Conrad Keely

Last updated
Conrad Keely
13-08-09 Taubertal Trail of Dead Conrad Keely 3.JPG
Keely on the Main Stage of the Taubertal Festival 2013
Background information
Also known asConrad Francis Sobsamai
Born15 May 1972 (1972-05-15) (age 52)
Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England
Genres Alternative rock, progressive rock, post-hardcore
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter, singer, artist
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, drums, piano
Years active1994–present
LabelsTrance Records, Merge Records, Interscope Records, Richter Scale, Superball Music
Website http://www.conradkeely.com/

Conrad Keely (born 15 May 1972) is a musician, artist, and writer known primarily as the lead singer for the American rock band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead.

Contents

Background

Born in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England [1] of Irish and Thai descent, [2] Keely grew up in the neighbouring town of Bedworth [3] before he and his mother moved to the U.S. state of Hawaii when he was five years old. [1] Keely and family returned to Bedworth when he was eight for three years before returning to the United States. [4] In 1988, while in high school in Oahu, Keely met Jason Reece, with whom he would later form ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. [2] Keely then moved with his mother to Olympia, Washington in 1989 where he attended The Evergreen State College. Reece joined Keely in Washington a short time later, and the two tried forming bands in Olympia's underground music scene. [5] Finding little success, [5] in 1994 Keely and Reece moved to Austin, Texas to form bands. [2] Before signing a contract to Interscope Records with ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Keely primarily worked clerical office jobs in Austin while playing with the band at night. [6]

Keely relocated from Austin to Brooklyn, New York in 2008, [2] and then moved to Phnom Penh, Cambodia in 2012 [7] [8] after being "fed up with American life." [9] Keely visited the country while travelling with his father after an ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead Australian tour and decided to stay. [9] Keely expressed being tired with America and moving overseas as early as 2003. [10] Since moving to Cambodia, he has traveled around the country, performing as part of a cultural exchange. [11] Although Keely does not speak Cambodian, he says the country is "a noisy place full of weird sounds – temples, monks chanting, loud speakers blaring, egg sellers and vendors. I need that chaos, and I think it helps that it’s in a language I don’t understand." [8] While Keely predominantly grew up in the United States, he holds and uses an Irish passport [9] [12] and is not an American citizen. [9] Keely moved back to Austin, Texas in 2018 to maintain his Green card status. [13]

Work

...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

Keely founded ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead with childhood friend and fellow musician Jason Reece in 1994 when the two moved to Austin, Texas. [14] Originally planning to form two bands, with Keely on vocals and guitar with Reece drumming in one band and switching roles in the other band, the two soon settled on one band where they swap duties depending on the song. [2] After initially a duo performing as You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, [15] the two soon expanded the name and the lineup. ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead quickly became known for their "anarchic" live shows and their sound, described by AllMusic 's Jason Ankeny as "an unlikely but powerful combination of punk fury and prog rock ambition." [16] By 1998 the group signed with Trance Records and released their eponymous debut album. After a second independent album, this time on Merge Records, the band signed to major-label Interscope Records in 2001. The critically acclaimed Source Tags & Codes was released in 2002, [17] and since then the band had released six more studio albums.

Solo work and other bands

Keely released his debut solo album, Original Machines , on January 22, 2016 on Superball Music. [18] Songs for the album were primarily written while traveling in Cambodia, but a few were written while on tour with ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, recording them in the back of the tour bus. [19] On the sound of his first work without the band, while speaking with Steve Bell of Australia's The Music, Keely said that he was "given more freedom to explore other textures and stuff that I might not usually" while having "the liberty to create something that's outside of [Trail of Dead's] rock paradigm." [20] He also plays wurlitzer and fiddle for Austin, Texas country-folk band Brothers and Sisters. [21]

Musical style and influence

Musical influence

Keely states in interviews that his biggest influences growing up were classic, progressive, and alternative rock; listening to bands like Pink Floyd, Rush, and The Replacements. [5] [10] [22] The style and sound of the Trail of Dead album Tao of the Dead came from such influences, like Pink Floyd's The Wall , Yes albums like Close to the Edge and Relayer, and Rush's Hemispheres , with Keely telling William Goodman of Spin that "I always liked listening to records that were just a continuous piece, like an orchestra or a symphony." [23] Bandmate Jason Reece claims he got Keely into punk music [5] and Keely makes the same claim for influence on Reece regarding prog, with the two swapping cassettes of music throughout school. [5] [10]

Musical style

Keely at a concert in 2005 Trail of Dead live 20050226 02.jpg
Keely at a concert in 2005

Keely's songwriting often shows the influence of progressive rock, as the aforementioned Tao of the Dead illustrates. Other songs often have political or social meaning characteristic of punk music; [24] for example, the song "Up to Infinity" from Lost Songs about the Syrian Civil War and the first track "Open Doors" is about human trafficking in Cambodia. [25] Many tracks on the album Worlds Apart are about social unrest in the United States after the attacks of September 11th and consumer culture, [26] [27] and Caryn Ganz of Spin described the writing on So Divided as "lyrically bleak." [28]

2014's IX showed a change in Keely's style to a much more introspective one in writing and sound. While never intentionally seeking to change musical direction, Keely says that he was going through "a lot of personal stuff" while writing the songs for the album and the result was a lyrically personal album. [20] After moving to Cambodia in 2012, Keely fathered a son. He and the mother split up prior to recording IX, and Keely admits that the sense of melancholy and loss came into the album, [20] with songs like "The Ghost Within" and "The Dragonfly Queen" reflecting these feelings and events. [29] The title of the album, IX, also reflects these feelings, being a reference to the planet Ix from Dune , a harsh and cold world that served as a prison. [29]

Artwork and writing

Keely is an avid visual artist. He claims he has been drawing his entire life and that he had an agent at the age of seventeen, displaying works at science fiction conventions. [10] He studied art at The Evergreen State College but claims he "didn't learn anything," and that he quit art "symbolically" to focus on music, as he cannot quit something that is part of who he is. [10] Keely considers himself a modern artist, and much of his work is inspired by comic illustration. He's stated his admiration for comics, that "they teach you how to draw." [30] Keely is a fan of the X-Men and even noted that, as a reference to Secret Wars , he wanted to include a New Mutants character in the collage cover art of Worlds Apart . [12] [31] Despite his enjoyment of comics and the lowbrow art movement, he's said he finds little emotion or enjoyment in modern art and that he prefers "old art." [30] Keely wrote an article for Filter magazine in 2003 titled, "Modern Art is Shit," [32] in which he lambasts the modern art movement. Keely noted that he received a considerable amount of criticism for the article. [32]

Keely has commonly incorporated his drawings and paintings into Trail of Dead's album art, designing and illustrating most all of their albums. [10] He believes the cover art and album packaging for Madonna played a part in ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead being noticed by Jimmy Iovine, co-founder of Interscope Records, which lead to their major label deal. [6] He has also done album art for other musicians and has displayed his art worldwide, [15] including a show also featuring Melissa Auf der Maur. [33]

Keely has been working on a science fiction graphic novel titled Strange News From Another Planet for many years. [11] [31] The story is "portions of [Trail of Dead's] mythology," [11] and artwork, characters, and themes from the story have been included in the ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead albums Tao of the Dead , Lost Songs , and the Tao of the Dead III EP. [11] [23]

Related Research Articles

<i>13 Songs</i> (Fugazi album) 1989 compilation album by Fugazi

13 Songs is a compilation album by the American post-hardcore band Fugazi, released on September 1, 1989 by Dischord Records. The album consists of all the songs from the band's first two EPs, Fugazi and Margin Walker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead</span> American post-hardcore band

...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, are an American alternative rock band from Austin, Texas, formed in 1994. The band's earliest stable lineup consisted of Conrad Keely, Jason Reece, Kevin Allen and Neil Busch, though for most of the band's history Keely and Reece were the core members with other musicians serving for varying lengths of time. Trail of Dead had a cult following and were known for their energetic and protracted live performances. Between 1998 and 2023, the band released eleven studio albums and five EPs along with one live album and twenty-two singles. The artwork for all of the albums was created by Keely using various media. This artwork has recurring mythical and historical themes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Reece</span> American drummer and vocalist

Jason Reece is a member of Austin, Texas rock band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, pulling double duties as both drummer and part-time frontman.

<i>Source Tags & Codes</i> 2002 studio album by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

Source Tags & Codes is the third album by American rock band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead and the first distributed by a major record label. It was released on February 26, 2002 to wide critical acclaim. The album is often cited as the band's finest work.

<i>...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead</i> (album) 1998 album

...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead is the first full-length release from rock band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. It was released in 1998 by Trance Syndicate.

<i>Relative Ways</i> 2001 EP by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

Relative Ways is an EP released by the band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead for Interscope Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toadies</span> American rock band

Toadies are an American rock band formed in 1989 in Fort Worth, Texas, best known for the song "Possum Kingdom". The band's classic lineup consisted of Vaden Todd Lewis, Lisa Umbarger, Darrel Herbert, and Mark Reznicek (drums). The band released two studio albums before disbanding in 2001 after Umbarger left the group. The band reformed and released the album No Deliverance in 2008. In 2010, they re-released the album Feeler with Kirtland Records. The band's most recent album, The Lower Side of Uptown, was released in September 2017.

<i>Worlds Apart</i> (...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead album) 2005 studio album by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

Worlds Apart is the fourth studio album by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. It was released on January 25, 2005 by Interscope Records and reached #92 on the UK Albums Chart.

<i>Madonna</i> (...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead album) 1999 studio album by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

Madonna is the second studio album by the American band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. It was released on October 19, 1999, by Merge Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Britt Daniel</span> American musician

John Britt Daniel is an American musician. He is the co-founder, lead singer and guitarist of the indie rock band Spoon, as well as the co-founder, guitarist, bassist, and singer of the band Divine Fits. Daniel also founded numerous other bands in the early 1990s.

<i>So Divided</i> 2006 studio album by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

So Divided is the fifth studio album by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead released in the UK on November 13, 2006 and in the US on November 14. It saw the band continuing to expand its sound, along the lines of its predecessor Worlds Apart.

<i>Festival Thyme</i> 2008 EP by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

Festival Thyme is an EP precursor to the full-length album The Century of Self by the American art rock band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. It was released through Richter Scale Records imprint, via Justice Records.

<i>The Century of Self</i> 2009 studio album by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

The Century of Self is the sixth studio album by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead.

Michael McCarthy is an American record producer, who has been recording music since 1984.

<i>Tao of the Dead</i> 2011 studio album by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

Tao of the Dead is the seventh studio album by Texas rock band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. The first single, "Summer of All Dead Souls", was posted on Spin.com on November 11, 2010, and later on SoundCloud. The digital single released officially on November 29. The album released on CD digipak format, including a limited edition two-disc booklet with 30 minutes of bonus music.

<i>Adult Swim Presents: ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead on Tour with Dethklok</i> 2007 EP

Adult Swim Presents: ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead on Tour with Dethklok is a split EP released by Dethklok and ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. It was released for free at concerts to coincide with their shared 2007–2008 tour. The EP features a CD that includes songs from both bands, and a DVD that features Metalocalypse promo videos.

<i>Lost Songs</i> (...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead album) 2012 studio album by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

Lost Songs is the eighth studio album by Austin, Texas art rock outfit ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, released October 22, 2012 on Superball Music.

<i>IX</i> (...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead album) 2014 studio album by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

IX is the ninth studio album by the Austin, Texas alternative rock rock band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, released October 20, 2014, on Superball Music.

<i>Original Machines</i> 2016 studio album by Conrad Keely

Original Machines is the debut solo album by Conrad Keely, primary singer and songwriter of Austin, Texas-based rock band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. Original Machines was released worldwide on January 22, 2016, on Superball Music. The third track from the album, "In Words of a Not So Famous Man," was released streaming on the internet by Superball on November 12, 2015.

<i>X: The Godless Void and Other Stories</i> 2020 studio album by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

X: The Godless Void and Other Stories is the tenth studio album by Austin, Texas alternative rock outfit ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, released January 17, 2020 on Dine Alone Records.

References

  1. 1 2 "Trail Of Dead to play Birmingham Academy - Conrad Keely interview « Express & Star". www.expressandstar.com. Retrieved 2015-11-21.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Orlando Sentinel: "Trail Of Dead - The Real Story" By Michael Corcoran March 4, 2002
  3. ↑ "hybridmagazine.com :: indie counter-culture daily, no secret handshakes". www.hybridmagazine.com. Retrieved 2015-11-21.
  4. ↑ "TLOBF Interview :: ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Niesel, Jeff. "A Sign of the Times: ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead delves into world affairs". Cleveland Scene. Retrieved 2015-11-21.
  6. 1 2 "Interviews: And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  7. ↑ "The 405 meets ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead". The 405. Retrieved 2015-11-21.
  8. 1 2 "Interview: Conrad Keely from ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead | Echoes And Dust". echoesanddust.com. 28 July 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-21.
  9. 1 2 3 4 entertaim.net (2012-10-25). "Interview with Conrad "Cambodia on my mind"" . Retrieved 2012-10-25.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead". freewilliamsburg.com. Retrieved 2015-11-21.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Conrad Keely keeps Trail of Dead alive". SFGate. 7 November 2012. Retrieved 2015-11-21.
  12. 1 2 "The Ship Is Sinking: An Interview With ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead". PopMatters. Retrieved 2015-11-21.
  13. ↑ "Trail of Dead's Conrad Keely on Leaving Cambodia and the Band's First LP in 6 Years". Flood Magazine. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
  14. ↑ "And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - BandPage". BandPage. Archived from the original on 2015-09-06. Retrieved 2015-11-20.
  15. 1 2 "Superball Music - ...AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD". www.superballmusic.com. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  16. ↑ "...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead | Biography & History | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-11-24.
  17. ↑ "Source Tags & Codes by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead". Metacritic. Retrieved 2015-11-20.
  18. ↑ "...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead's Conrad Keely Announces Solo Album Original Machines". Pitchfork. 12 November 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-20.
  19. ↑ "Trail Of Dead's Conrad Keely Releasing Solo Album ::Trail Of Dead News ::antiMusic.com". www.antimusic.com. Retrieved 2015-11-21.
  20. 1 2 3 "Deliberately Making Non-Commercial Music". theMusic. Retrieved 2015-11-21.
  21. ↑ "Brothers and Sisters Bio, History, Info on JamBase". www.jambase.com. Retrieved 2015-11-20.
  22. ↑ "...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead's Conrad Keely". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2015-11-21.
  23. 1 2 "EXCLUSIVE: New Trail of Dead Song! | SPIN". Spin. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  24. ↑ Sabin (1999), pp. 4, 226; Dalton, Stephen, "Revolution Rock," Vox, June 1993. See also Laing (1985), pp. 27–32, for a statistical comparison of lyrical themes.
  25. ↑ "Album Review: ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead Lost Songs". Consequence of Sound. 26 October 2012. Retrieved 2015-11-25.
  26. ↑ "...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead Worlds Apart | Album Review | Slant Magazine". Slant Magazine. 24 January 2005. Retrieved 2015-11-25.
  27. ↑ "...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead: Worlds Apart". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2015-11-25.
  28. ↑ "...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, 'So Divided' (Interscope) | SPIN". Spin. Retrieved 2015-11-25.
  29. 1 2 "...Trail of Dead's track by track guide to new album 'IX'". DrownedInSound. Archived from the original on 2015-11-25. Retrieved 2015-11-25.
  30. 1 2 "Q&A with Conrad Keely of ... And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead". Westword. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  31. 1 2 "The Marvel Life: ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead | Marvel Heroes | News | Marvel.com". marvel.com. Archived from the original on 2015-11-21. Retrieved 2015-11-21.
  32. 1 2 "FILTER Magazine - Exclusives - 10 Years of FILTER: Issue #5 - EndNote: "Abstract Art Is Shit" by Conrad Keely". filtermagazine.com. Retrieved 2015-11-25.
  33. ↑ "Thurston Moore, Trail of Dead's Keely Get Arty in NYC". Pitchfork. 23 October 2008. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
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.