Steeped in southern blues and soul, singer/songwriter Foy Vance’s candid folktales draw from experiences that seem to span various lifetimes. Soon after his birth in 1974 in Bangor, Northern Ireland, Vance’s family moved to America’s Deep South, where he soaked up the region’s distinctive sounds. Just five years later, he was back across the pond—in Belfast—but that early experience would help shape his art, even some two decades later as a budding musician. After years in bands and gigging around the UK, Vance finally released his independent solo debut, Hope, in 2007. Lined in his twang-tinged lilt, the album caught the attention of Ed Sheeran, who invited Vance on tour, appeared on his 2013 follow-up, Joy of Nothing, and signed him to his Gingerbread Man Records label. Sir Elton John would then jump on board to executive produce 2016’s The Wild Swan, a lush yet rootsy collection of heartfelt rock. Alongside such star-studded affairs, Vance continues to pay respect to his roots (2019’s From Muscle Shoals and To Memphis), while finding hope in the now (2021’s cathartic, ballads-filled Signs of Life).