Jonathan Stiers, born January 22, in Fayetteville, AR, started singing and playing piano at the age of 7. Raised in Fayetteville, Jonathan remembers his Dad letting him bang on his old "70s" Wurlitzer keyboard. Never having any formal training, Jonathan plays by ear and still doesn't read sheet music to this day.
As a teenager, Jonathan dabbled in musical theater, taking chorus roles in Fiddler on the Roof and West Side Story. He also did the county fair talent show circuit, winning second place and competed in the state competition. Jonathan played around on an old beaten-up, wooden upright that his mom bought for him throughout high school, learning various cover songs by ear. It wasn't until later, after moving out on his own that Jonathan bought his own Yamaha upright.
After hearing the Tori Amos' album, Little Earthquakes, Jonathan started learning many of those songs and thought he should take a stab at composing. He wrote and handful of songs and recorded them using a Roland 8-track recorder, eventually releasing Spare a Dime. "You're more likely to find a pay phone that still takes dimes, before you'll find a copy of that CD," Jonathan jokes.
He then spent the next few years writing, composing and trying to find himself as an artist. That lead to the 2006 release, The Player & The Pawn. "Tonight," and "Northern Lights," two of his most downloaded songs on iTunes are two stand outs from that album. He finally felt he found his style and that these two songs specifically, defined who he was as an artist.
Taking a break and going through of a couple relationships in the process lead to his forthcoming release (November 2010), Affliction Addiction. Jonathan explores love and loss with moving piano-driven melodies paired with his trademark layered vocals and ambient sounds.
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