Howard Alan Sinclair is a Singer-Songwriter and Multi-instrumentalist with a simple ambition - to play to as many appreciative audiences as possible, and bring something fresh and different to the acoustic / electro-acoustic music scene. So, with a grounding in traditional guitar technique, cello, trumpet and piano, Howard decided to follow the music, move to where he could make his mark and start writing his own material. Hailing originally from the small village of Wrotham in Kent, Howard travelled West to join the thriving Live music scene in Bristol - a city which offers diverse opportunity and flexibility for artists seeking to break into the music industry. Most weeks he can be found either hosting or participating in Open Mics throughout the city, when not playing his own pre-booked gigs, or as support to other artists across Bristol and beyond. The genre and style of his playing can be said to fit across several categories - there are elements of prog, folk, rock, pop, indie - Traditional folk, had a big part to play in his first album, but his 2012 release "The Delicious Company of Freaks" and newer recordings move further away from this and into the territory of his album collections which mainly stem from the Progressive Rock stable. Other notable artists that he has been compared with include: Nick Drake, Roy Harper, Donovan, Sandy Denny, and Pink Floyd. Early influences were heavily classical, but as he developed an interest in 1970s progressive rock, Howard discovered there was a distinct cross-over that appealed. Early Genesis (the Peter Gabriel period), King Crimson and Camel were the sort of bands that focused on the music, the prowess of each instrumentalist. Later, he discovered Marillion, starting a life-long appreciation of the band (in both it's original and current formats) and with the acoustic work of lead singer Fish (particularly for his sheer determination, longevity and poetic vision). Other stand-out influences include Anthony Phillips (for sublime 12-String Guitar sounds), Eric Satie (for simplicity and the use of Major 7th Chords), Peter Gabriel (for versatility, vocal perfection and lyrical madness), Dvorzak (for his Cello Concerto in B Minor), Fairport Convention, Amplifier, Oceansize, Caravan, Van Der Graaf Generator, Dweezil Zappa and Steve Hackett. But being an active member of the Live music scene, Howard cites plenty of recent artists as influences too - including female-fronted, five-piece rock band Panic Room, headed by lead singer Anne-Marie Helder, arguably the best female rock vocalist out there at the moment. In 2012 Howard was invited to support Panic Room on their "S K I N tour" - with the release of their 3rd studio album; opening at the famed Borderline in London, Howard played a series of dates across the UK with them, sharing the support slot with upcoming rock band Morpheus Rising at the start and end dates of the tour. This tour coincided with the release of Howard's new album "The Delicious Company of Freaks" - with eleven original tracks, including a hauntingly beautiful duet with Anne-Marie Helder, of Panic Room "These Dark Hills". 2014 sees Howard back in the studio to produce his next album "The Light Broke In" with his new band, HAS-Retuned, ready for release later in the year. Howard is also looking to book support slots across the UK, although his priority is finishing and recording new material for his coming album. http://www.howardalansinclair.co.uk