Biography
Mara Hruby doesn’t just play music—she lives it. Since the onset of her career, the Oakland, CA native has poured her soul into her velvet confections, drawing inspiration from lessons that she’s gleaned in her personal life and funneling them into rich, organic compositions. In just a few years, the singer-songwriter has become one of acoustic soul’s fastest-rising up-and-comers, gaining a loyal following.
With influences such as Julie London and Patsy Cline to The Moonglows, Curtis Mayfield and Brook Benton, singer/songwriter Mara Hruby personifies the sound and soul of an alternative jazz legend. Her debut EP released in 2010 conceptually titled From Her Eyes featured Hruby soulfully covering classics originally performed by men. Ranging from the likes of Jamiroquai, Bob Marley, D’Angelo and Mos Def, she would reinterpret their work while adding her own feminine touch. Marking over 80K+ downloads, the project propelled Hruby into her own lane, scoring thousands of loyal fans and supporters. A captivating performer, Hruby has notably sold out shows at Yoshi’s Oakland and Blue Note Jazz Club in NYC. She has also performed in venues stretching from Philadelphia, DC, to Grammy Weekend (2012 & 2016) in Los Angeles, the 28th Annual Long Beach Jazz Festival (2015), The Clift Hotel’s Centennial Celebration (2015) in San Francisco and the 75th Annual Stern Grove Festival in San Francisco (2012).
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Her sophomore EP Archaic Rapture was released in 2014 and received a nod of approval from Billboard, who premiered the EP's lead single “Cry Me A River” by way of a live studio performance. Filled with her power, emotion and depth shine vividly, the video gives the audience a small glimpse into the full EP. Archaic Rapture may be briefly defined by her heartbreak, but it bleeds deeper down into the details. The EP overflows with pure emotion not to convey weakness, but to show strength in being honest with oneself. Within the first week of its release Archaic Rapture reached the coveted #1 spot on iTunes Jazz charts.
You will come to understand fairly quickly that Ms. Hruby exudes pure creative power and sentimental care through her body of work. It’s only a matter of time before her art receives international acclaim on a large scale.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.