Alex Ebert

Last updated

Alex Ebert
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes.jpg
Alex Ebert performing with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros in 2009.
Background information
Birth nameAlexander Michael Tahquitz Ebert
Also known asEdward Sharpe
Born (1978-05-12) May 12, 1978 (age 45)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres Indie rock, psychedelic rock, pop rock, folk
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, composer
Instrument(s)Vocals, multi-instrumentalist
Years active1997–present
Labels Virgin Records, Rough Trade Records, Vagrant Records, Community Music, Echo Park Records, Werewolf Heart

Alexander Michael Tahquitz Ebert (born May 12, 1978) 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).

Contents

Early life

Ebert was born in Los Angeles in 1978, the son of a psychotherapist, Michael Ebert, and actress Lisa Richards. His father would often take the family on long car trips through the desert. On one such trip, his mother took a video of his father chanting in the desert, cradling Alex's baby sister Gabi, which would one day become a part of the video for the Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros song "Desert Song". [1] His grandfather Carl Ebert had been Intendant of Deutsche Oper, Berlin; he also was a famous actor trained by Max Reinhardt.

His full birth name is Alexander Michael Tahquitz Ebert, as his father took one of his son's names from his favorite climbing rock, Tahquitz Rock. Alex later discovered that Tahquitz is the name of a "demon" in the Native American language of the Cahuilla people. [2]

His father influenced young Alexander by playing music by artists like Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, and Johnny Cash. He also cites 60s R&B, Pavarotti, and Beethoven as influences, as well as his elementary school (Children's Community School) teacher, a woman from South Africa named Ruth Belonsky. Ebert enjoyed listening to hip-hop as a teenager, and originally intended to be a rapper. [3]

Following a school project on Marlon Brando, Ebert developed an affection for film and cinematic studies. His mother supported his budding passion and Ebert consequently was enrolled in extracurricular filmmaking classes. Ebert attended Oakwood School for high school, and then Emerson College for a time before dropping out. [4] After dropping out, Ebert directed a short film and wrote several screenplays. He attributes the revival of his interest in professional music to his childhood friends and excessive drug usage during that period of his life. [5]

Career

Ima Robot

Ebert began writing and recording music (primarily rap) with his longtime friend Tim "Timmy the Terror" Anderson in 1997. The duo, occasionally joined by local DJs and longtime friends Oliver "Oligee" Goldstein and Jason "One Three/ComputerJay" Taylor, recorded demos under various names with various other members until they settled on a final name in 1999, Ima Robot, which originated from an inside joke between Anderson and Ebert. With Goldstein as an official third member, Ima Robot began recording demos and performing shows around Los Angeles. The band was signed to Virgin Records on 2002. Their first full-length album released on September 6, 2003, was the self-titled Ima Robot, which featured the singles "Dynomite" and "Song #1". After the departure of Goldstein (and other members), bassist Filip Nikolic joined in 2005. On September 12, 2006, Ima Robot released their second album Monument to the Masses which featured the singles "Creeps Me Out" and "Lovers in Captivity". In April 2007, the band won their independence from Virgin Records and continued to work unsigned under the management of Alexis Rivera of Echo Park Records. The song "Gangster" premiered on the band's MySpace on April 15, 2008, with its lyrics posted in a blog entry by the band. In 2010 the band announced the upcoming release of their new album, Another Man's Treasure , and released the song "Ruthless" on the Internet. They are now being represented by Anderson's Werewolf Heart label. [6] Ebert was quoted as saying that "most of the songs were recorded between two and four years ago", but that he looks forward to making music with Anderson and Nikolic again. [7] Ebert expressed frustration with the corporate limitations on the band, saying he "pretty unironically ended up feeling like a robot by the end of the process because of the major label thing." [8]

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Alex Ebert with Jade Castrinos at Bonnaroo AlexEbert JadeCastrinos 20130616.jpg
Alex Ebert with Jade Castrinos at Bonnaroo

After years of his Los Angeles party lifestyle and subsequent drug addiction, Ebert broke up with his then-girlfriend, moved out of his house, and spent some time in rehab.[ citation needed ] During this time, he developed Edward Sharpe, his alter ego. "I don't want to put too much weight on it, because in some ways it's just a name that I came up with. But I guess if I look deeper, I do feel like I had lost my identity in general. I really didn't know what was going on or who I was anymore. Adopting another name helped me open up an avenue to get back." [9] Ebert developed Sharpe into a messianic figure, saying "He was sent down to Earth to kinda heal and save mankind, but he kept getting distracted by girls and falling in love."

Though the band would eventually grow into an ensemble of – at various points – even more than 10 people, Ebert began initial writing and recording completely alone, doing "the horn lines with my mouth or a kazoo on the demos" and "all the background vocals layering [him]self, pretending that there were people there." [8] The band began to take shape with the addition of singer Jade Castrinos, whom he saw sitting on an outdoor bench and immediately knew he needed to have a relationship with. Their resultant affair formed the seeds of what would become Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. [1] They started writing music together, and became a part of the art and music collective The Masses, which was partially started by some seed money from actor Heath Ledger. [10] While their relationship did not last, the group took off in a big way, and their group soon swelled to more than 10 members, some of whom had been Ebert's friends since he was young. By summer 2009, they were touring the country. Their first album, Up from Below , was released in July 2009. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman on May 10, 2012, promoting their next album entitled Here, which was released on May 29, 2012. Their third full-length album, self-titled Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros , was released on July 23, 2013. They again appeared on the Late Show to promote the album, performing the track "Life Is Hard".

On their most recent album, PersonA , Ebert tried to evolve, stating, "In a lot of ways this album does things that are missing." He went on to discuss why the name Edward Sharpe is crossed out on the cover, saying, "There was no character to begin with, so why not kill him? He never really was there. If anything, and at most, Edward Sharpe was a vehicle for me to get to slough off whatever I had become up until that point, and to get back to or sort of allow my pure self to come forth into sort of a clean slate." [8]

Solo career

In 2011, Ebert released his first solo album, Alexander . He appeared on Conan on September 12, 2011, to promote his solo album.

On August 4, 2015, it was announced that Ebert would appear as the lead singer on Avicii's single "For a Better Day" from his album Stories .

"Feel the Bern" was added to Ebert's SoundCloud [11] on September 30, 2015. The anthem celebrates the movement surrounding Bernie Sanders and compels people to "Feel the Bern", which was a slogan of Bernie's 2016 & 2020 presidential campaigns.

Ebert's second non-soundtrack solo album I vs I was released on January 31, 2020. Ebert has said that I vs I is “The most in-my-emotions, emo, self-centered album that I’ve probably ever made, but it’s been part of my process to get back to myself.” [12]

Theatre

Ebert wrote the song "Daddy Knows Best" for SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical. As part of the team of songwriters who contributed to the score (which included Cyndi Lauper, Panic! At the Disco, and John Legend), Ebert was awarded the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Score (Broadway or Off-Broadway) and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Original Score.[ citation needed ]

Personal life

Ebert has a daughter with former partner Roehm Hepler-Gonzalez. [13] Ebert began a relationship with actress Jena Malone in 2019. [14]

Discography

With Ima Robot
With Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
Solo

Awards and nominations

AssociationYearCategoryWorkResultRef(s)
Golden Globe Awards 2014 Best Original Score All Is Lost Won [15]
Grammy Awards 2013 Best Long Form Music Video Big Easy ExpressWon [16]
Tony Awards 2018 Best Original Score SpongeBob SquarePants Nominated [17]

Related Research Articles

Ima Robot is an American band based in Los Angeles, California, United States, that formed in the late 1990s. They have released several albums, EPs, and singles, most notably Ima Robot in 2003, Search and Destroy and Monument to the Masses in 2006, and Another Man's Treasure in 2010. The band's song, "Greenback Boogie", a B-side to Another Man's Treasure, is the main theme song of the USA Network legal drama series Suits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aaron Embry</span> American songwriter and record producer

Aaron Embry 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.

<i>Ima Robot</i> (album) 2003 studio album by Ima Robot

Ima Robot is the first full-length album by Ima Robot. It was released on Virgin Records in 2003.

The Deadly Syndrome was a musical group based in Los Angeles, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Meldal-Johnsen</span> American musician and producer (born 1970)

Justin Meldal-Johnsen is an American musician, record producer, songwriter and musical director. He is best known for his work with artists such as Poppy, Beck, Paramore, Nine Inch Nails, M83, Air, and St. Vincent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros</span> American folk rock band

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros was an American folk rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 2005. The group was 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.

Tyler James Geertsma is an American singer/songwriter based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is best known for his work as a solo recording artist and as keyboardist in Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.

<i>Up from Below</i> 2009 studio album by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Up from Below is the first full-length album from Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. It was preceded by Here Comes EP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">40 Day Dream/Geez Louise</span> 2009 single by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

"40 Day Dream"/"Geez Louise" is a 7" vinyl single released in the UK to succeed the album Up from Below by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. It appeared on the sixth episode of the third season of Chuck ; Episode 2 of HBO's Hung; Jimmy Kimmel Live! on November 11, 2010; and Conan on December 15, 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Family of the Year</span> American indie rock band

Family of the Year is an American indie rock band based in Los Angeles, California. It consists of members Joseph Keefe (vocals/guitar), Sebastian Keefe (drums/vocals), James Buckey (guitar/vocals), and Christina Schroeter (keyboard/vocals). Their music uses melodic male/female vocal harmonies and folktale-style lyrics. They are best known for their 2012 song "Hero", which was featured in Richard Linklater's 2014 film Boyhood and became a top 10 hit in Austria, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland.

<i>Another Mans Treasure</i> 2010 studio album by Ima Robot

Another Man's Treasure is the third album by Ima Robot. It was released by Werewolf Heart Records on September 18, 2010. It was made available on iTunes, and listeners could purchase the album through the band's site, which offered several different editions and other items, including tote bags, bonus tracks and T-shirts. All orders, other than the digital download came with a downloadable copy of the band's 2006 EP Search and Destroy and four b-side tracks.

<i>Alexander</i> (Alex Ebert album) 2011 studio album by Alex Ebert

Alexander is the debut studio album by American musician Alex Ebert, lead singer of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and Ima Robot. It was released on March 1, 2011 under the Community Records label. The song "Truth" was featured in the season 4 premiere of AMC's Breaking Bad titled "Box Cutter". The lead single “A Million Years” was featured in the season 4 episode "Chuck Versus the Wedding Planner" in the NBC series Chuck.

<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."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Home (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros song)</span> 2010 single by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

"Home" is a song written and recorded by American group Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. It was released in January 2010 as the second single from the album, Up from Below. The song came in at number 73 on Australian radio station Triple J's 100 hottest songs of the past 20 years.

<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."

<i>PersonA</i> 2016 studio album by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

PersonA is the fourth and final studio album by the band Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. It was released on April 15, 2016.

<i>Every Mother Counts 2012</i> 2012 compilation album by various artists

Every Mother Counts 2012 is the second compilation album in Starbucks' annual series, released by Hear Music on May 1, 2012. Featuring thirteen previously unavailable tracks, the album was sold exclusively at Starbucks locations and benefited Christy Turlington's Every Mother Counts foundation, which seeks to increase childbirth safety for mothers. The compilation received a positive critical reception.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orpheo McCord</span> American composer

Orpheo McCord is an American composer and percussionist. He is an original member of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and a former member of The Fall, Fool's Gold and Cass McCombs. His debut solo album, Recovery Inhale, was released on January 26, 2018. His second album, Music for Ketamine Therapy Vol. I, was released on October 8, 2023.

<i>Angel Miners & the Lightning Riders</i> 2020 studio album by Awolnation

Angel Miners & the Lightning Riders is the fourth studio album by American rock band Awolnation, and their first release since Here Come the Runts in 2018. It is also their first release under Better Noise Music. It was released on April 24, 2020.

Mark Noseworthy is a Canadian musician and composer based in Los Angeles. He is a member of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and has a solo project called Terri Terri. He is also a composer for television and film, including I'm Dying Up Here on Showtime.

References

  1. 1 2 "The Watch Newspapers – Dynamic Charismatic and Determined to Set the Soul Free". Telluridewatch.com. November 2, 2009. Retrieved August 23, 2010.[ permanent dead link ]
  2. ↑ Warren, Katherine (June 18, 2010). "Barefoot on a summer night". Telluride Daily Planet. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  3. ↑ Advertise on MotherJones.com (January 4, 2010). "Music Monday: 15 Minutes With Alex Ebert (aka Edward Sharpe)". Mother Jones. Archived from the original on August 30, 2010. Retrieved August 23, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Aanmelden bij". Facebook.com.
  5. ↑ "Face Culture Interview With Alex Ebert". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Ruthless – From the upcoming album Another Man's Treasure". Ima Robot. Retrieved August 23, 2010.
  7. ↑ kevin (June 2, 2010). "Video: Ima Robot, 'Ruthless' —". Buzzbands.la. Archived from the original on July 25, 2010. Retrieved August 23, 2010.
  8. 1 2 3 "Edward Sharpe Is Dead: Alex Ebert on The Magnetic Zeros' Pursuit of Failure, Identity, and Unrealism — TRANSVERSO". Transversomedia.com. April 1, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  9. ↑ McDonald, Scott (November 6, 2009). "Edward Sharpe, aka Alex Ebert, finds himself with The Magnetic Zeros". Sdnn.com. Archived from the original on August 31, 2010. Retrieved August 23, 2010.
  10. ↑ Randall Roberts (July 1, 2008). "Heath Ledger's Final Days Among the Masses – Page 1 – Film+TV – Los Angeles". LA Weekly. Archived from the original on July 9, 2010. Retrieved August 23, 2010.
  11. ↑ "THE BERN by AlexanderEbert | Alexander Ebert | Free Listening on SoundCloud". Archived from the original on October 6, 2015. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Uninhibited Instinct & Creative Freedom: Alex Ebert on His Unapologetic Album 'I vs I'". Atwood Magazine. January 31, 2020. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros are creating a new "PersonA"". ihsstatesman.com.
  14. ↑ "Her Love: Musician Alex Ebert in conversation with partner and actor Jena Malone". heromagazine.com.
  15. ↑ "Alex Ebert | Golden Globes". Hollywood Foreign Press Association . Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Alex Ebert | Grammy Awards". The Recording Academy . Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  17. ↑ Kiefer, Halle (June 10, 2018). "Here Are Your 2018 Tony Award Winners". Vulture . Retrieved August 13, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.