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Curtis Harding (born June 11, 1979) is an American singer and songwriter. Primarily a soul artist, his "slop 'n' soul" style carries the influence of genres including blues, gospel, psychedelia, R&B, and rock. His first album, Soul Power (2014), was followed by Face Your Fear in 2017, with production from Danger Mouse and Sam Cohen.

Harding was born in Saginaw, Michigan, and his family settled in Atlanta when he was a teenager. He was exposed to music at an early age as his family toured with his mother, who was a gospel singer. In the 2000s, Harding backed CeeLo Green, and he formed the R&B/garage rock band Night Sun in Atlanta with Black Lips members in 2009.

Early life

[edit]

Harding was born on June 11, 1979,[1] in Saginaw, Michigan.[2] His father is a mechanic, and his mother, Dorothy,[2] is a gospel singer.[3][4] He and his five siblings[4] were raised as Mennonites.[5] They moved to Alabama when he was three, then to Arizona, California, Texas, and other parts of the United States.[3] His family had no permanent residence until they settled in Atlanta, Georgia, when he was 14.[3][4]

His mother toured in a van, stopping to sing at churches and work at homeless shelters.[3][4] Though he originally wanted to play professional sports,[4] Harding grew up around his mother's music, occasionally joining her on stage as a backing singer until age 15.[6][7] His family would stay – sometimes for months – at communities with churches of any denomination.[7] Harding's sister, an amateur rapper, introduced him to secular music.[8]

Harding told The Austin Chronicle that growing up around older people – his father is 27 years older than his mother – gave him an early sense of maturity: "My goal when I was a kid was to be an old man. That's what I was around. I wanted to be that old guy sitting on the porch."[9]

Career

[edit]

2000s collaborations

[edit]

In Atlanta in the early 2000s, Harding was part of the hip-hop group Proseed.[4] He met singer CeeLo Green while doing promotion for LaFace Records,[3] and he rapped on some songs off Green's 2002 album Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections along with several Proseed members. He toured with Green as a backing singer on the 2002 Smokin' Grooves Tour alongside Outkast, Cypress Hill, Lauryn Hill, and The Roots.[2] He also sang on Green's 2010 album The Lady Killer,[6] including co-writing the bonus track "Grand Canyon".[10]

He moved to Toronto in 2008 to reinvigorate his musical creativity.[10] While he was in Canada, he bought a guitar and began writing songs without commercial aspirations.[7] He returned to Atlanta in 2009 and formed the band Night Sun, which mixes rhythm and blues and garage rock, with guitarist Cole Alexander of Black Lips, performing several shows in East Atlanta and Little Five Points.[10] The band's lineup would grow to consist of Harding (vocals, guitar), Alexander (vocals, bass), drummer Joe Bradley of Black Lips, and Night Beats guitarist Danny Lee Blackwell.[10] In 2013, the seasoned underground rock group recorded the single "No Pressure"/"On My Way" for the indie label Burger Records.[6][10] Harding co-wrote "I Don't Wanna Go Home" with Jared Swilley originally for the Black Lips' 2014 album Underneath the Rainbow.[10]

Wide shot of a four-piece band performing on stage. Left to right: drums; Harding, guitar and microphone; bass; and guitar
Harding performing in February 2016

2014–present: Solo studio albums

[edit]

Harding spent two weeks at Living Room Studios in Atlanta recording twenty songs in 2014, twelve of which were included on his debut album,[11] titled Soul Power and released by Burger Records on May 6, 2014.[2] The album's reception was generally favorable,[12] with critics noting its fusion of many musical genres.[13] "Keep on Shining" was one of the singles the album produced; he performed the song live on the French talk show C à vous in February 2015.[14]

While at The Growlers' annual Beach Goth festival, Harding met fashion photographer Hedi Slimane. Harding was recruited as the face of Yves Saint Laurent's Paris Music Project for 2015.[15] For the project (in addition to portraits) Slimane produced a video featuring Harding and the song "Next Time" from Soul Power.[16][17] He also photographed Harding for the album's cover.[18]

His second album, Face Your Fear, was released by Anti- on October 27, 2017.[2] He recorded the album at Danger Mouse's 30th Century Studio in New York City.[2] Face Your Fear spent one week on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart at number 21.[19] NPR Music named the album one of the best ten R&B albums of 2017.[20] Music critic Ken Tucker said that Harding's earnestness in the album, tone and emphasis changes, and direct singing suggest both comfort in and knowledge of classic R&B.[21]

Its opening track, "Wednesday Morning Atonement", was produced by Danger Mouse and Sam Cohen.[2] Recorded on a Wednesday morning, the song is about a father missing his children, a metaphor for Harding's time neglecting to record another album.[3] GQ's Shakeil Greeley described the album's title track ("Face Your Fear") as "the rare song that could soundtrack a wedding or a funeral, at once celebratory, sad, groovy, and of course, very soulful."[15] Greeley wrote that the mood of the album ranges from classic soul in "On and On" and "Need Your Love" to sadness in "Welcome to My World", with a cinematic psychedelic feel to other songs.[15] Harding performed "Need Your Love" as a guest musician with Stay Human on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in January 2018.[22]

In advance of Harding's support of Lenny Kravitz on tour throughout 2018, Harding released the single "It's Not Over" on June 5.[23] Clash's Robin Murray wrote that the song was "a driven return, a solid return".[24] In 2019, Harding headlined the finale of Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina.[25][26]

Musical style

[edit]
Harding singing on stage with a tambourine at his thigh
Harding at Adler Theater in 2016

Harding describes his genre as "slop 'n' soul", joining soul music with blues, gospel, psychedelia, R&B, and rock.[27] "Slop" symbolizes Southern culture ("that's what you give to pigs"), and soul represents the music of his youth.[28] "Soul is an experience," Harding told GQ magazine in 2017. "It can be in the way you dress, the way you talk, the way you sit down in a chair. It's a feeling that you can translate to someone with whatever you're doing."[15]

His musical style has elements that are not usually found in soul, like vintage synthesizers sounds and a psychedelic feel.[15] Both of his studio albums include soft strings under his "cooing vocals"; on other songs, his "strong, passionate vocal style"[6] moves into the falsetto range with spirited brass blazing.[29] The Orlando Weekly writes:

Harding's take on soul can be more than a little garage-minded. Live, however, his band’s grooves were lusciously classic, though broadened by some rock kick and psych expansion. Like a great old soul record, the crack quintet were radiant from the jump. With deep guitars, beefy rhythm section and plush keys and sax, this is a unit built for sonorousness. But making it all smolder is Harding’s rich voice, an athletic balance of young vigor and sweet wear. The sum total is a thing of velvet and muscle.[30]

In addition to his mother, Harding has said that his influences include Mahalia Jackson, MC Lyte, Bob Dylan, Albert King, the Everly Brothers, and Ronnie Dyson.[8][31] In 2015, Michael Hann of The Guardian cited Harding and Leon Bridges as "the new stars of classic soul" with other modern recording artists having brought the genre back into mainstream culture. Harding believes that soul's popularity is simply cyclical, and that its resurgence is "just the way people are."[7]

Discography

[edit]

Studio albums

[edit]
List of studio albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart positions
US
Heat.
[32] 		BEL
(FL)
[33] 		BEL
(WA)
[34] 		FRA
[35] 		NL
[36] 		SWI
[37]
Soul Power — 156 — 82 43 —
Face Your Fear
  • Released: October 27, 2017
  • Label: Anti-
  • Formats: LP, CD, digital download
 21 111 162 79 43 78
If Words Were Flowers
  • Released: November 5, 2021[38]
  • Label: Anti-
  • Formats: LP, digital download
 — 46 106 — 28 40
Departures & Arrivals: Adventures of Captain Curt
  • Released: September 5, 2025[39]
  • Label: Anti-
  • Formats: LP, digital download
 — — — — — —
"—" denotes albums that were released but did not chart.


Singles

[edit]
List of singles as lead artist, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
MEX US AAA
"Keep on Shining"[40]
"Castaway" 		2014 44 — Soul Power
"Next Time"[41] — —
"On and On"[42] 2017 44 40 Face Your Fear
"Wednesday Morning Atonement"[43] — —
"Need Your Love"[44] — 39
"Go As You Are"[45] — —
"It's Not Over"[24] 2018 — — Non-album single
"Hopeful" 2021 — — If Words Were Flowers
"I Won't Let You Down" — —
"Our Love" — — Arcane League of Legends (soundtrack)[46]
"There She Goes" 2025 — 35 Departures & Arrivals: Adventures of Captain Curt
"The Power" — 35

Music videos

[edit]
List of music videos, showing year released and director
Title Year Director
"Next Time" 2014 Hedi Slimane[16]
"Keep On Shining" Jonny Look[47]
"The Drive" 2016 Taylor Bonin[48]
"Wednesday Morning Atonement" 2017 Sky Shields[49]
"Need Your Love" Elise Tyler[50]

Guest appearances

[edit]
List of non-single guest appearances, with other performing artists, showing year released and album name
Title Year Album
"I Can't Love You"[51]
(We Invented Cool featuring Curtis Harding) 		2012 We Invented Cool
"Too Late"[52]
(Guantanamo Baywatch featuring Curtis Harding) 		2015 Darling... It's Too Late
"Me, You, And the Planet Too"[53]
(The Difference Machine featuring Curtis Harding) 		2016 The 4th Side of the Eternal Triangle
"Me, You, And the Planet Too" [Chris Hunt Remix] [54]
(The Difference Machine featuring Curtis Harding) 		2017 Triangle Schemes
"Surrender" (Rüfüs Du Sol feat. Curtis Harding) 2021 Surrender


Acting

[edit]

Harding appears in the third season of Sundance TV drama Hap and Leonard, playing infamous blues musician L.C. Soothe.[55] The season was filmed in late September 2017 in Cedartown, Georgia, and began airing March 7, 2018.[56]

Television
Year Title Role Ref.
2018 Hap and Leonard L.C. Soothe [55]

References

[edit]

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Curtis Harding

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Curtis Harding is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist known for his distinctive "slop 'n' soul" style, which blends elements of soul, R&B, gospel, hip-hop, and rock. Born on June 11, 1979, in Michigan to a gospel-singing mother and a retired veteran father, Harding was raised in Atlanta starting at age 14 and began his musical career singing and playing drums in church alongside his mother, Dorothy Harding. Influenced by gospel groups like the Mighty Clouds of Joy, as well as Stax and records, 1990s hip-hop, and , Harding started at age nine before teaching himself guitar and transitioning into songwriting. After working in artist promotion at and providing backup vocals for , he launched his solo career with the independent release in 2014, a raw collection of retro-soul tracks that showcased his gritty, emotive voice. His breakthrough came with the 2017 album Face Your Fear, co-produced by Danger Mouse and Sam Cohen on the Anti- label, which earned critical acclaim for its genre-blending production and landed on Music's list of the 10 best R&B albums of 2017. Harding followed this with If Words Were Flowers in 2021, a more introspective work exploring love and vulnerability, and released his self-produced fourth album, Departures & Arrivals: Adventures of Captain Curt, on September 5, 2025, featuring space-funk, psych-rock, and symphonic elements. Throughout his career, Harding has toured extensively, including opening for and performing at festivals like , and has been praised by outlets such as Uproxx for revitalizing modern with his fearless experimentation. His work often draws on personal themes of resilience and self-discovery, reflecting his journey from church performer to innovative artist in the contemporary music scene.

Early years

Childhood and family

Curtis Harding was born on June 11, 1979, in , to a mechanical engineer father and a gospel singer mother named Dorothy Harding. He grew up with five siblings in a Mennonite family. His father's profession involved rebuilding engines, which sparked Harding's early fascination with cars during his youth. Harding's childhood was marked by frequent relocations across the , including moves to southern states like , where his mother was from, as the family navigated various circumstances. These travels between northern and southern regions exposed him to diverse environments, from small towns to urban areas, shaping a restless early life. The family's dynamic revolved around his mother's involvement in performances, which created an environment indirectly rich in cultural and artistic exposure, even as Harding initially pursued other interests like drawing and automobiles. At age 14, the family settled in Atlanta, Georgia, providing Harding with his first period of stability during his teenage years. This move marked a transition in his youth, where he began to engage more directly with the musical activities of his family.

Musical upbringing

Curtis Harding's musical upbringing was deeply rooted in the tradition, beginning in his when he started singing and playing in church alongside his mother, Dorothy Harding, a dedicated singer. From a young age, Harding joined his family on gospel tours, performing across states in the for church congregations and other audiences, which exposed him to diverse musical environments and honed his performance skills. His mother's influence was pivotal, as she introduced him to seminal gospel artists like and , shaping his appreciation for the emotional depth and vocal power of the genre. Through these family-led performances, Harding developed his vocal and drumming abilities in a gospel context, relying on immersive church experiences rather than formal training. Despite his initial reluctance—Harding originally aspired to become an oceanographer and resisted the pull of music due to family expectations—he gradually became immersed in the tradition, contributing to group singing and instrumentation during tours. This phase of active musical participation continued until Harding was 15 years old, when the family settled in , marking a temporary shift as he pursued other interests away from the stage.

Career

Early collaborations (2000s–2010s)

In the early 2000s, Curtis Harding co-founded the Atlanta-based hip-hop group Proseed, where he contributed as a rapper and vocalist amid the city's burgeoning Dirty South scene. While involved with Proseed, Harding took on promotional duties for , the influential Atlanta label home to acts like , which helped him navigate the local . During this period, Harding met through his LaFace work and began collaborating closely with the artist, providing backing vocals and rapping on tracks from Green's debut solo album, Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections (2002). He toured extensively as a backing singer for Green throughout the , including the 2002 Smokin' Grooves Tour alongside , , , and . This partnership extended into the 2010s, with Harding contributing backing vocals and co-writing the bonus track "Grand Canyon" for Green's album The Lady Killer (2010). In 2009, Harding formed the short-lived garage soul band Night Sun with Black Lips members Cole Alexander and Joe Bradley, as well as Night Beats' Danny Lee Blackwell, blending elements in 's underground scene; the project dissolved quickly without a full release, though it produced a few recorded tracks. Parallel to these efforts, Harding engaged in session work and songwriting for various hip-hop and R&B artists in Atlanta, forging key connections that shaped his early professional network.

Solo music career (2014–present)

Harding launched his solo career with the debut album Soul Power, released on May 6, 2014, by Burger Records. The record marked a departure from his earlier backing roles, establishing his independent voice through a raw, genre-blending style he termed "slop 'n' soul," which draws from soul, gospel, rock, and psychedelia as a mix of musical "leftovers." His breakthrough came with the 2017 album Face Your Fear, released on Anti- Records and co-produced by Danger Mouse and Sam Cohen. The album peaked at number 21 on the Heatseekers Albums chart and featured the single "Need Your Love," which gained attention for its soulful, retro-infused vibe. included Face Your Fear among the ten best R&B albums of 2017, praising its genre-bending depth and Harding's versatile songwriting. In 2021, Harding released If Words Were Flowers on Anti- Records, an shaped by the that explores themes of isolation, connection, and resilience amid global turmoil. Written and recorded during lockdowns, the record incorporates elements of vintage , R&B, hip-hop, and to convey messages of hope and emotional recovery. Critics noted its kaleidoscopic mix as a response to personal and collective hardships, with Uncut awarding it an 8/10 for embracing diverse influences like psych rock and . Harding's most recent work, Departures & Arrivals: Adventures of Captain Curt, arrived on September 5, 2025, via Anti- Records, functioning as a framed as a sci-fi about a pilot navigating space, symbolizing themes of longing for home, personal growth, and the unease of constant travel. Self-produced by Harding, the expands on road-life reflections into an elaborate story of search and self-discovery, blending classic with expansive, opera-like scope. The "Time," released in July 2025, features smoldering horns and call-and-response vocals offering reassurance against doubt. described it as his most cohesive effort yet, a "grower" that highlights his evolution in and indie influences. Throughout his solo tenure, Harding has built a robust touring presence, including opening for on select dates in 2014 and for on his 2018 North American and international dates, which elevated his profile through shared stages at venues like the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. In 2025, he headlined his own European tour, with dates in November including Dublin's Opium on the 9th, Glasgow's Oran Mor on the 10th, Manchester's Gorilla on the 11th, and London's O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire on the 12th, showcasing material from his latest release amid growing recognition for his genre-defying soul. has consistently featured Harding, from early video spotlights like "Keep On Shining" in 2014 to in-depth sessions on World Cafe for Face Your Fear, underscoring his role in modernizing soul traditions.

Acting and other pursuits

In addition to his musical endeavors, Curtis Harding has ventured into acting with two credited roles. He portrayed the blues musician L.C. Soothe in the third season of the series , which aired in 2018. In 2021, he appeared as a minister in the thriller film The Gateway. These acting appearances represent Harding's exploration of performance beyond music, serving as a creative outlet that aligns with his expressive style, though he has not pursued further roles as of 2025. Beyond acting, Harding has engaged in production work on his own recordings, co-producing his 2017 album Face Your Fear alongside Danger Mouse and self-producing his 2025 release Departures & Arrivals: Adventures of Captain Curt at Electric Deluxe Recorders. The latter album introduces the "Captain Curt" persona—a space-faring pilot navigating dimensions—drawing visual inspirations from sci-fi world-building, such as 's films, to conceptualize its thematic scope without delving into standalone visual art creation. These pursuits highlight Harding's multi-hyphenate approach, where non-musical elements enhance his artistic identity while remaining secondary to his primary focus on soul music.

Musical style and influences

Musical style

Curtis Harding's musical style is defined by his self-coined term "slop 'n' soul," a fusion of soul, R&B, blues, psychedelia, and rock characterized by raw, unpolished edges that evoke a sense of organic flow amid eclectic mixtures. This approach draws from the idea of "slop" as musical leftovers—diverse elements blended imperfectly yet compellingly, rooted in soul as the foundational genre while incorporating gritty, improvisational textures. Harding's sound often features vintage synthesizers and subtle psychedelic synth layers that add eerie, spacey overtones, paired with live instrumentation like punchy horns, bass grooves, and guitar riffs to create a retro-futuristic atmosphere. Central to this style are Harding's strong baritone vocals, which deliver emotive depth reminiscent of Otis Redding's gospel-infused intensity, often shifting to for dynamic contrast and conveying a full spectrum of emotions from tenderness to sass. His production choices emphasize live-band energy with orchestral digressions, mild , and effects like haunting strings or Theremin-like sounds, fostering an unrefined yet immersive sonic palette. This evolves from his gospel upbringing, where and formed the core, toward bolder psychedelic experimentation evident in reverb-infused arrangements and tape-like warmth that bridges traditional roots with modern edge. Lyrically, Harding explores themes of , , and through narrative-driven songwriting that feels personal and urgent, often using metaphors of distance, resilience, and hope to reflect emotional and societal struggles. Songs like those on his album Face Your Fear—hailed as a "genre-bending powerhouse"—exemplify this with poignant reflections on relationships and perseverance, delivered in a way that stirs raw feeling.

Influences

Curtis Harding's musical foundations were deeply rooted in , shaped by his mother Dorothy's performances and her introduction to artists like , whose powerful vocals and spiritual delivery informed his emotive singing style and thematic depth. Growing up traveling with his family's group, Harding absorbed the raw intensity of , which instilled a sense of vocal power and emotional authenticity that permeates his work. His influences expanded through Southern soul icons such as , whose passionate delivery and raw soul expression influenced Harding's approach to conveying personal pain and joy in performance. also played a key role in his songwriting, providing a model for introspective lyrics and narrative structure that Harding adapted to his soulful compositions. Additionally, figures like and contributed to his blues-inflected guitar work and harmonic sensibilities. Early exposure to hip-hop in Atlanta, including his time with the group Proseed and the local scene featuring OutKast and the Dungeon Family, added rhythmic complexity and storytelling elements to his sound. Artists like Melle Mel, Rakim, and MC Lyte from the old-school and '90s eras inspired his initial rap writing, later blending into soul through sampled influences from Isaac Hayes, B.B. King, and James Brown. Harding's style evolved to incorporate elements, drawn from broader experiences like travels and collaborations, echoing the experimental vibes of and in his Afrofuturist leanings. Non-musical inspirations, such as James Baldwin's writings on identity and resilience, and filmmaker Ridley Scott's epic visuals, shaped conceptual albums like his 2025 release Departures & Arrivals: Adventures of Captain Curt, which explores adventure and cosmic themes through a lens of heroism and exploration. This progression from youthful gospel roots to an eclectic fusion of , rock, and reflects Harding's nomadic life and diverse cultural encounters.

Discography

Studio albums

Curtis Harding's studio discography consists of four full-length solo albums as of 2025, beginning with an independent release and transitioning to the Anti- label for subsequent works. None are compilations or live recordings. was released on May 6, 2014, by as Harding's debut album, initially issued on cassette and vinyl formats. The 12-track record features raw, garage-infused soul tracks blending , , , and rock elements, which Harding described as his signature "slop 'n' soul" style—a term he coined for the genre's eclectic, leftover-inspired fusion of sounds. Critics praised its fresh take on classic soul, with tracks like "Keep On Shining" evoking spirited R&B grooves. Face Your Fear, Harding's major-label debut, came out on October 27, 2017, via Anti- Records, produced in collaboration with Danger Mouse. The 11-song album expands on with orchestral touches and introspective lyrics, highlighted by singles "On and On" and "Need Your Love." It received strong acclaim for Harding's versatile vocals and genre-blending conviction, earning an 8.3/10 rating on and positive reviews from for its deep R&B roots. The record peaked at number 21 on the Heatseekers Albums chart. If Words Were Flowers was issued on November 5, 2021, by Anti-, comprising 11 tracks written and recorded during the tumultuous period encompassing the . The album reflects on resilience, hope, and companionship amid isolation, with psychedelic-gospel elements in songs like the title track and "Hopeful Now." Reviewers lauded its vibrant, diverse soul sound and emotional depth, calling it a " rethink" full of uplifting introspection, as noted in Uncut (8/10) and Exclaim!. Departures & Arrivals: Adventures of Captain Curt, released on September 5, 2025, by Anti-, marks Harding's fourth studio album and a concept-driven exploration of personal journeys, love, and departure framed as a soul-infused . The 11-track suite merges classic soul with and influences, earning critical acclaim for its cohesive narrative and audacious scope, with describing it as an "excellent journey" that seamlessly weaves influences, and Album of the Year aggregating a 74/100 score from reviewers.

Singles

Curtis Harding's singles primarily serve as lead tracks from his studio albums, with additional promotional releases issued digitally or as advance singles to build anticipation. These releases highlight his soulful sound and have received acclaim in niche genres like and neo-soul, though they have not achieved widespread mainstream chart dominance. For instance, his work has seen modest placements in sales charts and gained traction through media placements and streaming platforms. Early in his career, Harding issued several promotional singles ahead of his debut album Soul Power. These included digital releases like "Next Time," "Surf," and "Heaven's On The Other Side" in 2014, which were distributed via Anti- Records to promote his emerging style. A follow-up promo, "," arrived in 2015. His breakthrough came with "Keep on Shining," released on March 11, 2014, as the from . The track showcased Harding's raw, retro-soul vibe and helped establish his presence in the . From his second album Face Your Fear (2017), key singles included "On and On," released June 27, 2017, which peaked at number 80 on the Official Singles Sales Chart for one week and later featured in the Marvel series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. "Need Your Love," also from Face Your Fear and promoted heavily with a in October 2017, became one of his most streamed tracks, amassing significant plays on platforms like and gaining viral attention through shares and . The 2021 album If Words Were Flowers was preceded by singles "I Won't Let You Down" and "Hopeful," both released as digital singles to herald the record's themes. In 2025, Harding returned with "Time," issued as the on July 14 from his album Departures & Arrivals: Adventures of Captain Curt, emphasizing upbeat, journey-inspired soul. An additional single, "There She Goes," was released earlier that year as a standalone track.
TitleYearAlbumNotes
Keep on Shining2014Soul PowerDebut single; introduced Harding's slop 'n' soul style.
On and On2017Face Your FearPeaked at #80 (UK Singles Sales); featured in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Need Your Love2017Face Your FearGained viral traction via streaming and social media.
I Won't Let You Down2021If Words Were FlowersLead promotional single.
Time2025Departures & ArrivalsLead single; released July 14.

Music videos

Curtis Harding's music videos frequently extend the thematic essence of his albums, emphasizing visual that complements his soul-infused with raw, , and occasionally narrative-driven elements. Often produced in with independent filmmakers, these videos highlight his DIY and personal involvement in creative direction, avoiding high-production gloss in favor of authentic, emotive visuals. The music video for "," a track from his debut album Soul Power, adopts a low-budget DIY style captured in intimate live sessions, underscoring the track's themes of liberation and self-discovery through unpolished, immediate footage that evokes emotional immediacy over polished production. For "Need Your Love" from the 2017 album Face Your Fear, the official video, directed by Elise Tyler, features psychedelic visuals interwoven with live band performances, portraying an expansive interpretation of love that encompasses friendships, , and artistic passion, thereby amplifying the song's yearning emotional core. The 2021 edit for "On and On," originally from Face Your Fear but re-promoted via its feature in the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, employs minimalist production with subtle visual layers that prioritize lyrical introspection, reflecting the constraints and contemplative mood of the pandemic era while highlighting themes of perseverance and cosmic momentum. In 2025, videos supporting singles from Departures & Arrivals: Adventures of Captain Curt incorporate a recurring storyline centered on the "Captain Curt" —a sci-fi-inspired pilot on a journey of personal reflection and search for home—blending retro-futuristic elements with soulful performance footage. For instance, the video for "Time," released in , uses galvanizing visuals of reassurance and temporal to echo the album's overarching tale. Similarly, "The Power," directed by Abdi Ibrahim and premiered in September, unfolds in a dazzling roller-disco setting that infuses the Captain Curt adventure with groovy, glittering escapism. Other clips, such as those for "There She Goes" () and "True Love Can't Be Blind" (June), further weave this subtle through motifs of departure, resilience, and cosmic longing, serving as promotional extensions of the album's conceptual framework.

Guest appearances

Curtis Harding has made notable contributions as a and featured artist on several projects by other musicians, particularly emphasizing his soulful vocal style in R&B and electronic contexts. Early in his career, Harding provided and raps on Green's debut album Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections (2002), including collaborative input during recording sessions with Green's team. He later contributed and co-wrote the bonus track "" for Green's 2010 album The Lady Killer. In the 2010s, Harding participated in the Atlanta-based collaborative band Night Sun, formed in 2009 with Black Lips guitarist Cole Alexander and Night Beats' Danny Lee, where he handled lead and backing vocals on tracks blending garage rock and soul, such as those from their 2012 sessions. Post-2010, his vocal features shifted toward guest spots on established artists' releases, including providing soulful lead vocals on "Surrender" from Rüfüs Du Sol's album Surrender (2021), marking the electronic trio's first featured vocalist collaboration. Harding has also appeared on select indie compilations and soundtracks, such as contributing vocals to "Our Love" (featuring ) on the soundtrack (2021). No major production credits for other artists have been documented, with his post-2010s involvement centered on vocal performances. As of 2025, no new guest collaborations tied to his album Departures & Arrivals: Adventures of Captain Curt have been announced.

References

  1. https://curtisharding.com/about
  2. https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/curtis-harding.html
  3. https://www.highresaudio.com/artist/view/a2db08e3-fb45-43d6-a5a6-e3ab510ef9a5/curtis-harding
  4. https://gardenandgun.com/articles/curtis-harding-interview/
  5. https://www.discogs.com/artist/1987979-Curtis-Harding
  6. https://www.anti.com/artists/curtis-harding/
  7. https://open.spotify.com/artist/0CUpzKPDfIVzYqMn47jiV3
  8. https://www.albumoftheyear.org/artist/6885-curtis-harding/
  9. https://www.last.fm/music/Curtis%2BHarding/%2Bwiki
  10. https://www.redlightmanagement.com/artists/curtis-harding/
  11. https://www.roundhillmusic.com/roster/curtis-harding
  12. https://kids.kiddle.co/Curtis_Harding
  13. https://www.brooklynvegan.com/curtis-harding-shares-jazmine-sullivan-collab-discusses-the-influences-behind-new-album/
  14. https://tidal.com/magazine/article/finding-your-sound-curtis-harding/1-97380
  15. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/soul-musician-curtis-harding-keeping-tradition
  16. https://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/on-the-radar-curtis-harding-617231
  17. https://www.uncut.co.uk/reviews/album/curtis-harding-if-words-were-flowers-134942/
  18. https://stompandstammer.com/feature-stories/curtis-harding/
  19. https://shop.otrs.rocks/produkt/curtis-harding-%25C2%25A6-soul-power/?add-to-cart=3512
  20. https://www.discogs.com/artist/3631838-Night-Sun-2
  21. https://www.discogs.com/master/689713-Curtis-Harding-Soul-Power
  22. https://www.npr.org/2017/12/18/571211664/the-10-best-r-b-albums-of-2017
  23. https://www.treblezine.com/curtis-harding-interview-something-worth-saying/
  24. https://www.popmatters.com/curtis-harding-departures
  25. https://www.anti.com/news/curtis-harding-announces-new-album-departures-arrivals-adventures-of-captai/
  26. https://atease.ltd/PublicNewsArticle?slug=time-the-new-curtis-harding-single-is-out-now
  27. https://www.npr.org/sections/world-cafe/2017/12/20/572309166/curtis-harding-on-world-cafe
  28. https://www.npr.org/2014/04/14/301829174/curtis-harding-keep-on-shining
  29. https://curtisharding.com/tour
  30. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10207710/
  31. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7186678/
  32. https://www.gq.com/story/curtis-harding
  33. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/oct/29/curtis-harding-face-your-fear-review
  34. https://glidemagazine.com/214678/metallica-the-breeders-brandi-carlile-curtis-harding-and-more-stand-out-on-austin-city-limits-festival-day-2-festival-review-photos/
  35. https://www.thetimes.com/culture/music/article/pop-review-curtis-harding-face-your-fear-dshvbx7mf
  36. https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/Curtis-Harding/Where-We-Are
  37. https://blurredculture.com/curtis-hardings-time-is-a-soul-revival-with-a-message-of-hope-and-resilience/
  38. https://www.anti.com/news/all-we-need-is-time-listen-to-the-upbeat-new-curtis-harding-track-now/
  39. https://curtisharding.com/about-page-1
  40. https://www.bmi.com/news/entry/talking-evolution-with-curtis-harding
  41. https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/22616/1/stream-curtis-hardings-punk-blues-mix
  42. https://pastdaily.com/curtis-harding-lauren-laverne-2025-past-daily-night-session/
  43. https://www.cos.com/en-us/features/people/curtis-harding-on-soul-travel-and-style
  44. https://www.kexp.org/read/2022/10/4/traipsing-through-the-flowers-with-curtis-harding/
  45. https://www.newreleasesnow.com/album/curtis-harding-departures-arrivals-adventures-of-captain-curt
  46. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jan/15/curtis-harding-soul-power-review
  47. https://www.allmusic.com/album/face-your-fear-mw0003094753
  48. https://www.npr.org/2017/12/25/573481304/face-your-fear-is-the-second-album-from-singer-songwriter-curtis-harding
  49. https://www.anti.com/releases/face-your-fear/
  50. https://www.anti.com/releases/if-words-were-flowers/
  51. https://exclaim.ca/music/article/curtis_harding_if_words_were_flowers_album_review
  52. https://www.anti.com/releases/departures-arrivals-adventures-captain-curt/
  53. https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/1341704-curtis-harding-departures-arrivals-adventures-of-captain-curt.php
  54. https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/47640/curtis-harding/
  55. https://genius.com/Curtis-harding-keep-on-shining-lyrics/q/release-date
  56. https://www.anti.com/news/curtis-harding-shares-phenomenal-new-single-on-and-on/
  57. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o1W4IXH0wc
  58. https://www.anti.com/releases/face-your-fear/tracks/need-your-love/
  59. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_EvOa_A7-Y
  60. https://open.spotify.com/track/3zYQ1KXzqBWRsxIqdVMoYF
  61. https://open.spotify.com/album/5Ii0SYjyhfrzRT3rKOooP9
  62. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_hnRfoh_4M
  63. https://www.popmatters.com/curtis-harding-need-your-love-2509763747.html
  64. https://www.anti.com/videos/on-and-on-edit
  65. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFuUv0IVKT4
  66. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIBNYn0RTxw
  67. https://www.anti.com/news/curtis-harding-has-the-power-listen-watch-dazzling-new-roller-disco-video/
  68. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK-NxagiATo
  69. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmTwkFnFL30
  70. https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/curtis-harding-danger-mouse-wednesday-morning-interview-7942316/
  71. https://genius.com/albums/Ceelo-green/The-lady-killer
  72. https://www.rockofthearts.com/reviews/193-night-sun-black-lips-cole-alexander-lo-fi-soul-infused-collaboration
  73. https://musictech.com/features/interviews/rufus-du-sol-new-album-surrender-when-we-write-we-arent-thinking-about-a-specific-aesthetic-were-searching-for-a-feeling/
  74. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Yr3sKPi8mM
  75. https://curtisharding.com/
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