Alex Dezen
| Alex Dezen | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Alexander Dezen |
| Born |
June 26, 1978 New York City |
| Genres | Pop, rock, Americana |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter, composer, producer, artist |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, piano |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Labels | Warner Chappell Publishing, Epic Records, Rounder Records, Poor Man Records, In Music We Trust |
| Associated acts | The Damnwells, The Rebecca West, Harper Blynn |
| Website |
www |
Alex Dezen (born June 26, 1978) is a solo artist and the lead singer and songwriter for the American rock and roll band The Damnwells.[1] He is also a multi-platinum selling songwriter.[2] He holds an MFA degree in English from The University of Iowa's Iowa Writers' Workshop, which he attended from 2008-2010 as a Jeffrey G. and Victoria J. Edwards Fellow.[3] As a songwriter, he has written and released songs for artists such as Justin Bieber, Matt Hires, Court Yard Hounds, The Veronicas, and others. He has also written for and worked with a number of additional artist such as The Dixie Chicks, Dave Grohl, Gary Louris of The Jayhawks, Sara Bareilles, Christina Perri, Genevieve Schatz of Company of Thieves, Simple Plan, Jesse & Joy and many others. He is currently signed to Warner Chappell Music Publishing.[4]
Career
A series of 4 solo EPs, known as "The Bedhead EPs," were released throughout 2014. The first one, titled 1/4, was released on January 21, 2014.[5][6] The second, titled 2/4, was released on April 22, 2014, and was accompanied by a video, which premiered on the website for American Songwriter magazine.[7] The 3rd EP, titled 3/4, was released on July 22, 2014[8] The final EP in the series, 4/4, was released on December 30, 2014.[9]
In 2015, he collaborated with the American dance company Pilobolus, composing the music for the dance piece Wednesday Morning, 11:45 (2015), which premiered at The American Dance Festival in Durham, NC, on June 15, 2015.[10][11]
The Damnwells eponymous fifth studio album, featuring the original four members, was released on April 14, 2015.[12]
On November 3, 2015, Dezen announced a PledgeMusic project of songs written in early 2015 to be released as his first solo album.[13] The project reached its crowdfunding goal in one week. The self-titled album was released by Rock Ridge Music on February 12, 2016, followed by a 9-hour, free internet concert where Dezen performed acoustic versions of every song he has ever released over his 15-year career either with The Damnwells or as a solo artist, including a live, full-band performance of the self-titled solo album live at the High Watt in Nashville, TN.[14] The footage is still available online view Dezen's YouTube channel.[15]
On August 23, 2016, Dezen announced another Pledge Music campaign for his second solo album, releasing the song and video for "Randolph Tonight" exclusively to Pledgers.[16]
Notable song credits
| The Damnwells | "Golden Days" - Air Stereo (#19 Billboard album) |
| Justin Bieber | "Take You" - Believe and Believe Acoustic (# 1 Billboard album) |
| Cody Simpson | "Gentleman" - Paradise (# 27 Billboard album)
"Ends with You" - Coast to Coast |
| Court Yard Hounds | "Sunshine," "Gets You Down" - Amelita (#18 Billboard album) |
| The Veronicas | "You and Me" - The Veronicas (album) |
| Matt Hires | "Restless Heart," "I Am Not Here," "Wishing on Dead Stars," "All That's Left is You" - The World Won't Last Forever, But Tonight We Can Pretend[17] |
References
- ↑ http://www.thedamnwells.com
- ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/artist/alex-dezen-mn0001833783
- ↑ http://www.mtv.com/artists/the-damnwells/biography/
- ↑ http://warnerchappell.com/artist-details/856
- ↑ http://www.amazon.com/1-4-Explicit-Alex-Dezen/dp/B00H7QXMWS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388610962&sr=8-1&keywords=Alex+Dezen
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/thedamnwells
- ↑ http://www.americansongwriter.com/2014/04/video-premiere-alex-dezen-none-things/
- ↑ http://instagram.com/p/pUX1tMO3Or/
- ↑ https://thedamnwells.bandcamp.com/album/4-4
- ↑ http://www.pilobolus.org/about/pilobolus-dance-theater/active-repertoire/wednesday-morning-1145/
- ↑ http://www.pilobolus.org/collaborations/alex-dezen/
- ↑ http://www.thedamnwells.com/news/01-21-15/us-release-date-set-us-tour-announced
- ↑ http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/alexdezen
- ↑ https://livewellslatest.com/2016/02/25/alex-dezen-a-nine-hour-live-stream-across-nashville/
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9fFRxaZMdudpkRMyhLmjjveiFEbKQexU
- ↑ http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/alexdezen2
- ↑ http://newalbumreleases.net/57312/matt-hires-this-world-wont-last-forever-but-tonight-we-can-pretend-2013/