Passenger

Band form

2003

Upcoming Releases: The January Albums Ringing In 2021

By Holly Mosley in Music / Festivals on 05 January 2021

Passenger Flux Pavilion

These are the albums we're looking forward to most this month.

As much as the arts have been struggling with the lack of live shows, the last 12 months have been nothing if not inspirational in terms of creativity. So we're expecting an extra special year for music as artists everywhere get back to the studios from some long over-due releases, and it looks like this month we could be off to a great start...

Passenger - Songs for the Drunk and Broken Hearted
(January 8th)

Continue reading: Upcoming Releases: The January Albums Ringing In 2021

Michael David Rosenberg, better known by his stage name Passenger performs at Usher Hall - Edinburgh, United Kingdom - Wednesday 16th November 2016

Passenger AKA Mike Rosenberg performs at the Apple Music Festival 10 held at The Roundhouse in Camden, London, United Kingdom - Tuesday 20th September 2016

Lowlands 2015! We Have Good News And Bad News...

By Holly Williams in Music / Festivals on 11 May 2015

Kendrick Lamar Hot Chip Paolo Nutini Chemical Brothers Interpol Tame Impala Courtney Barnett Passenger Bastille Rudimental Years & Years Mark Ronson Awolnation Christine And The Queens

The good news is the quality of the latest acts announced.

The 23rd edition of the Netherlands' Lowlands Festival sees yet another wave of incredible artists hit the bill ahead of the date this summer. Hot Chip and Kendrick Lamar are among the major new additions, with seventeen more acts also announced.

Scheduled to appear tonight at the Isle of Wight Festival are big name acts Biffy Clyro, Calvin Harris, Rudimental, Tom Odell, Starsailer and Lawson, with Katy B appearing at the Big Top. The rest of the weekend is jam-packed acts including the eagerly awaited Red Hot Chili Peppers, who will take to the main stage on Saturday night. Saturday also belongs to Cher Lloyd, Dappy and The Pretty Reckless among other acts.

Continue reading: Isle Of Wight Festival Set To Be A Scorcher [Pictures]

Isle of Wight Festival 2014 Preview

By Jim Pusey in Music Reviews on 11 June 2014

With just hours until thousands of people flock to Portsmouth and Southampton for their annual ferry trip to the Isle of Wight Festival, it's time to look ahead to the first big event in the summer festival calendar.

Twelve years since the festival was resurrected, organiser John Giddings has steered Isle of Wight from strength to strength. With around 60,000 punters travelling to the Island, it's not just Seaclose Park that's transformed for the weekend, there's a real community spirit that's evident as buses wind their way towards the festival site. Past years have seen a surprise appearance from Kanye West for Jay-Z's headline set, rock royalty like Jagger, McCartney and Neil Young take to the main stage, and bands such as the Foo Fighters casually chatting to fans on the car ferry. This year looks like it will live up to the festival's reputation without a repeat of 2012's well-publicised mud bath. Although there's perhaps not many surprises on the line-up, there's still plenty to look forward to.

The top twelve to watch from June 12:
Boy George: If you're arriving early, the former Culture Club front man is headlining the Thursday night festivities. But far from a nostalgia act, George is touring his first album of original material in 18 years. He's embraced DJ culture and is likely to put on an impressive show whether he's behind the turntable or the microphone.

Continue reading: Isle of Wight Festival 2014 Preview

Ed Sheeran Debuts New Track, 'Take It Back Now' At Teenage Cancer Trust

By Lauren James in Music / Festivals on 25 March 2014

Ed Sheeran Passenger

The singer-songwriter got things off to a flying start at the Royal Albert Hall.

Ed Sheeran has opened Teenage Cancer Trust's 14th year of charity concerts held at the Royal Albert Hall. The popular 23 year-old singer-songwriter made sure the first of seven dates at the prestigious London venue started as it means to go on with upcoming nights of comedy and music.

Ed Sheeran Played At The Teenage Cancer Trust

Sheeran kept his many fans highly entertained throughout his entire 105 minute set, interspersing his well-known hits 'Lego House,' 'A Team,' and 'Drunk,' with newer songs and even one brand new song - 'Take It Back Now' - which he debuted to clamorous adoration from the predominantly female, pre-teen audience. Support came from Brighton songwriter Passenger, who then joined Sheeran onstage for a duet of 'Hearts On Fire.'

Continue reading: Ed Sheeran Debuts New Track, 'Take It Back Now' At Teenage Cancer Trust

Various Artists - College Radio Day The Album Volume 2 Album Review

By Ben Walton in Music Reviews on 04 February 2014

On their 1985 minor hit 'Left of the Dial', The Replacements sang their ode to college radio, America's best solution to showcasing all the most interesting up and coming bands to all the coolest people. 'College Radio Day the Album Volume 2' demonstrates that this is an American tradition which is still in rude health.

The curators of 'College Radio Day' stress that this is an album put together with care by the college radio community for the college radio community, and profits from the sale of this collection get pumped back into college radio. As a result, they have got some fairly big names in to contribute music. You get the southern rock of My Morning Jacket, you get a live version of Passenger's inescapable and insipid 'Let Her Go' and Jeff Ament from Pearl Jam's punk idealist side project RNDM even take a turn, as do the brilliantly named The Front Bottoms.

One of the strengths of 'College Radio Day' is its diversity. This is a compilation with little regard for genre boundaries, embracing everything from the Alice In Chains grunge revival of Killed the Fixtion to the hip hop stylings of Feli Fame. As a result, it would be difficult for anyone to enjoy absolutely everything on offer here but there is indeed something for everyone.

Continue reading: Various Artists - College Radio Day The Album Volume 2 Album Review

Is Budweiser's 'Puppy Love' Ad The Most Adorable In Super Bowl History? [Video]

By Lauren James in Lifestyle / Showbiz on 31 January 2014

Passenger

Who cares if it has absolutely nothing to do with beer? Puppies!

Budweiser's new advert 'Puppy Love' has premiered online, notching up 22.6 million views on YouTube in just two days ahead of its official screening during Sunday's Super Bowl. As the big game inches nearer and advertising tactics become more overblown and dastardly, we've seen the weird and the wonderful but now we have the heart-warming.

The first truly great 2014 Super Bowl commercial is here. From @Budweiser. http://t.co/9qwwDL84Uv pic.twitter.com/RoryLnzxaz

— Adweek (@Adweek) January 29, 2014

Continue reading: Is Budweiser's 'Puppy Love' Ad The Most Adorable In Super Bowl History? [Video]

Robin Thicke's 'Blurred Lines' The Biggest Selling UK Single Of 2013, So Far

By Joe Wilde in Music / Festivals on 07 December 2013

Robin Thicke Daft Punk Passenger Naughty Boy Katy Perry Macklemore Justin Timberlake

Thicke's hugely successful single has edged ahead of Daft Punk's 'Get Lucky,' but there's still time for the final results to change

'Blurred Lines' is the biggest selling single of 2013 in the UK, the Official Charts Company revealed today (7 Dec), having sold more than 1 million copies in the UK alone. Robin Thicke's controversial track managed to beat Daft Punk's come-back single 'Get Lucky' to the top of the yearly chart, providing these results don't prompt a huge surge in re-interest in the Daft Punk track.

Thicke's position as the top selling artist might not be assured yet

With 1.44 million copies sold in the UK, Thicke's single edged ahead of the French electronic heroes by a few thousand copies, with 'Get Lucky' so far having sold 1.28 million copies. Either way, this is great news for Pharrell Williams, who appears on both tracks.

Continue reading: Robin Thicke's 'Blurred Lines' The Biggest Selling UK Single Of 2013, So Far

Passenger - Let Her Go Single Review

By Harry Hawcroft in Music Reviews on 01 August 2013

'Dreams come slow'; a defining statement made by Brighton and Hove born folk singer Michael Rosenberg, more commonly known as Passenger, featuring on his latest single, 'Let Her Go'.

10 years after forming folk-rock band 'Passenger' and four years after continuing as solo singer/songwriter by the same name, the UK have finally embraced and acknowledged the talent and vocal versatility of Passenger. After playing many open-mic nights in England, Passenger found deserved acknowledgment busking in Australia, making it no surprise that 'Let Her Go' topped the charts there, however few could have predicted it's international success topping the charts in 16 countries. So far! Passenger has finally received the notable success he was working for 10 years prior.

The instantly distinguishable yet controversial (many have criticised his delivery style in the past) vocals of the 29 year old is complimented by an orchestra of acoustics consisting of guitars, violins, bass and a piano which harmonies with the acoustic guitar, particularly in the simple yet memorable introductory high pitched riff, which is followed by the equally as gracious vocals. Despite the folk influences, don't expect the same lyrical inspiration or moving honesty of Woody Guthrie or Pete Seeger; unfortunately, like the majority of pop songs, the lyrics are repetitive and generic with a simple message relating to love: 'Only know you love her when you let her go', but this is what makes the song so catchy and successful. Despite the slow and simple start, the tempo and amplitude changes, producing a more substantial sound with a simple percussive drum beat suitable for dancing.

Continue reading: Passenger - Let Her Go Single Review

Q. How Many UK No.1's Does Jay-Z Have? A. Less Than You Think

By Michael West in Music / Festivals on 15 July 2013

Jay Z Mumford And Sons Robin Thicke Icona Pop Kanye West Michael Buble Rod Stewart Justin Timberlake Will.i.am Lawson Passenger Daft Punk John Newman

Jay-Z scored his first UK No.1 with Magna Carta Holy Grail.

Incredibly, Jay-Z has landed his first ever UK number one album, with Magna Carta Holy Grail storming the chart and holding off Mumford & Sons and Rod Stewart. The rapper's previous highest-charting album was the 2011 collaborate effort with Kanye West, Watch the Throne, which entered at No.3.

Holy Grail managed to hold off Mumford & Sons' Babel despite a surge in sales following the group's triumphant headlining show at the Glastonbury Festival. Jay-Z also comfortably outsold Rod Stewart's number-one album Time. Passenger took the third spot with All The Little Light, with Canadian crooner Michael Buble dropped two places to No.4 with To Be Loved.

Jay-Z has been performing in the UK this weekend, headlining the second night of the Wireless music festival at the Queen Elizabeth Park on the former Olympics site. "I feel the love tonight," Jay-Z, 43, told the crowd, "You've been an incredible audience tonight." The rapper - still one of the biggest hip-hop acts in the world - was joined by Timberlake during the encore for a rendition of Holy Grail.

Continue reading: Q. How Many UK No.1's Does Jay-Z Have? A. Less Than You Think

Mike Rosenberg and Passenger - English folk-rock singer-songwriter Mike Rosenberg aka Passenger brought Grafton Street to a standstill today when he decided to busk on Dublin's busiest shopping area singing a selection of his own hits and the Simon and Garfunkel classic, 'Hello Darkness My Old Friend' - Dublin, Ireland - Wednesday 3rd July 2013