Passenger Mike Rosenberg is finally in the driving seat

He will headling Birmingham's HMV Institute on Wednesday under the name Passenger, though it could so easily have faded into oblivion.

Passenger released their first album when five musicians made up the band. In 2007, four of them decided to go their separate ways – but Rosenberg endured and has subsequently released a further four albums.

As a solo performer, he struggled to win over an audience.

Initially, he took to busking and then decided to fly out to Australia, where he supported a number of artists before building an audience of his own and regularly filling 500-seat venues.

The performer's star started to rise further during the summer and autumn of 2012, when he joined Jools Holland and Ed Sheeran on tour.

His latest album, his fifth, called All The Little Lights, was also released.

Rosenberg has redefined the troubadour for the 21st century.

He has gone back to basics and, as well as touring Australia, he has toured America, earning favourable comparisons with Van Morrison, Neil Young and John Prine, among others.

He moves from the humorous to heartbreaking with every song. The singer/songwriter is one of rock's hardest working stars.

He spent six months crisscrossing the UK with his debut album Wicked Man's Rest before releasing his markedly stripped down and soulful second album Wide Eyes Blind Love.

He then set up on street corners across the UK and Australia, halting passers in their hundreds and dazzling them with his mellifluous tones and powerfully hewn lyrics.

The lone figure with his guitar offered music as Passenger means it to be, unvarnished and honest: he showed himself to have pure talent and powerful tunes that make a direct connection with his audience.

Impressively and entirely funded by monies pooled from busking, Passenger set about recording a series of collaborations with musical friends met along the way.

Flight of the Crow was the remarkable result of his intrepid journey, with Australian artists Lior, Josh Pyke, Katie Noonan, Boy & Bear, Kate Miller Heidke, Philadelphia Grand Jury, Brian Campeau and Elana Stone, Matt Corby, Jess Chalker and Dead Letter Chorus all lending their voices to this serendipitous creative venture.

Flight of the Crow was recorded in Sydney's famous BJB studios over February and March of 2010, and co-produced by Berkfinger (AKA Simon Berkleman from Philadelphia Grand Jury).

The record helped him to find a larger audience, and gave him the opportunity to release his latest opus, All The Little Lights.

The lone musician who travelled the globe, bringing music from the street to a wider audience, has proved what is possible.

His never-say-die attitude and great skill at singing and songwriting has made him an international favourite.

He can look forward to a Frank Turner-esque rise to an even larger audience.

By Andy Richardson