Keyth Lawrence and the Purple Circle
Keyth Lawrence, the 28 year-old song force hailing from Manhattan, has been on a life long ascension to tell you a good story through his piano-driven art pop/rock. Reared in Long Island, Keyth has been accompanied by his piano, and talent for playing it since he was 7 years-old. "Before I could really even add numbers together, I knew I wanted to perform," says Keyth. "I had it all figured out at 6 years- old. I was sure I was destined to become a clown or a magician. The piano was rolled into the living room a year later, and the musician in me sort of won the contest." After a listen to his body of work, one might agree that there is still a bit of magic involved.
After gigging extensively as a solo artist in renowned New York City cabaret venues such as Don't Tell Mama, The Duplex, and other intimate spaces, he logically began bringing other musicians onto the stage with him until he formed what has become Keyth Lawrence and the Purple Circle. The now 5 - member ensemble puts on high energy rock shows with tailored storytelling capabilities throughout New York City. The Purple Circle is an inclusive metaphor for the unity of the band and the unity fans have to the music they play, and to the stories Keyth shares. "The Purple Circle started as a personal and artistic sacred space. It continues to maintain that quality, but has evolved into something much bigger," says Keyth. "It is now something that expands to include the energy and experience of the audience."
Keyth's most defining artistic traits include a character-driven, storied style of songwriting, an acrobatic and emotive voice that tells it, and a classically-inspired, powerhouse style of piano playing that falls somewhere between Chopin and Jerry Lee Lewis. With a brave and dramatic style reminiscent of The Cure, Keyth also maintains a solid passion for the piano, like that of more recent artists including Rufus Wainwright and Coldplay. The instrument is what "makes the music physical, tactile, visceral- it saddens me that the piano has been lost over the years as the nucleus of music," Keyth says.
Candid songwriting that reveals unexpected truths- think Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Bowie, Tori Amos- a fusion of prophet and bard, equal parts soul searcher and dramatic performer. With a unique vocal styling, Keyth sings against melody, beyond measure, and outside borders. Phrasing that mimics the rhythm of the human breath lends a vulnerability and organicism to the songs. Songs are rarely sung the same way twice. "Songs are like children," Keyth says. "You nurture them and they grow. They surprise you and begin to take on a life of their own." His songbook makes border raids on every conceivable emotion, soaring from a riotous rock-rolling peak to an audio adagio.
Currently promoting what will hope to be his pivotal break-through record, Keyth's mission has always been "to simply spread the word." Entitled Figures, the 12-track, live-in-studio album is being independently released under his own label, I Said! Records.