Blunt force: In 1999, no one could have predicted the rise of the folksy, sensitive singer-songwriter. Invasions of giant alien androids from Titan, yes; total societal breakdown caused by the Y2K bug, almost a certainty; but finger-plucking folkies with quavering voices taking over the charts? About as likely as Radiohead doing an album of experimental electronica. Six years later, the place is crawling with acoustic guitar-huggers, David Gray has the biggest-selling album in Irish recorded music history, and Coldplay are a U2 for the woe-is-me generation. But before Damien Rice, Devendra Banhart, James Blunt and Stephen Fretwell, one young multi- instrumentalist looked set to conquer the world with his pastoral blend of folk, dance and electronica. His name was Conrad Lambert, but his growing army of fans knew him as Merz.Edged out: When Merz signed to Sony/Epic in 1999, he came highly recommended by gangly Pulp man Jarvis Cocker, who had championed the young singer’s self- released 7-inch single, Many Weathers Apart. His debut album earned him accolades from all quarters of the music bizs, and soon Merz was joining the likes of Britney on Top of the Pops, jamming with the pros on Jools Holland, hearing his songs on Corrie and EastEnders, and sharing the bill at Glastonbury with hot new band Coldplay. He and Chris Martin became friends, but while the Coldboys went on to conquer the known world, Merz must have fallen off the edge of the earth, because he suddenly disappeared without a trace. It transpired that he had fallen out with his record label and walked away from his deal, leaving behind the bright lights of showbiz, and going back to square one.Home thoughts: Merz’s “lost” years were spent trying to put together his second album without major label support. He moved to Bath, then to a flat in Yorkshire, and finally ended up back in his home town of Huddersfield, where he signed on the dole. He used the solitude of the moors to shape such songs as Postcards from a Dark Star and My Name Is Sad and at Sea, and recorded tracks in a disused 17th-century parsonage. Other songs, such as Dangerous Heady Love Scheme, Butterfly and Warm Cigarette Room were recorded in Bath, Bristol and the Pennines. On late-night drives to Bath to visit his American girlfriend, Jess, Merz would listen to John Peel on Radio 1 and Late Junction on Radio 3, and be inspired to carry on writing.Lifelines: Conrad finally finished his album, Loveheart, on Valentine’s Day this year, with help from producer and engineer Bruno Ellingham, who has worked with New Order and KT Tunstall. Guest musicians include Golfrapp bassist Charlie Jones, sometime Portishead player John Baggot and respected Norwegian artist Magnet. “If there is a theme to this album, it’s really about finding the strength to get through ropey times in life,” says Merz. He will celebrate the album’s release with a gig in Crawdaddy, Dublin on December 14th.