Peasant (artist)

Peasant was the stage name of Damien DeRose (September 23, 1985 - November 18, 2015), an American songwriter, singer, and producer. Described by media as a more optimistic version of Elliott Smith, Peasant toured extensively in both Europe and the US, sharing the stage with acts such as Cursive, Dr. Dog, Horse Feathers, Dan Mangan, Delta Spirit, Rocky Votolato, Sharon Van Etten, Chris Pureka, Hop Along, Illinois, Albert Hammond, Jr., Liz Green and many others.

Biography

Damien Nicholas DeRose grew up in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, a small town where he began writing and recording in his bedroom in high school. He first toured the greater part of the U.S. in 2005 as a solo artist. The following year, he self-released his first collection of recordings, Fear Not Distant Lover; and toured the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands. Upon returning home, Peasant toured the U.S. a second time, and ended in Canada for Montreal’s 2006 Popfest. Soon after the Popfest, he signed his first official record deal with Paper Garden Records and began recording On The Ground with Paul and Ryan Cobb (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club et al.) ‘The Cobbs’.