Ollie Gabriel is a singer and occasional rapper who aspires to uplift and motivate listeners with his mature and positive mix of pop and R&B. He scored a hit across Europe with the anthemic "Running Man" (2016), and three years later reached a wide audience in his native U.S. on the nationally televised songwriting competition Songland. Gabriel started playing piano and writing songs at the age of eight. He soaked up classic soul recordings he heard in his southwest Louisiana household, and was eventually drawn to a broad range of genres. By his mid-teens, he was making beats and singing hooks for local rap artists. He continued working on music as he attended college and served in the army. A major break came in 2016, when "Running Man" was issued across Europe and charted in territories including Germany and Switzerland. This led to international touring and licensing deals for television series including Grey's Anatomy. Gabriel's exposure increased more in 2019, when he pitched a composition on Songland in front of a panel consisting of Ester Dean, John Legend, Ryan Tedder, and Shane McAnally. After they all worked on it together, "Something New," reminiscent of classic mid-'60s soul ballads, was released commercially. ~ Andy Kellman