Aaron Embry

Last updated

Aaron Embry
Aaron Embry - Amnion 2008.jpg
Embry in 2008
Background information
Birth nameAaron Randall
Born (1975-11-10) November 10, 1975 (age 46)
Origin Bellflower, California, U.S.
Genres Alternative rock
OccupationsProducer, singer-songwriter, sound engineer, instrumentalist
InstrumentsPiano, harmonica, vocals, mandolin, others
Years active1995–present
LabelsCommunity, Vagrant, allLOVEus, Capitol Records
Website WelcomeToAaronEmbry.com

Aaron Embry (born November 10, 1975, Bellflower, California) is an American songwriter and record producer. A periodic studio musician and touring pianist with artists such as Elliott Smith and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, he has also helped write albums by Jane's Addiction and produced albums by artists such as Avi Buffalo. In 2012 he released his solo album Tiny Prayers on Vagrant Records.

Contents

Early life

Aaron Randall was born on November 10, 1975, in Bellflower, California. [1] He was the first child of a screenwriter/talent manager mother and dental technician father, H. Charles and Karen Randall. He is the eldest of three siblings, including actor Ethan Embry and photographer Kessia Randall. [2] He began taking piano lessons as a child, and music became a focus of his life. While a high school junior, he played his first professional gig in the orchestra pit of a production of Evita . [3]

Career

At age 19, Capitol Records signed him to a two-year development deal as a solo artist. A formal album wasn't released, but the demo-recording process started his career as a songwriter. He played piano and guitar in Elliott Smith's band touring for the album Figure 8 , playing live with Smith, Sam Coomes and Scott McPherson. Embry states that "witnessing [Smith's] creative process was for me the equivalent to taking a graduate course in songwriting." [3] Embry played piano with the band on the April 21, 2000's Late Night with Conan O'Brien . [1]

Embry later became the leader of the indie-rock group Amnion, helping write the group's songs. [4] In February 2008, Amnion released their debut full-length album AmenNamO. [5] [6]

Embry has remained a frequent touring musician, working for musicians such as Willie Nelson. [7] He played piano on the debut album Up From Below , [1] and was then the touring piano player with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros from 2009 to 2012. In August 2012 he booked a string of dates opening for Mumford and Sons in support of his debut solo album, Tiny Prayers. [3]

In 2014 Embry's song Raven's Song was featured in the movie Wish I Was Here directed by Zach Braff.

Producing

He has engineered, recorded, and produced a number of albums by other musicians and groups. In 2009, Embry produced and recorded the debut album of Long Beach-based band Avi Buffalo for Sub Pop Records at his home studio "Hunter's Hollow" in Glassell Park, California. [8] He worked with producer Daniel Lanois on his album Shine , and also spent time with the Los Angeles production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch . [1]

Tiny Prayers (2012)

Embry began writing a solo album while on the road with his friend, Alexander Ebert [7] of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. [3] Tiny Prayers was released on September 18, 2012, on Community and Vagrant. The album includes ten songs written, performed, and co-produced by Embry, with Woody Jackson also co-producing. [9]

The album was positively received. According to a review in Aquarium Drunkard, "Moon of the Daylit Sky", the album's opening track, "is perfectly sparse, but there's a bit of old-fashioned magic as some brushed drums, mandolin, and Embry's tinkling of the ivory fill out the song's skeletal frame. Embry has just a small warble of a voice, but it carries immense weight. He can be airy and vague on the keys but only in the way that a great jazz pianist can." [7] Performer Magazine stated that with Tiny Prayers "Embry relies on a plethora of instruments to convey his thoughts and emotions. Despite the calm and minimalist approach to the album, he displays...a seasoned understanding of how to blend them all together into something captivating." [10]

Personal life

Aaron Embry is married; he and his wife Nikki have one child. [3]

Discography

Studio albums

TitleAlbum details
OFFBEAT
by OFFBEAT
  • Released: 2008 (recorded 1998)
  • Label: JesusWarhol
  • Formats: Mp3
  • Role: Piano, vocals
AmenNamO
by Amnion
Up from Below
by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
  • Released: July 7, 2009
  • Label: Vagrant
  • Formats: CD, digital download
  • Role: piano, some vocals
Tiny Prayers
by Aaron Embry
  • Released: September 18, 2012
  • Label: Community, Vagrant
  • Formats: CD, digital download
Life Ahead
by Aaron Embry
  • Released: November 10, 2016
  • Formats: digital download

Singles

TitleAlbum details
"Moon of the Daylit Sky"
by Aaron Embry
  • Released: 2012
  • Label: Community
  • Formats: Vinyl, 7"

Production credits

Related Research Articles

Kirk Hammett American guitarist (born 1962)

Kirk Lee Hammett is an American musician who has been the lead guitarist and a contributing songwriter for heavy metal band Metallica since 1983. Before joining Metallica he formed and named the band Exodus. In 2003, Hammett was ranked 11th on Rolling Stone's list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. In 2009, Hammett was ranked number 15 in Joel McIver's book The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists.

Staind American rock band

Staind is an American rock band formed in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1995. The original lineup consisted of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Aaron Lewis, lead guitarist Mike Mushok, bassist and backing vocalist Johnny April, and drummer Jon Wysocki. The lineup has been stable outside of the 2011 departure of Wysocki, who was replaced by Sal Giancarelli. Staind has recorded seven studio albums: Tormented (1996), Dysfunction (1999), Break the Cycle (2001), 14 Shades of Grey (2003), Chapter V (2005), The Illusion of Progress (2008), and Staind (2011). The band's activity became more sporadic after their self-titled release, with Lewis pursuing a solo country music career and Mushok subsequently joining the band Saint Asonia, but they have continued to tour on and off in the following years. In 2016, Lewis reiterated that the band had not broken up, and would possibly create another album, but that his then-current focus was on his solo career. The band reunited more permanently in 2019 for several shows, continuing with live appearances in 2020. Many of their singles have reached high positions on U.S. rock and all-format charts as well, including "It's Been Awhile", "Fade", "Price to Play", "So Far Away", and "Right Here".

Janes Addiction American rock band

Jane's Addiction is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1985. The band consists of vocalist Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Chris Chaney. Jane's Addiction was one of the first bands from the early 1990s alternative rock movement to gain both mainstream media attention and commercial success in the United States.

Goo Goo Dolls American rock band

The Goo Goo Dolls are an American rock band formed in 1986 in Buffalo, New York, by guitarist/vocalist John Rzeznik, bassist/vocalist Robby Takac, and drummer George Tutuska.

<i>Strays</i> (Janes Addiction album) 2003 studio album by Janes Addiction

Strays is the third studio album by American rock band Jane's Addiction, released on July 22, 2003, on Capitol Records. Released 13 years after Ritual de lo Habitual (1990), the album marks the band's longest gap between full studio albums, although the group had recorded and released two new songs six years prior on the compilation album Kettle Whistle (1997). Strays is the first album to feature bassist Chris Chaney. Regarding the decision to record a new studio album after such a long hiatus, drummer Stephen Perkins stated that the band had already completed two reunion tours performing old material, and that Jane's was ready for "a new challenge."

Dave Navarro American musician

David Michael Navarro is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and television personality. He is best known a member of the rock band Jane's Addiction, with whom he has recorded four studio albums. Between 1993 and 1998, Navarro was the guitarist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, recording one studio album, One Hot Minute (1995), before departing. He has also released one solo album, Trust No One (2001). Navarro has also been a member of Jane's Addiction-related bands Deconstruction and The Panic Channel.

Perry Farrell American singer, songwriter and musician

Perry Farrell is an American singer, songwriter and musician, best known as the frontman of the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction. Farrell created the touring festival Lollapalooza as a farewell tour for Jane's Addiction in 1991; it has since evolved into an annual destination festival. Farrell continues to produce Lollapalooza with partners William Morris Agency and C3 Presents. Farrell has also led the alternative rock groups Porno for Pyros and Satellite Party.

Eric Avery American musician

Eric Adam Avery is an American musician. He is best known as the former songwriter and bass guitarist of the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction, with whom he recorded two studio albums. He is currently the touring and recording bassist for Garbage, which he joined in 2005 as a sideman, and with whom he has recorded three studio albums.

Ethan Embry American actor

Ethan Philan Randall, known by his stage name Ethan Embry, is an American film and television actor. He is known for his role as Mark in Empire Records, Preston in Can't Hardly Wait, The Bass Player in That Thing You Do!, and as Bobby Ray in Sweet Home Alabama.

Stephen Perkins American musician and songwriter (born 1967)

Stephen Andrew Perkins is an American musician and songwriter. A drummer and percussionist, he currently plays with Jane's Addiction and Hellride.

<i>Crazy Horse</i> (album) 1971 studio album by Crazy Horse

Crazy Horse is the debut album by Crazy Horse, released in 1971 by Reprise Records. It is the only album by the band to feature Danny Whitten recorded without Neil Young, and it peaked at #84 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

Alex Ebert American singer-songwriter and composer

Alexander Michael Tahquitz Ebert is an American singer-songwriter and composer. He is best known for being the lead singer and songwriter for the American bands Ima Robot and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. On January 12, 2014, Ebert won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score for his musical score to the film All Is Lost (2013).

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros American folk rock band

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros is an American folk rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 2007. The group is led by singer Alex Ebert. The band's name is based on a story Ebert wrote in his youth, about a messianic figure named Edward Sharpe. Drawing from roots rock, folk, gospel, and psychedelic music, the band's image and sound evoke the hippie movement of the 1960s and 1970s. The group's first show was played July 18, 2007, at The Troubadour in West Hollywood, California. Their first studio album, Up from Below, was released on July 7, 2009, on Community Records and featured the popular single "Home". The group released their second full-length album, Here, on May 29, 2012, and third album, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, on July 23, 2013. Their fourth studio album, PersonA, was released in April 2016.

Avi Buffalo Musical artist

Avi Buffalo is an American musician, songwriter, and producer.

The Strangers (American band)

The Strangers were an American country band that formed in 1966 in Bakersfield, California. They mainly served as the backup band for singer-songwriter Merle Haggard, who named them after his first hit single "(My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers". In addition to serving as his backing band, members of the Strangers also produced many of Haggard's records, sang lead vocals on select tracks, and co-wrote many of Haggard's songs with him, including the No. 1 singles, "Okie From Muskogee" and "I Always Get Lucky with You".

<i>Here</i> (Edward Sharpe album) 2012 studio album by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Here is the second album from Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. It was preceded by Up from Below. Recorded at Adios Studios, a.k.a. the Ed Shed in Ojai, California and at Studio in the Country in Louisiana, it was released on May 29, 2012 by Vagrant Records and Rough Trade Records. It received mostly positive reviews, ranking #7 on Rolling Stone's Best Albums of 2012 list, saying "Frontman Alex Ebert sings earnestly about love and spirituality, letting his mind wander pleasantly over the band's homespun harmonies and easy-going folk-psych instrumentation."

<i>Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros</i> (album) 2013 studio album by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros is the third album by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. It was released on July 23, 2013 in North America and was released on July 29, 2013 around the world through Vagrant Records, Rough Trade Records and Communion Records. Frontman Alex Ebert stated that "These songs mean everything to me - It's the rawest, most liberated, most rambunctious stuff we've done."

Yosi Piamenta Orthodox Jewish musician

Yosi Piamenta was an Orthodox Jewish singer-songwriter and guitarist, known for introducing the electric guitar to Jewish music. Piamenta played rock and roll tunes, often infused with heavy rock licks and extended guitar solos – all while dressed in Orthodox Jewish religious clothing and singing Biblical Hebrew lyrics. Piamenta was widely acknowledged by rock critics as a guitar virtuoso.

<i>Piano Sutras</i> 2013 studio album by Matthew Shipp

Piano Sutras is a solo album by American jazz pianist Matthew Shipp, which was recorded in 2013 and released on Thirsty Ear's Blue Series.

Walter Martin is an American musician and songwriter best known as a founding member of the New York City indie rock bands The Walkmen and Jonathan Fire*Eater. Following the Walkmen's break-up in 2013, Martin launched a critically acclaimed solo career and has subsequently released seven studio albums.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Aaron Embry". IMDb.com. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  2. Ethan Embry profile, filmreference.com; accessed August 25, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "About Aaron Embry". AaronEmbry.com. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  4. "Amnion". Bandcamp.com. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  5. "Los Angeles Loves Amennamo". LAUnderground.net. February 21, 2008. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  6. "AmenNamO". CDBaby.com. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 Inman, D. "Aaron Embry :: Tiny Prayers Review". Aquarium Drunkard. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  8. 1 2 "Avi Buffalo artist bio". SubPop. Archived from the original on March 18, 2011. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  9. "Tiny Prayers". Allmusic.com. September 18, 2012. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  10. Bennett, Vanessa (October 25, 2012). "Aaron Embry". Performer Magazine.com. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 13, 2014.