BIOGRAPHY

Udo - Good Things Coming

A title is a statement. On his second album 'Good Things Coming', Udo fulfils the promise of the title in an album that transfuses soul and pop laden with good vibes. The result of rapidly gained experience and the realisation that only one person could be at the helm of this venture: Udo, himself.

For Udo Mechels, the past years have been like a rollercoaster. The man from Nossegem, Belgium that still couldn't see his music as anything other than a hobby was propelled by fate in another direction. Encouraged by people that believed that that powerful voice should be heard, Udo, with few expectations, took part in the Belgian edition of X Factor. The triumph in the music contest was only the starting point for the development of the artist, Udo. The man who was still somewhat camera shy on television put pen to paper, and wrote a handful of the songs on his debut album and began to win his spurs performing live as well. Unassuming at first, and then more evidently living the dream to allow himself be inspired by real musicians.

That debut album was called 'U-Turn' and it became a hit with singles like 'Isn't it time' and 'Winter in July'. Another song, Tu me manques à mourir, the French version of Will Tura’s Ik mis je zo (I miss you so) still needed another springboard to launch the next step in Udo’s career. The Belgian TV programme, 'Zo is er maar één' (contest to find the best Dutch language song), provided that springboard when Udo won the show with his version of Ik mis je zo. The result: over 10,000 singles sold and a better awareness of what music can mean to others. Everywhere he went, the singer was approached by people who could see a reflection of their own stories in his moving version of the classic Tura number.

Emotions, that’s what it is all about. Soul. Udo carried that awareness right through to his first big live tour - Soul Sessions On Tour – and the mood of his second album. An album from a singer that has proven that he can sing, and who now dares to allow more emotion to flow through his music. After all, music is not about flawless interpretation, but about hitting the right chord…

"This is a fantastic learning experience", Udo explained when he introduced his debut album. Two years later, he has proven his worth; as a singer, he has excelled himself, as a live artist, he has now found his niche amidst a multi-faceted group that have to work hard to keep up with this powerful voice, and as a songwriter, he is no longer content to take a backseat.

While he has held on to his unpretentiousness nature, his self-confidence has grown. Udo co-wrote seven songs for 'Good Things Coming', and kept a tighter rein on other areas as well. It was his decision not to follow up 'Ik mis je zo' with a Dutch language album, but a CD that echoes his own taste. Rapport with the audience is essential, and an artist can only strengthen that rapport when he shows himself as he is. No masks, no compromises. Just Udo. After all, this is how he intends to go on.

The new Udo is still the old Udo, but a lot closer to the real man. A man that - after that initial shock - has realised that a little luck played a part in him finding his true calling and takes great pleasure in that realisation. 'Good Things Coming' is a title that promises thirteen powerful songs and a lengthy future. The journey has just begun.