Moses Mayfield is a band, not a solo act: specifically, they're a quintet from Birmingham, AL, led by singer/songwriter Matthew Mayfield. Initially inspired by a young exposure to the video for Guns N' Roses' epic "November Rain," and later taking musical cues from artists ranging from Coldplay and Peter Gabriel to Pearl Jam and Stone Temple Pilots, Mayfield formed Moses Mayfield in 2002 with guitarist Will Mason, keyboardist Matt Taylor, bassist Hans Ford, and drummer Will Drake. While the five members attended Birmingham Southern College, Moses Mayfield toured the Southern university and jam band circuit. A 2003 EP, Unified, and a 2004 album, Enough to Let Go, were self-released and sold on the band's increasingly frequent live gigs. A self-financed live DVD recorded at a hometown show in front of a large and responsive crowd, sent to booking agents in hopes of expanding their touring base, was seen by an A&R executive at Sony BMG, who signed Moses Mayfield to Columbia in 2007. After a waters-testing live EP, Moses Mayfield's major-label debut, The Inside, was released in the spring of 2007. ~ Stewart Mason