Gregory Alan Isakov

Gregory Alan Isakov (born October 19, 1979) is a South African musician currently based in Boulder, Colorado. Isakov and his family immigrated to the United States in 1986 and he was raised in Philadelphia.

Isakov's music combines indie and folk, featuring instruments such as the guitar and banjo. He is widely known for the songs "Words," "The Stable Song," "Big Black Car," "If I Go, I'm Goin' " and "San Luis." Isakov has released seven albums. His most recent album, Appaloosa Bones, was released on August 18, 2023.

Life and career Isakov's grandfather was a Lithuanian Jew who fled to South Africa during World War II. Isakov was born in Johannesburg on October 19, 1979. He immigrated with his family to the United States in 1986 because his father Nissen started an electronic engineering business in Philadelphia.

In Philadelphia, he began touring with a band at the age of 16. Isakov had played instruments his whole life, but began a life as a professional musician playing occasional gigs while also working as a gardener. In 2005, he self-released Songs for October. In 2007, he self-released That Sea, the Gambler. In 2009, Isakov self-released This Empty Northern Hemisphere which featured vocals by Brandi Carlile on five tracks and a cover of Leonard Cohen's "One of Us Cannot Be Wrong". In 2013, Isakov created his independent label Suitcase Town Music on which he released The Weatherman.

In 2016, Isakov released Gregory Alan Isakov with the Colorado Symphony, an album of eleven of his earlier songs orchestrated by several composers and recorded with the full Colorado Symphony. On October 5, 2018, he released Evening Machines on his Suitcase Town Music label.

The song "Big Black Car" from the 2009 album This Empty Northern Hemisphere was featured in a 2012 McDonald's commercial. Isakov donated the proceeds to non-profit organizations that help further sustainable farming and nurture community.

Discography

Rust Colored Stones (2003) Songs for October (2005) That Sea, the Gambler (2007) This Empty Northern Hemisphere (2009) The Weatherman (2013) Gregory Alan Isakov with the Colorado Symphony (2016) Evening Machines (2018) Appaloosa Bones (2023) – No. 81 US Billboard 200