wight Festival, still as an unsigned artist!
Maybe there’s some truth in this recent live review: “His dramatic Rachmaninov-like and then terrifically fast blues keyboard tunes were impressive enough to almost make you believe he had sold his soul to the devil”.
