b. 1979, Oakdale, California, USA. Raised in the small Californian town of Oakdale, where he was given free creative rein by his parents, Dennen learnt to play music in the many free hours he was allowed as a home-schooled student. After becoming proficient on the guitar he started to write his own songs, a practise he continued during a degree course in Community Studies in Santa Cruz. Following graduation he was able to devote himself full-time to a music career, and with the encouragement of his friends he re-recorded a handful of his demos and released a self-titled album in 2004. A pleasantly assured collection for a debut recording, one of the tracks (‘Desert Sunrise’) was picked up by local radio station KCRW and given prominent airtime.
Appearing at festivals and clubs throughout America and Europe, Dennen’s folk-inflected melodies and distinctive bluesy phrasing began to attract wider attention and led to a contract with Dualtone Records. His debut for the label, So Much More, expanded upon the folk rock stylings of its predecessor with some subtle African-styled rhythms, and also benefited from a more polished production. The album received some excellent reviews in the press, with critics particularly enamoured of Dennen’s female-sounding vocals. A limited edition release the following year collected more recordings from the album sessions.
