Piers Faccini

A soulful and expressive singer/songwriter whose music fuses folk, acoustic blues, and West African textures, Piers Faccini is a master of dynamics, often using a blend of acoustic and electric instruments to create a powerful emotional impact even when his performances are purposefully quiet. Making his debut with the group Charley Marlowe, Faccini struck out on his own with 2004's Leave No Trace, and by the time he released 2006's Tearing Sky, he was developing a fan following in France. 2011's My Wilderness was a breakthrough in Europe, charting in France and topping the Belgian Heatseekers survey. He explored both personal and global themes on 2016's I Dreamed an Island, and he collaborated with the Malian kora virtuoso Ballaké Sissoko on 2025's Our Calling. Piers Faccini was born in London, England on April 9, 1970 to Anglo-Italian parents, and moved with his family to France when he was five years old. A graduate of the prestigious King's College of Our Lady of Eton, Faccini began making a name for himself on the London music scene in 1997 with the group Charley Marlowe, which featured Faccini, spoken word artist Francesca Beard, guitarist Lucas Suarez, and percussionist Frank Byng. While Charley Marlowe earned a passionate following on London's acoustic music circuit for their unique blend of poetry and music, Faccini, who had been writing scores for British television on the side, felt constrained by their approach and left the band in 2001 to write and perform on his own. In 2004, he released his first solo album, Leave No Trace, through the French Bleu Electric label and toured extensively following its release. Faccini signed an American record deal with the Everloving Records label and played a number of shows in Europe with like-minded U.S. musicians Ben Harper and Jack Johnson. J.P. Plunier, who had produced sessions for both Harper and Johnson, signed on to produce Faccini's second full-length album, 2006's Tearing Sky, which featured backing vocals from Harper and accompaniment from several members of his band the Innocent Criminals. Two Grains of Sand arrived in 2009, followed by My Wilderness in 2011 and Between Dogs and Wolves in 2013, the latter of which arrived on his own Beating Drum label. In 2013, he also issued Songs I Love, Vol. 1, where he covered songs by the Smiths, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Will Oldham, Lou Reed, and more. In March 2014, Faccini released an EP, Of Dogs and Wolves, featuring four outtakes from the similarly titled album, including a duet with Jasser Haj Youssef, "Wait by the Water." The Desert Songs EP, an intimate suite of songs recorded with indie rock and alt-country singer/songwriter Dawn Landes, arrived in January 2016, followed by an all-new studio album, I Dreamed an Island, in October of that year. 2021's Shapes of the Fall included guest appearances from his friend Ben Harper as well as Moroccan Gnawa musician Abdelkebir Merchane. Faccini released Songs I Love, Vol. 2 in 2023, where he tackled material from the catalogs of Nick Drake, PJ Harvey, Neil Young, Jimi Hendrix, and Arvo Pärt, among others. Faccini went into the studio with Ballaké Sissoko, a musician from Mali who is one of the world's most celebrated players of the kora, an unusual 21-string instrument. The sessions resulted in the 2025 LP Our Calling. When not busy with his musical career, Faccini is also a visual artist who has exhibited his paintings of landscapes and portraits.
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