DOTAN IN CONCERT:
Indie singer-songwriter Dotan gets crowds into each and every anthemic tune he brings to the stage by slowly building a beautiful wall of sound that’s sure to enrapture all in attendance. Standing behind a single drum, the singer reveals heart-touching sentiments with his plaintive vocals, forming a deeper and deeper connection with ticket buyers as each song grows to its dramatic climax. Dotan and his band build each track from the ground up, starting songs off with atmospheric electronics and gracefully plucked acoustic guitars and adding layers until their sound reaches epic proportions. By the end of the show Dotan is banging out thunderous beats on his drum while his backing band gloriously harmonizes his soaring melodies. Larger-than-life rallying cries like “Home”, “Let the River In”, and “It Gets Better” leave a lasting effect on fans, making Dotan a must-see act for the indie-pop crowd.
BACKGROUND SNAPSHOT:
Born in Jerusalem in 1986, Dotan Harpenu grew up in Amsterdam with his Dutch mother. Taking an interest in popular folk singers like Van Morrison and James Taylor, he taught himself to play guitar while in high school. After college he emailed his demos to several noteworthy producers on a whim, eventually hearing back from Martin Terefe, who lent his London studio to the fledgling singer-songwriter. His work with Terefe caught the attention of EMI Records, who inked a deal with Dotan before releasing his 2011 debut album Dream Parade. Following several years of promotional touring, Dotan returned to the studio to record 2014’s self-produced 7 Layers. The album’s lead single “Home” eventually went double-platinum and topped the charts in both Amsterdam and Belgium. He made inroads in North America soon after when the single was featured on popular TV show The 100, and gained further exposure when his song “It Gets Better” appeared in an episode of Pretty Little Liars. Given Dotan’s knack for marrying catchy anthems and booming beats, it won’t take long before American audiences are singing along to his energetic sound.
