Sometimes just two chords are all it takes to tell story. An authentic and emotional voice can often move the heart and soul more profoundly than the well-trained vocal instrument of an opera singer. Basel newcomer James Gruntz and the down-to-earth Scottish queen of pop Amy Macdonald meet as two artists with different backgrounds, but with the same driving force. He graduated from jazz school and she is self-taught. He is a fresh face in the scene and she is an international superstar, but both know how to move their listeners with seemingly simple songs like real storytellers do.

Zeno van Essel