Hailing from Edinburgh, singer-songwriter Alex Gardner's brooding good looks, dance-pop sound and rich, soulful vocals, has seen him compared to a young George Michael. Born in 1991, Gardner grew up in a musical family, with his mother, a violinist, and brother, a member of a heavy metal band. He began writing songs at the age of ten and soon learned how to play the piano, guitar, drums, clarinet and saxophone. After a brief stint as a teenage model, where he posed for the likes of Vogue Homme, he moved to London to pursue a singing career. After impressing Brian Higgins, the songwriter behind Girls Aloud's hits, at an audition, he was invited to record material at his Xenomania studios. After signing to Universal/A&M Records, he supported Paolo Nutini, Scouting For Girls and Pixie Lott on their UK tours, and released his first single, "I'm Not Mad," which reached #44 in 2010.