Karl Culley is part howling dog, part wounded angel, red-handed and spectral-voiced.

Born in the north of England, drawn to the south of Poland, to Krakow, where he now lives (his heart having been snagged by a Krakovian maiden). His début album, Bundle of Nerves, amassed widespread acclaim upon release in 2009 - Harrogate metaphysical folk-pop poet delivers impressive début/ ...dazzling acoustic guitar-picking reminiscent of John Martyn at his most fluid, punctuated by a Bert Jansch-like percussive snap – 4 star review MOJO.

After being given a guitar on his 18th birthday Karl immediately began writing songs, proving a gifted songwriter and guitarist, developing what would become a host of dexterous and innovative finger-picking styles,( 'Spell-binding acoustic genius' - Gigscene) taking inspiration from his heraldic heroes; Nick Drake, John Martyn, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Elliot Smith, Vin Garbutt, and Robin Williamson (the latter two artists, Karl would go on to support).

Karl was soon gigging up and down the UK, with TV, radio, and festival appearances to follow. He consequently signed for the Triumphant Sound and recorded his début album on the remote Scottish Isle Of Jura - "A glorious collection of jumbled images, disjointed stories and personal reflections all wrapped up in beautiful melodies" The Music Fix

The fact that Karl's musical oeuvre is often indefinable, implacable, conjuring a sense of otherness and that which is beyond our grasp, makes it all the more compelling. Frenetic light-speed guitar contrasts with the haunting timbre of his voice, and Karl's presence, both on record and live, is electric and bristling, the antithesis of his mild-mannered countenance. He writes love songs of dark longing, dark songs guttering with light, songs about loneliness, of ghosts, all emblazoned with lyrics rich in imagery (Karl is a published poet). Somehow distilling his many varied influences, folk, blues, drum and bass, trip-hop, pop, alternative, indie, rock and classical, into something uniquely his own, Karl invites the listener in, but asks him to take his shoes off. "I'm somewhere else when I play", says Karl of his live performances, "when I finish, and I open my eyes, it's like I've been away."

Before setting off to Poland Karl recorded his second album The Owl, in Harrogate and York.

www.karlculley.co.uk