Damien DeRose is Peasant, a Folk inspired artist whose strong songs straddle the gap between the underground charm of Bon Iver and the mainstream appeal of David Gray or Damien Rice.

Peasant has an unusual skill for combining pathos and intimacy like a skeletal, rootsy version of Snow Patrol or Coldplay. There’s a lot of emotions swirling around in the music, yet Damien preserves a light touch throughout rather than ramming the message home with the unnecessary force of big name stadium rockers.

‘On The Ground’ is Peasant’s second album and it is made up of two very different halfs. ‘On The Ground - Part 1′ showcases a confident singer with a knack for polished melodies and hooks. ‘Part 2′ features a less honeyed, more rootsy artist steeped in 1960’s Folk Rock.

‘Part 1′ features potential singalong anthems like ‘We’re Good’, ‘Stop For Her’ and ‘Those Days’, catchy tunes you get into within a few seconds of listening. The music has got a quiet, very mellow vibe to it. There’s a faint drone to the songs in Part 1 which adds an atmosphere of a distant organ played in a deserted church - Not in a creepy way but rather comforting.

On ‘Part 2′, Peasant expands his musical horizon dropping gems like the Post-Gothic, Tom Waits inspired ‘Birds’ or snappy Folk Rockers like ‘Not Your Saviour’ and ‘You Don’t Know’. Damien shows more humour and sparkle in the five songs of Part 2 than during the very restrained Part 1. If you want a comparison, I would say that Richard Swift is a good reference point in terms of wit and playfulness.

Watch The Video For ‘We’re Good’

As a whole, ‘On The Ground’ certainly stands out from the run of singer-songwriter style albums for me. Peasant hails from the relative obscurity and isolation of Pennsylvania and adds a fresh take on the Nu Folk genre that doesn’t rely on Country references yet has that unique Americana sound.

Already recorded last year, ‘On The Ground’ is due to be released on 7th September in the UK and Ireland. Check out this overlooked voice of alternative Folk and maybe you find a new favourite singer in Peasant.

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