A brown-eyed Pennsylvanian singing blue-eyed soul, Kevin Garrett has put a refined and contemporary spin on classic R&B with Mellow Drama (2015) and False Hope (2017), EPs released before and after he significantly raised his profile as the co-writer and co-producer of Beyoncé ‘s “Pray You Catch Me.”

Growing up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Kevin Garrett played the violin, idolized Ray Charles , Stevie Wonder , and Sam Cooke , and, after graduating from New York University, signed a publishing deal with Jay-Z ‘s Roc Nation . With an angelic voice and rapturous warmth, he sang of love and loss on his aptly titled 2015 EP, Mellow Drama, which included the singles “Coloring” and “Control.” Like Sam Smith , his voice conveyed a damaged vulnerability, but his sensibilities and sparse, hip-hop-inspired production were more similar to some of Frank Ocean ‘s or Jack Garratt ‘s work.

In 2016, Garrett — who is also a multi-instrumentalist — reached a larger audience as the co-writer and co-producer of “Pray You Catch Me,” the first track on Beyoncé ‘s Lemonade album. By the end of the year, he released the single “Precious.” A second EP of ballads, False Hope, followed in 2017. A collaboration with Brad Cook yielded “In Case I Don’t Feel” in 2018. ~ Neil Z. Yeung, Rovi

Elliott Skinner is a 27-year-old Texas-raised, Brooklyn-based artist with a multi-faceted approach to folk and soul music. Skinner’s multiple avenues of music-making include singing, guitar, bass, producing, and arranging. Improvisation plays a large role in Skinner’s compositions; He wishes to reflect the history, texture, and roots of Black culture in his music.

Skinner’s industry introduction came in 2015 with the trio Thirdstory – a group of singer-songwriters that garnered the attention of millions with their approach to harmony. In the last few years, Skinner has held residencies across New York and Brooklyn, opened for Anthony Ramos, and Kamasi Washington. He also appeared on the BET Hip Hop Awards with Chance the Rapper.

Elliott has released only a handful of music as a solo artist, but plans on expanding his contemporary blend of folk, rock, soul and blues. Continuing to experiment with a variety of artists, themes, and sounds will define his new material as he takes his solo output to unexpected places.