Oliver Pinder is a 16-year-old singer-songwriter who has performed on many of Yorkshire’s largest club and festival stages, headlining and supporting major artists. His début EP ‘Island Rain’ was released to critical acclaim in 2015 and went to 24 in the iTunes charts and he is now recording a string of singles. Oliver’s lyrics express the sensitivities of today’s youth, drawing on deeply personal experiences and acute observational reflections. Spotted by musicians and promoters at a charity fundraiser in Leeds O2 Academy raising funds for Martin House Children’s Hospice while not yet fourteen, Oliver was taken under wing by Mickey Dale from the band Embrace, who produced his début EP alongside with bandmate Mike Heaton.

Writing in the Yorkshire Evening Post, Kate Prothero said of Oliver: “He channels artists like Tracy Chapman and Ben Howard, he has a haunting and beautiful tone to his voice. He speaks from the heart, paints pictures, and tells a story. As he stands solitary on stage, his eyes closed, we are all transfixed... It is hard to remember that Oliver is still at school and not in fact a superstar with an incredible gift.”

Oliver Pinder has played numerous headline gigs and supported artists including Embrace, Starsailor, Marika Hackman, JP Cooper, Rhodes, Pip Mountjoy, SOAK, Jake Isaac, Daniel Pearson and The Hoosiers, making appearances at venues across the region including Belgrave Music Hall, Brudenell Social Club, Leeds University Union, Leeds Beckett Union, The Wardrobe, The Faversham and Oporto in Leeds, Fibbers and The Duchess in York, The Grove in Ilkley, Warehouse 23 in Wakefield, Bradford Bulls Arena and The Underground in Bradford and Picturedrome in Holmfirth, also many more.

He played festival stages at the Live at Leeds Festival in 2015 and 2016, Bradford Festival, Routes Festival in Halifax, Embrace’s Secret Festival, Aire Do Festival in Keighley and Trinity Festival in Hull and has received airplay on BBC Radio Leeds, BCB Radio and XFM.

Oliver has an intriguing stage setup containing a pedal board, keyboard and electric and acoustic guitars assisted by looping drum samples. His writing and mentoring skills have helped other musicians on their initial releases, co-writing Lucas Watt’s début single ‘Worth Fighting For’, co-writing and co-producing Ali Tolley’s début single ‘Explosion’, and co-writing with YouTube star Hannah Trigwell.

Born in the village of Queensbury in West Yorkshire and raised by music-loving parents, Oliver first picked up an acoustic guitar in autumn 2011. Watching a music video by Irish singer-songwriter Orla Gartland a few months later inspired him to start writing his own material.

In less than four years, Oliver has developed his skills and self-confidence massively while retaining the modest, engaging and supportive personality that first caught the attention of many on the regional music circuit. Having just done his GCSEs, Oliver is starting a Diploma in Music Production at Leeds College of Music in September 2016, while being carefully watched by a number of the world’s leading record labels.

Website: http://www.oliverpinder.co.uk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OliverPinderOff

Twitter: https://twitter.com/OliverPinder

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OliverPinderOff

Soundcloud: https://www.soundcloud.com/oliverpinder

Merchandise Store: https://www.oliverpinder.bandcamp.com