Britt Daniel
Britt Daniel | |
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![]() Britt Daniel performing live | |
Background information | |
Birth name | John Britt Daniel |
Born |
Galveston, Texas, U.S. | April 14, 1971
Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
Instruments | |
Years active | 1991–present |
Labels |
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Associated acts | |
Website |
spoontheband |
John Britt Daniel (born April 14, 1971) is the co-founder, lead singer and guitarist of the Austin, Texas, rock band Spoon and the co-founder, guitarist, bassist, and singer of the band Divine Fits.
Early life
Britt Daniel was born in Galveston, Texas and grew up in Temple, Texas, a town of 73,000 people about an hour north of Austin. Daniel is the oldest of three children from his parents' marriage.[1] He also has two younger half-siblings. His father, a neurologist, was a fan of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and a collector of guitars;[2] Daniel himself reportedly picked up the guitar in high school after his college-bound girlfriend ended their relationship.[3][4]
Career
In 1988 Britt Daniel formed his first band The Zygotes while in high school. In 1990, while a student at the University of Texas, Daniel formed his second band, Skellington, with Travis Hartnett, Mac Stringfellow, Paul Cannon and Mike Hurewitz.[2] Skellington recorded and self-released This Town's Gone Dry in 1991, and the Skellington EP was released a year later in 1992. Before breaking up, the band released Skellington Rex, which contained songs that were re-recorded on Spoon's debut album Telephono.[2]
The following year, Daniel joined a three-piece rockabilly band named The Alien Beats with Brad Shenfeld.[2] During a 1993 Alien Beats recording session, computer-chip designer and percussionist Jim Eno was brought in as a substitute drummer, but he was later added as the permanent drummer.[2] The Alien Beats released a 7" single in May 1993, disbanding soon after.[2]
On 5 May 2018, Daniel appeared on NPR's news quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! for the regular celebrity question segment "Not My Job".
Spoon
In 1993, Daniel and ex-Alien Beats drummer Eno, along with guitarist Greg Wilson and bassist Andy McGuire, formed Spoon. Spoon has served as Daniel's primary musical focus.
Drake Tungsten
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Daniel has also written and recorded solo material under the pseudonym Drake Tungsten[5] He has since abandoned this name and plays solo shows under his own name, and has reportedly begun setting aside songs for a possible solo album, including "New York Kiss" and "Telephone My Heart,"[6] which he has been performing at solo shows since at least early 2006.[7]
Divine Fits
Daniel has been involved in a new band called Divine Fits, consisting of members from Spoon, Wolf Parade and New Bomb Turks. The group's debut, A Thing Called Divine Fits, was released on August 28, 2012 through Merge Records. The first single from the album, "My Love Is Real", was released on July 10, 2012.
Collaborations
- In 1999, Daniel played bass for two gigs in the glam rock supergroup Golden Millennium, composed of fellow Peek-A-Boo Records labelmates.[8]
- In 2002, Daniel worked with Bright Eyes on the fourth volume of Post-Parlo's Home Series.
- In 2002, Daniel recorded bass, keyboards and backing vocals on the first Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves album, "Drive It Like You Stole It" (12XU).
- Daniel has produced songs for the bands I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness and Interpol.
- In 2004, Daniel remixed Interpol's "Slow Hands," which appears on the "Slow Hands" single.
- He previously worked as a sound designer and composer for the computer game company Origin Systems.[9]
- In 2006, Daniel teamed up with Brian Reitzell and helped create some of the original music for the film Stranger Than Fiction.[10]
- He also appeared in the Veronica Mars episode "Rashard and Wallace Go to White Castle", air date February 1, 2006, in which he sang a karaoke version of Elvis Costello's "Veronica."
- In 2009, he produced the White Rabbits album It's Frightening.
- In 2015, he collaborated with Austin band Sweet Spirit on the song "Have Mercy" and a cover of Spoon's Paper Tiger.[11]
Discography
Skellington
- The Town's Gone Dry (1991) Self-Released
- Skellington EP (1992) Self-Released
- Skellington Rex (1992) Self-Released
The Alien Beats
- Cavin' In (1993) Syncretic Records
Drake Tungsten
- Clocking Out is for Suckers (1994) Self-Released
- Six Pence for the Sauces (1996) Peek-A-Boo Records
- Dozy Vs. Drake (1998) Revival Records
Golden Millennium
- Golden Millennium (1999) Peek-A-Boo Records
Spoon
- Telephono (1996) Matador Records
- Soft Effects (1997) Matador Records
- A Series of Sneaks (1998) Elektra Records
- The Agony of Laffitte (1998) Saddle Creek
- Love Ways (2000) Merge Records
- Girls Can Tell (2001) Merge Records
- Kill the Moonlight (2002) Merge Records
- Gimme Fiction (2005) Merge Records
- Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (2007) Merge Records
- Transference (2010) Merge Records
- They Want My Soul (2014) Loma Vista Recordings
- Hot Thoughts (2017) Matador Records
Divine Fits
Solo recordings
- Home: Volume IV (2002) Post-Parlo
See also
References
- ↑ Maron, Marc (16 April 2015). "Episode 594 - Britt Daniel / Jon Ronson" (Audio podcast interview). WTF with Marc Maron. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Raoul Hernandez, "Drake Tungsten and his Boy Skellington", Austin Chronicle, January 25, 1999
- ↑ 'Sup Magazine, "The Biography of Britt Daniel of Spoon As Told Through Music" Archived October 14, 2007, at the Wayback Machine., December 2005. Retrieved October 11, 2007.
- ↑ Laura Hightower, "Spoon Biography". Retrieved October 11, 2007.
- ↑ Peek-A-Boo Records Drake Tungsten Bio Page, PeekABooRecords.com. Retrieved October 11, 2007.
- ↑ Sean O'Neal, "Britt Daniel of Spoon," Archived March 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. July 19, 2007. Retrieved October 12, 2007.
- ↑ "Britt Daniel Live at Swedish American Hall on 2006-03-29". Internet Archive.
- ↑ Peek-A-Boo Records Golden Millennium Bio Page, PeekABooRecords.com. Retrieved October 11, 2007.
- ↑ Origin Systems Inc. Developer Bio, MobyGames.com. Retrieved October 11, 2007.
- ↑ Columbia Records, Stranger Than Fiction Soundtrack Archived October 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine., ColumbiaRecords.com. Retrieved October 11, 2007.
- ↑ "Sweet Spirit & Britt Daniel – "Paper Tiger" (Spoon Cover)". Stereogum.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Britt Daniel. |
- Britt Daniel collection at Internet Archive live music archive