Arik Dov

Playing heartfelt and sentimental indie folk, enriched by his gentle yet powerful vocals and thoughtful lyrics, Arik Dov carries on the American folk tradition of the greats that walked before him. With a prolific catalogue of over 300 songs, Arik has been releasing his music since 2015, with 3 full length albums and 2 EPs, including his sold out show and first live album, “Live at Horns Erben, Leipzig”. As Arik began to gain attention of his audience all over Europe, he began to expand and rethink the traditional folk music he was raised on, with the help of German bassist and producer Martin Riebel, harnessing a more dynamic and orchestral approach to his music. A voice reminiscent of Cat Stevens, and lyrics similar to that of the Avett Brothers, Arik’s music is merely an autobiographical depiction of his moments in time, songs of love, loss, hope, and everything in between.

Born in San Francisco, California in 1994, Arik grew up playing classical piano and cello until the age of 11 when he felt a strong connection to the guitar. Despite playing in various orchestras as a child in San Francisco, the music Arik heard at home was his parents music: James Taylor, Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, and through this music Arik began to grow not only as a musician, but also as a writer, and songwriter. At the age of 12 Arik began writing his own songs, using them as a platform and outlet for his emotions.

After losing a battle of the bands competition in 2012, Arik was nearly ready to never perform again, and instead chose to work for a number of startups in the San Francisco Bay Area. After 2 years of frustration working in the tech industry, Arik bought a one way ticket to Prague, where he quit his job, and began playing music in the subways. It was on the street that he learned how quickly and easily it was to connect with people simply by playing a song, so he made his first busking tour around Europe in 2015. During this time he landed in Munich where he met the daughter of the lead singer of the German 80’s band, Dschinghis Khan. He subsequently was offered to record at his studio near Munich, releasing his fist album, ‘Sorry Not For Speaking’ in 2015, a simple collection of 8 songs he had written through his travels.

Arik then settled in Leipzig, Germany, a place he found to be just small enough to create in a quiet space, and just large enough to connect with a variety of different musicians. He founded the critically acclaimed rock band Electric Turtles in 2016, and found himself quickly involved with indie record label, Undressed Records, and touring all over Europe and Israel. The band released a full album, and 4 EPs from 2016-2018, and opened for The Picturebooks and LaBrassbanda. The quick pace of the band left Arik’s solo music on the sidelines, but was a door opener to the world of live and recorded music.

After three years, the band broke up and Arik returned to his roots as a folk/Americana artist. 2019 saw Arik’s solo music gaining traction, playing over 80 shows, multiple sold out shows, and recording songs on a regular basis. His latest release, “The Man” features a wider production including the double bass from Martin Riebel, violin from Jörg Blumenstein, drums from Nimrod Lieberman, but still manages to stay true to his rootsy and raw sound. He is currently working on his next EP, ‘Grace For The Morning’ recorded in a kindergarten in Leipzig, featuring a string quartet, beautiful vocal harmonies, and fluid, dynamic arrangements to his songs.