Passenger

by Ellie Turner

Starting out as a busker, Mark Rosenberg, more commonly known as Passenger, has made waves across the folk-pop scenes these past few years – and rightly so. His big break came in 2012 with the release of hit song Let Her Go, which reached number 2 in the UK Singles Chart and number 5 on the US Billboard 100. His dulcet tones and beautiful lyrics clearly captured hearts across the world, as proven by sales figures for the track. As of July 2014 the song has sold over one million copies in the UK and more than four million in the US, making it both two and five times certified Platinum respectively.

2012 and 2013 were big years for Passenger, supporting his friend Ed Sheeran on tour in North America, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. His performances were received ecstatically by fans and critics alike, gaining more radio play than he ever had before. His success continued on well into 2014 and 2015 with the release of his fifth and sixth studio albums, Whispers and Whispers II. This stripped back, chilled out album really cemented Passenger as a favourite of music lovers, moving him up from the ranks of lovable support act to impressive headliner and household name.

With the release of his most recent album this October, Young as the Morning, Old as the Sea ensures that Passenger will not be forgotten in the folk-pop music world anytime soon. His lyrics are more carefully crafted than ever before, and his soothing voice is the perfect anti-dote to those university related stresses. It’s a voice that is guaranteed to be just as impressive live, and with all of these years of touring under his belt, Passenger’s show in Bristol is not one to be missed. He’s definitely one for fans of Ed Sheeran, Ben Howard and Benjamin Francis Leftwich – but don’t get me wrong, Passenger is an incredible artist in his own right. Take a well-deserved break from your essay writing and on head over to Colston Hall this November to see why.