George Ezra

Early life

George Ezra Barnett was born on 7 June 1993 in Hertford, Hertfordshire, to parents who were teachers. He attended Bengeo Primary School and Simon Balle Secondary School, then studied at Hertford Regional College. In 2011 he moved to Bristol to study songwriting at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. He has an elder sister, Jessica, and a younger brother, Ethan, who performs as Ten Tonnes.

Musical style

George Ezra has named Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie as his key musical inspirations. The Financial Times characterised his sound as something close to rock, but lacking any sense of risk or surprise. When the Gramophone Rings observed that his voice seemed older than his years, with a soulful quality that would suit an Alabama bartender more than a 21-year-old from Bristol.

Zane Lowe, a former BBC Radio 1 DJ, described him as one of the most compelling and powerful new vocalists. A youthful fascination with Dylan led Ezra to older American folk and blues musicians. After hearing a Lead Belly compilation, he tried to imitate that singer's famously huge voice and found he could.

Personal life

Ezra has spoken about having Pure O, a type of OCD involving mental rather than physical rituals. He started Transcendental Meditation during lockdown, describing it as twenty minutes of stillness with a mantra. After his debut album, he dated Florrie Arnold; they split three years later.

Did You Know?

• He finished in fifth place on the BBC Sound of... 2014 longlist.
• The music video for 'Listen to the Man' featured actor Ian McKellen.
• Ezra released a podcast called George Ezra & Friends, inspired by comedians chatting with other comedians.
• His documentary End to End followed him and two friends traveling from Land's End to John o' Groats.