Watch Alex Clare Perform Live at Paste

British singer Alex Clare grew up on blues and soul—think Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway—and eventually grew into a raspy tenor that suited the music he loved listening to and playing. As he picked up more modern British sounds like dubstep and drum & bass, he discovered a hybrid style of performance that managed to blend the old and new in one seamless package. Clare’s 2011 debut LP, The Lateness of the Hour, saw three singles reach the airwaves, including “Too Close,” an instantly catchy pop song with a huge chorus that nevertheless missed the mark on its initial release. But when the song was featured in an Internet Explorer ad campaign in 2012, it finally blew up, becoming a top 10 hit around Europe and altering the course of his career for good. Five years later, Clare is on tour in America behind his third album, the soulful Tail of Lions, which he recorded on a boat floating down the River Lea in London and reflects his current perspective on life as a father, husband and orthodox Jew.

Watch Alex Clare perform LIVE at Paste Studio.