Jason Cruz

Jason Cruz
Photo of artist Jason Cruz
Jason Cruz in Adelaide, November 2007
Background information
Birth name Jason Cruz
Born February 6, 1974 (1974-02-06) (age 44)
Origin South Gate, California
Genres Punk Rock, roots rock
Occupation(s) Musician, Lyricist, Artist
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1989—present
Labels Fat Wreck Chords
Associated acts Strung Out

Jason Alexander Cruz (born February 6, 1974) is the lead singer and lyricist of punk band, Strung Out, which formed in 1990 when he was 17 years old.[1] He is also an artist, and a poet and fronts his roots Americana band 'Jason Cruz and Howl'. His personal website showcases his various forms of original artwork (paintings as well as graphic design and photography).

Early life

Cruz grew up in and around Los Angeles. He focused his energies on art and creative writing in school and began playing with Strung Out in 1991 in Southern California.

Jason Alexander Cruz

Jason's major influences include classic artists such as Tom Waits, Jimi Hendrix, Hank Williams Sr,William Burroughs Charles Bukowski and Bob Dylan and visual artists Robert Mcginnis and Jean-Michel Basquiat. He has said that he was influenced by the desert, dirt road swap meets and the melancholy music that his mother used to listen to when he was growing up,[2] The first concert he ever went to was Depeche Mode in 1986 when he was 12 years old then graduated to punk rock shows and skateboarding.

Jason apprenticed as a tattoo artist for two years then took up oil Painting under the moniker 'Amerikan Blackheart' and has been showing regularly in L.A. and southern California for the past four years as well as performing with his band Howl . In addition to being a songwriter, musician, and artist, he has also published 3 original poems, which can be found in the collection entitled Revolution On Canvas: Poetry From The Indie Music Scene.

Cruz provided lead vocals and wrote the lyrics for T4 Project, a band made up of many well-known punk musicians, for its 2008 "Story-Based Concept Album."

On August 21, 2012, Cruz self-released his first solo record titled Loungecore under the name, Jason Cruz and Howl.

Jason currently lives in Ventura California. In July 2010 Jason welcomed daughter Sydney Echo Cruz.

Discography

Cruz in Seattle, August 2007

Strung Out

See Strung Out for full list

T4 Project

  • Story-Based Concept Album (2008)

Jason Cruz and Howl

  • Loungecore (2012)
  • Good Man's Ruin (2014)

References

  1. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20110915151228/http://punkfiction.servhome.org/Strung-Out. Archived from the original on September 15, 2011. Retrieved January 3, 2012. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. ↑ Apicella, Vinnie. "Strung Out: Jason Cruz; Girls, guns and caffeine bombs". CounterCulture.co.uk. Accessed June 12, 2006.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.