Rupert Wates

Rupert Wates was born in London and studied at Oxford University. He has been a full time songwriter since the late 1990s, when he signed a publishing contract with Eaton Music Limited. His contract required him to write material in all kinds of styles and genres, for all kinds of artists. He worked extensively with Jazz vocalist Liz Fletcher, and wrote the album ‘Blue Afternoons’ (Mainstem, 2002) specially for her voice. Moving in 2001 to Paris, Wates formed his own quartet and began playing live regularly. In fall 2006 he came to the US. He is now based in New York City and Colorado.

Since coming to the US, Wates has won more than 30 songwriting awards.

His music is an eclectic mix of acoustic, melodic art/folk, with flavors of jazz, vaudeville and cabaret. He has released seven solo CDs. They have been very well reviewed in the online press and tracks from them have been played on radio all over the world. Wates’ songs have been recorded by other artists in the UK, Canada and the US. In 2015, Nashville-based performer Roxie Rogers released Crazy Puzzle, an album of songs from Wates’ back catalog

Despite Wates’ British background, and underpinning the universality of his music’s appeal, Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange has called him “a prime figure in American music” and goes on: “This is one gifted sonofabitch… If you’re not hip to this guy yet you’re missing out.”

Audiences everywhere respond to Wates’ brand of melodic art/folk—haunting songs that ring true.