Ali Awan was born to an immigrant Pakistani father and first-generation Turkish mother just outside of Philadelphia, spending most of his early life in transit. That upbringing coupled with a love for sound and expression made a life in music natural to him. After his debut release “Citadel Blues”, an eastern cityscape of sampled drums, field recordings, & instrumentation dubbed “ferocious” by WBEZ’s Sound Opinions host and Chicago Tribune writer Jim DeRogatis, Awan formed an alternating live band and has been writing, touring, and recording under his name ever since. To date, he has shared stages with the likes of Natalie Prass, Low Cut Connie, Cherry Glazerr, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, The National Reserve, Ex Hex, Vacationer, and many more.