7 Layers Dotan

Dutch singer/songwriter Dotan Harpenau, aka Dotan, is a folk-influenced pop artist with a soulful yet fragile vocal style. Born in 1986 in Jerusalem to a Dutch mother and Israeli father, Dotan grew up in Amsterdam, where lived with his mother after his parents' divorce. Subsequently, he often spent his school vacations visiting his father in Israel, where he became fluent in Hebrew. By his teens, Dotan had developed a love of classic singer/songwriters like Van Morrison and James Taylor. He taught himself how to play guitar, and at age 18 played his first show during a school event. While attending college, Dotan earned a living playing in cover bands, but eventually gravitated toward writing his own songs. On a whim, Dotan decided to e-mail some demos to producers Martin Terefe and Sacha Skarbek, names he'd seen on albums by artists he admired like Adele, James Blunt, and Coldplay. To his surprise, the producers' office responded, and soon after Dotan was in London recording at Terefe's Kensaltown Studios. As a result of the London sessions, Dotan signed to EMI, and in 2010 released his debut full-length album, the Bill Lefler-produced Dream Parade. In 2014 Dotan returned with his sophomore studio effort, 7 Layers, which included the single "Home" and achieved gold status. ~ Matt Collar