Beirut

Beirut was originally formed as a solo project by trumpeter Zach Condon (born on 13 February 1986), but gradually expanded into one of the world's most diverse and wide-ranging bands, incorporating everything from Balkan folk songs to western pop. Influenced by his father, Zach Condon's own roots are in jazz. As a teenager in New Mexico he played in various jazz outfits before a visit to Europe introduced him to different aspects of folk and world music. Returning from Europe, he studied Portuguese and photography and started recording his first album Gulag Orkestar in his bedroom. With help from Jeremy Barnes and Heather Trost of A Hawk and a Hacksaw, he finished it in a studio and they released it in 2006 under the name of Beirut. Second album The Flying Club Cup had a strong French influence and by the time of the release of the double EP March of the Zatopec in 2009, the band had become a popular live act with a huge following in Brazil. The Rip Tide followed in 2011 with No No No in 2015 and Gallipoli in 2019. Beirut continued to perform with an ever-fluid, always unpredictable line-up, and Zach Condon continued to push the boundaries of music with various side projects, including an electronica act. The band returned in 2023 with their first new album in four years, Hadsel, released on Pompeii Records and followed two years later by A Study of Losses.