Fridae

Passenger will be making their U.S. debut next month at the SXSW in Austin, TX. The Brighton-based band will be showcasing songs from their debut album "Wicked Man's Rest," which the group will release in the U.S. later this year.

The group got its starts when singer Mike Rosenberg met Bafta award-winning film and TV soundtrack composer Andrew Phillips at a Free Burma benefit in 2002. They bonded over their extensive musical taste and decided to lay down some songs in the studio together. A singer/songwriter reared on Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Van Morrison, Rosenberg had intended to make a traditional, stripped-down album based on strong melodies and his modern-day fables. Inspired by the unusual cast of characters he had come up with, Phillips gave the songs a cinematic setting, A year later they were joined by bassist Marcus
O'Dair, drummer Alon Cohen and keyboardist Richard Brincklow, which completed the Passenger's line up.

Passenger's music is marked by its quirky storytelling, strong melodies, atmospheric arrangements and particularly Mike Rosenberg's idiosyncratic vocals. His voice is what struck me immediately when I first heard Passenger this summer.

Download a guilt-free MP3 of Passenger's "Do What You Like" that is a "tale of unrequited love and regaining
control and self respect." Whatt stands out to me is the song's unusual mix of twitching guitars, electronica-influenced stylings and
Mike Rosenberg's crooning.

Download Passenger "Do What You Like" [MP3]