Brian Vander Ark

Last updated

Brian Vander Ark
Brian Vander Ark 07 20 2016 -3 (28180374074).jpg
Brian Vander Ark performing in 2016
Background information
Born (1964-06-19) June 19, 1964 (age 60)
Origin Grand Rapids, Michigan
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, guitarist, public speaker, actor, screenwriter
WebsiteBrianvanderark.com

Brian Vander Ark (born June 19, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter best known as lead singer for the band The Verve Pipe.

Contents

Music

Ark joined the band His Boy Elroy as a guitarist.[ when? ] He eventually quit and started the band Johnny with an Eye with his brother, Brad Vander Ark. In 1992, he disbanded Johnny with an Eye to form The Verve Pipe with Brad, drummer Donny Brown and guitarist Brian Stout. The band recorded two independent albums I've Suffered A Head Injury and Pop Smear.

The Verve Pipe's major label debut, Villains , featured the Vander Ark-penned single "The Freshmen", the group's highest-charting single and one of the most successful multi-format tracks of 1997. "Never Let You Down," the lead single from the band's 2001 album, Underneath , was one of the Top 50 Most Played songs for Adult Top 40 and Modern A/C radio in 2001.

Brian Vander Ark released his first solo album, Resurrection, in May 2003. He toured extensively in support of the album, including a double-bill acoustic tour with Butch Walker. Vander Ark's second solo release, Angel, Put Your Face On, was released in May 2006, followed by a self-titled third record in January 2008, produced by Bill Szymczyk. Bill Szymczyk then produced Brian's followup, Magazine, in 2011.

In 2016, Brian released an album of story songs with actor/songwriter Jeff Daniels.

Acting

Vander Ark acted in the film Rock Star in 2001. Vander Ark played bassist Ricki Bell, of the fictional band Blood Pollution. The film also featured performances by Zakk Wylde, Jason Bonham, Myles Kennedy, Blas Elias and Nick Catanese. Vander Ark wrote the song "Colorful", which appears at the end of the film, sung by the Chris Cole Band, and simulated by Mark Wahlberg. Vander Ark recorded vocals of this song on the film's soundtrack. The song is on album Underneath , by The Verve Pipe . He has also appeared in several independent films, including director Matthew Leutwyler's Road Kill, Dead and Breakfast, and Unearthed. Vander Ark also composed the musical scores for Dead & Breakfast and Unearthed.

Filmography

Discography

Albums

Live Releases

Singles

DVD Releases

Sources

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magma (band)</span> French progressive rock band

Magma is a French progressive rock band founded in Paris in 1969 by self-taught drummer Christian Vander, who claimed as his inspiration a "vision of humanity's spiritual and ecological future" that profoundly disturbed him. The style of progressive rock that Vander developed with Magma is termed "Zeuhl", and has been applied to other bands in France operating in the same period, and to some recent Japanese bands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shudder to Think</span> American rock band

Shudder to Think was an American alternative rock band. Formed in 1986, they released three albums on the Washington, D.C.-based label Dischord Records, and two on Epic Records. Their early work was largely influenced by post-hardcore although they gradually drew upon a wide range of stylistic influences, including power pop and glam rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Verve Pipe</span> American alternative rock band

The Verve Pipe is an American rock band from Michigan. It was formed in 1992 in East Lansing by Brian Vander Ark, Brian Stout, and Donny Brown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angel Witch</span> English heavy metal band

Angel Witch are a British heavy metal band which formed in London in 1976. Despite never achieving major success, they were an integral part of the early 1980s new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) movement, and have been acknowledged as an influence by many bands of the then-emerging thrash, speed, doom and extreme metal genres. Angel Witch have released five studio albums to date, and have undergone numerous lineup changes throughout their 48-year career, leaving frontman and lead guitarist Kevin Heybourne as the only constant member.

<i>Rock Star</i> (2001 film) 2001 film by Stephen Herek

Rock Star is a 2001 American musical comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Herek from a script by John Stockwell, and starring Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston. It tells the story of Chris "Izzy" Cole, a tribute band singer who ascends to the position of lead vocalist in his favorite band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurt Rosenwinkel</span> American jazz musician and bandleader

Kurt Rosenwinkel is an American jazz guitarist, composer, bandleader, producer, educator, keyboardist and record label owner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Catanese</span> American guitarist

Nick Catanese is an American musician. He is best known as a former rhythm guitarist for heavy metal band Black Label Society. He supported lead player Zakk Wylde, who has commented that "If I'm Keith Richards, he's Mick Taylor". In 2018, Catanese was found guilty of sexual misconduct with a minor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Szymczyk</span> American record producer (born 1943)

William Frank Szymczyk is an American music producer and recording engineer best known for working with rock and blues musicians, most notably the Eagles in the 1970s. He produced many top albums and singles of the 1970s, though—aside from continuing to work with Joe Walsh—he retired from the music business in 1990. He re-emerged in the late 2000s, taking on select projects including the 2007 Eagles album Long Road Out of Eden and the 2008 eponymous debut of Brian Vander Ark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Scott Soto</span> American rock singer

Jeff Scott Soto is an American rock singer of Puerto Rican descent. He is perhaps best known for being the vocalist on Yngwie Malmsteen's first two albums, and the lead vocalist for Journey in 2006–07.

<i>Ive Suffered a Head Injury</i>

I've Suffered a Head Injury is an EP by The Verve Pipe. It was originally released in 1992 as the band's debut album. This rare 10-track album version contains two songs written by original lead guitarist Brian Stout and an acoustic recording of "The Freshmen", which the band re-recorded for its hit 1996 album Villains. Later in 1992, the band released the album in EP form on LMNO Pop. The 1995 rerelease has the same track listing as the original EP.

<i>Villains</i> (The Verve Pipe album) 1996 studio album by the Verve Pipe

Villains is the third studio album and first major label release by American rock band the Verve Pipe. It was released in March 1996. The band received its first hit in "Photograph", which peaked in the top 10 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks. A year after the release of the album, a reformatted version of "The Freshmen" peaked at number 1 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. The single was also the band's sole appearance on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number 5. The success of the song helped this album go platinum. To date, it is the Verve Pipe's best selling album. The album was originally pressed in a blue case to match the color of the artwork, which included the slower recording of "The Freshmen," before it was later re-recorded and added to subsequent pressings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Freshmen (song)</span> 1997 single by the Verve Pipe

"The Freshmen" is a song by American alternative rock band the Verve Pipe. Released in January 1997 as the third single from their second studio album Villains, the song became the band's breakthrough hit and is the group's highest-charting single, peaking at number five on the US Billboard Hot 100, number six in Canada, and number 28 in Australia.

<i>Pop Smear</i> 1993 studio album by The Verve Pipe

Pop Smear is a studio album by the Verve Pipe, released in 1993. The album sold around 50,000 copies, which resulted in interest from major labels. The band signed with RCA Records, and the album was rereleased in 1996.

<i>Underneath</i> (The Verve Pipe album) 2001 studio album by The Verve Pipe

Underneath is the fourth studio album by The Verve Pipe, released in 2001. Produced by Adam Schlesinger, the album's power-pop sound was a departure from the darker, textured sonics of The Verve Pipe and Villains. "Never Let You Down", the album's lead single, was one of the Top 50 Most Played songs for Adult Top 40 and Modern A/C radio in 2001.

<i>The Verve Pipe</i> (album) 1999 studio album by The Verve Pipe

The Verve Pipe is the third studio album by Michigan rock band the Verve Pipe, released on July 27, 1999. The band's second release for RCA Records, the album followed the platinum-selling Villains and its mammoth single, "The Freshmen". The band worked with Soundgarden producer Michael Beinhorn and created a generally dark, sonically textured grunge-pop album. The lead single "Hero" received sporadic airplay on alternative rock radio and its video was in rotation on MTV2 in late summer 1999.

Underneath or The Underneath may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sick Puppies</span> Australian rock band

Sick Puppies are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1997. After releasing their debut album Welcome to the Real World in 2001, the band rose to prominence in 2006 when their song "All the Same" was uploaded, along with a video, to YouTube. The video supported the Free Hugs Campaign, which was launched in Sydney by Juan Mann, and has since received over 78 million views on the website. This success was followed up with their second studio album, Dressed Up as Life, in 2007, which entered the Billboard 200 at number 181. Their third studio album, Tri-Polar, came out in 2009. The band's fourth studio album, Connect, was released in 2013. They released their fifth studio album, Fury, in 2016 with new vocalist Bryan Scott after Shimon Moore was fired from the band in October 2014.

Papa Vegas is a rock band from the 1990s. They released two studio albums and were signed to RCA Records.

Second Motion Records is part of Second Motion Entertainment based in Carrboro, North Carolina. The Label was founded in Chapel Hill, NC by Stephen Judge, who is the former manager of the rock band Athenaeum as well as the former General Manager/A&R Director of Redeye Distribution and Yep Roc Records. Judge has also worked with such artists as: Liam Finn, Bell X1, John Doe, Paul Weller, Public Enemy, Daniel Lanois, Martin Sexton, Sloan, Concrete Blonde, The Supersuckers and others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brett Newski</span> American singer-songwriter

Brett Newski is a North American nomad, songwriter, podcaster, illustrator, author, and Alternative guitarist for the Milwaukee, Wisconsin indie rock band NEWSKI. He has collaborated on songs with Matthew Caws of Nada Surf, Steven Page of Barenaked Ladies, Ryan Miller of Guster, H Burns, and Brian Vander Ark of The Verve Pipe.