Cam Cole / Rock N’ Riley

Everything was set up for London busker Cam Cole to make the move from the street to the stage: multiple viral internet videos, a rapidly increasing following from all over the world, a well-received debut album, international tours planned... And then the world came to a standstill.

What could have killed any momentum he had, Cole turned into an opportunity to connect with the fans he had gathered. The advantage of being a one-man band is that rehearsals are rather easy to set up—especially in a socially distanced world. Even the drummer shows up on time if you are the drummer yourself. And so Cole stayed in touch and visible with his "Sounds from the Van" video series, streamed directly from his van rehearsal room. He released a live album recorded on the streets of Camden before the pandemic, which reminded everyone what they’d been missing. And, after appearing as himself in the Golden Globe-nominated Apple TV series Ted Lasso, Cole found that, during the pandemic, his audience had more than doubled in size.

With his second album, Crooked Hill, out to great reviews, he is ready to kick it up a notch. The heavier, ferocious sound of his sophomore album fits well in a time where people are looking to finally release all that pent-up energy. And Cam Cole is just the right man for the job.

Rock N’ Riley is a blues rock band formed by Rock Choi (Seoul, South Korea) and Josh Riley (Leonardtown, Maryland). The two met and formed the band at Berklee College of Music. Although they come from opposite sides of the world, they use the universal language of music to bring a powerful new twist to the world of blues rock.