Nell Bryden (born March 8, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter.
Early life Bryden was born in Brooklyn, New York, to artistic parents. Her father is the painter and sculptor Lewis Bryden, and her mother is a classically trained soprano. It was during this time that she began performing her songs live in the Boston folk and rock clubs.
Career In 2002, Bryden recorded the album Day for Night in Nashville with producer Fred Mollin and toured the US to promote it. In 2005, she began working on her second record with producer John Hill, though the sessions were aborted when she ran out of money. After auctioning a Milton Avery painting she received from her father, she was able to use the proceeds to rerecord her album, this time with producer David Kershenbaum. The result was What Does It Take, which came out in October 2009.
Her next album, Shake the Tree, was issued in 2012. Following the release of the single "Sirens", Bryden was approached by Take That lead singer Gary Barlow, who asked her to join him as the support act for his UK tour from November to January 2013. During these months, Bryden also supported Jools Holland for several of his UK dates, including at the Royal Albert Hall.
Bryden published the double album Wayfarer in July 2014. It included the Christmas-themed song "May You Never Be Alone", which was later covered by Susan Boyle and released on her 2016 album, A Wonderful World.
In 2016, Bryden worked with producer Andy Wright to record Bloom, her fifth studio album. In 2019, she issued the EP Soundtrack to Little Wing – Part 1 and followed it with the compilation Living Room Sessions. That year, Bryden became a British citizen.
In 2020, she released a compilation titled The Collection. That year, she was the first artist to collaborate remotely with the BBC Concert Orchestra for a House Music Session on Ken Bruce's Radio 2 show; it was broadcast in March, during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Radio presenting Bryden presented her first radio show, an hour-long dedication to the New York music scene, on BBC Radio 2, in August 2014. It featured some of the artists who had inspired her as a songwriter.
In January 2016, she curated and presented a four-part miniseries, called Nell's Angels, Series 1, again on BBC Radio 2, featuring some of her favorite female artists.. Nell's Angels, Series 2 came out in August of the same year.
In 2017, Bryden presented another four-part mini-series on BBC Radio 2, called Nell's Kitchen, this one an historical exploration of New York City's music scenes.
Discography Studio albums Album title Album details Day for Night Released: August 19, 2003 Label: 157 Records Format: CD, download What Does It Take Released: October 12, 2009 Label: Cooking Vinyl Format: CD, download Shake the Tree Released: June 18, 2012 Label: Warner, ADA, 157 Records Format: CD, download Wayfarer Released: July 28, 2014 Label: Absolute, 157 Records Format: CD, download Bloom Released: January 27, 2017 Label: 157 Records Format: CD, download The Collection Released: September 4, 2020 Label: 157 Records Format: CD, downloadArms Around the Flame Released: February 7, 2022 Label: 157 Records Format: DownloadI Love You So Much I'm Blind Released: November 1, 2024 Label: 157 Records Format: Download
EPs Album title Album detailsSoundtrack to Little Wing – Part 1 Released: March 8, 2019 Label: Nell Bryden Ltd.Believe Again Released: December 1, 2023 Label: 157 Records Format: Download
Live albums Album title Album details Live from Iraq Released: February 7, 2009 Label: 157 Records Format: CD Live in London Released: October 25, 2013 Label:157 Records Format: CD, download Live the Wayfarer Way Released: December 2015 Label:157 Records Format: CD, download Living Room Sessions Released: May 21, 2019 Label:157 Records Format: CD, download
Singles Year Single Album2009 "What Does It Take" What Does It Take "Second Time Around"2010 "Not Like Loving You" "Tonight" "Goodbye" 2011 "Glory to the Day"2012 "Buildings and Treetops" Shake the Tree "Sirens"2013 "Shake the Tree" "Echoes" "All You Had" Wayfarer2014 "Wayfarer" "May You Never Be Alone" non-album single2015 "Waves" Wayfarer "Wolves" 2016 "What Is It You Want" Bloom2017 "Thought I Was Meant for You" "Dared the World and Won" "Praying for Time" non-album single 2019 "Smoke in My Heart" Soundtrack to Little Wing – Part 12020 "Amy" The Collection "These Changes"2021 "Dancing in Chains" Arms Around the Flame "Gaslight" "Feels Like Rain"2022 "I Am the Storm" "Diamonds and Gold Dust" "Call It What It Is" (feat. Thea Gilmore) 2023 "Hail Mary" Believe Again 2024 "Cassandra" I Love You So Much I'm Blind
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