Dean Fertita

Last updated
Dean Fertita
14-06-07 RiP Queens of the Stone Age Troy van Leeuwen 1.JPG
Fertita performing with Queens Of The Stone Age in 2014.
Background information
Born (1970-09-06) September 6, 1970 (age 53)
Origin Royal Oak, Michigan, United States
Genres
Occupation(s)
Instruments
Labels

Dean Anthony Fertita (born September 6, 1970) is an American rock multi-instrumentalist. [1] He is best known as a keyboardist and occasional guitarist of the hard rock band Queens of the Stone Age, and as the guitarist and keyboardist for the Dead Weather.

Contents

Fertita was the lead singer and guitarist of the Waxwings from the band's formation in 1997 to its breakup in 2005. Fertita then moved on to collaborate with Brendan Benson, playing keyboards and guitar on Benson's solo releases and as a touring keyboard player for the Raconteurs. In 2007, Fertita joined Queens of the Stone Age to replace the late Natasha Shneider on keyboards and occasionally guitar on some songs.

In 2015, Fertita collaborated with his Queens of the Stone Age bandmate Josh Homme in recording Iggy Pop's studio album, Post Pop Depression (2016), and in 2019 he joined the Raconteurs as a sideman in support of their third studio album, Help Us Stranger .

Fertita has released two solo albums to date, with his first being released under the name Hello=Fire in 2009, and his second under the name Tropical Gothclub in 2022.

Recording career

Reigndance

Fertita was a member of the band Reigndance from 1989–97 and appeared briefly on the first season of MTV's The Real World.

The Waxwings

In 1997 Fertita formed the power pop band The Waxwings [1] along with bassist Kevin Peyok, drummer James Edmunds and guitarist Dominic Romano. The band's name, as well as the name of their debut record, was derived from the first line of a poem in Vladimir Nabokov's novel Pale Fire : [2] In 2000 The Waxwings signed with Bobsled Records and began work on their debut album, Low to the Ground, recorded at Terrarium Studios in Minneapolis, Minnesota with Bryan Hanna. The albums was featured in Magnet Magazine's Top 20 albums of 2000–2001. [3] In 2002 the band released their second album Shadows Of... After the band's release party a letter surfaced, in which Bobslead Records head, Bob Salerno, ridiculed the band for what he considered to be a poor live performance. The letter gained notoriety after being posted on the internet entertainment forum the Velvet Rope.

After the controversy with Salerno the band released their third album – recorded with Brendan Benson – Let's Make Our Descent on Rainbow Quartz Records in 2004. [4] In 2005 the band stated on its official website that work had begun on songs for a fourth studio album. [5] Since then members of the band have been involved with other projects and no information regarding the band's status have been released.

Brendan Benson collaboration

After The Waxwings broke up in 2004, Fertita was recruited by Brendan Benson to play keyboard on Benson's two-man British acoustic tour [6] Fertita and Benson first met each other via mutual friends in high school, and soon established a working relationship. [7] Fertita cites Benson as a big influence, inspiring him to focus more energy on song writing instead of loud riffs. [7] When Benson formed The Raconteurs Fertita was recruited to play keyboards and organ on the tour in support of the Broken Boy Soldiers album. [1] Fertita also recorded clavinet parts for the band's second studio album Consolers of the Lonely in 2008. [8] Benson also produced and made several contributions to Fertita's debut solo album.

Queens of the Stone Age

Homme, Fertita and Shuman in 2007. QOTSA mg 5853.jpg
Homme, Fertita and Shuman in 2007.

During the tour with the Raconteurs, Fertita got to know the band's sound man Hutch, who is also the long time sound man of Queens of the Stone Age. [9] In 2007, Hutch asked Fertita to join the Queens of the Stone Age as their new keyboardist and additional guitarist, replacing the late Natasha Shneider. Fertita accepted and along with newly recruited bassist Michael Shuman [10] recorded later bonus tracks. Era Vulgaris was released on June 12, 2007 and was followed by the Duluth Tour, which was named due to the fact that the band was scheduled to perform in many small towns and cities they had never played before, such as Duluth, Minnesota. [11] On August 16, 2008, Queens of the Stone Age performed a concert in celebration of Natasha Shneider's life at the Henry Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles. They were joined on stage by Alain Johannes, Jack Black, Kyle Gass, Matt Cameron, Brody Dalle, Jesse Hughes, Chris Goss and PJ Harvey, playing a variety of QOTSA and non-QOTSA songs. Proceeds from the concert went to defray the costs associated with Natasha’s illness. In 2009 the members of the band took time off and were involved in a variety of other projects, but reconvened in the summer of 2010 to play a number of shows in support of a reissue of Rated R which was released on August 3. They released a remastered version of their first self-titled album early 2011 which was supported with performances of the album in its entirety.

In 2013, Queens of the Stone Age released ...Like Clockwork, their first full album since Fertita joined the band. On the album, Fertita plays piano, guitar, slide guitar, synthesizers, clavinet and provides background vocals. The album was the first Queens album to reach number one on the Billboard 200. It also reached number two on the UK Albums Chart and was nominated for three Grammy Awards, including Best Rock Album.

The Dead Weather

Dean Fertita (far left) along with The Dead Weather. Dead Weather.jpg
Dean Fertita (far left) along with The Dead Weather.

In 2009 Fertita along with Jack White on drums, Alison Mosshart on lead vocals, and Jack Lawrence on bass formed The Dead Weather. [12] The group originally only intended to record a 7-inch single but plans changed and the band wrote and recorded their debut album in fifteen days. [13] The band's debut album – Horehound – was released July 14, 2009 and was followed by a supporting tour. In October 2009 lead vocalist Mosshart confirmed that a second album was "halfway done". [14] Later, White revealed in an interview that the band is hoping to have 20 to 25 songs ready for their Australian tour in March 2010. [15] It was later confirmed that the first single from the new album – Sea of Cowards – would be called "Die by the Drop" which was released March 30. The Sea of Cowards Tour began on March 19, 2010, is ended on August 3, 2010. It included 42 shows over four legs. On September 25, 2015, the Dead Weather released their third studio album Dodge and Burn.

Eagles of Death Metal

In June 2010, it was announced that Fertita would fill in on bass playing duties for Brian O'Connor, whilst the Eagles of Death Metal bass player undergoes treatment for cancer. [16] Prior to O'Connor's illness Fertita also made a guest appearance playing keyboards during a performance of "Wannabe In L.A". After returning to the Queens of the Stone Age Fertita was replaced by Abby Travis.

As a solo artist

In 2009 Fertita released his first solo effort under the moniker Hello=Fire, the album was recorded over a period of a year and a half and was recorded when Fertita along with friends found available time in studios, however, some songs were written as early as 2005 and 2006 while touring with Brendan Benson. [7] The album includes performances by fellow Queens of the Stone Age bandmates Troy Van Leeuwen, Joey Castillo and Michael Shuman, as well as Brendan Benson and the Afghan Whigs' Michael Horrigan. The self-titled album was released October 26, 2009 on Schnitzel Records. [17] And the song "Nature of Our Minds" was its first single. Fertita had plans to play a number of concerts in support of the album during the break from Queens of the Stone Age however after joining The Dead Weather the planned live performances were canceled. [7] In 2010, Fertita re-recorded the Waxwings song "Different Plane" for the Novalis radiosurgery "Shaping Cancer Care Around You” national television commercial, currently running in the United States. [18] In 2011 Fertita revealed that he had begun working on a second solo album, but his main focus was to write and record the sixth record with the Queens of the Stone Age. [19]

Fertita recorded guitar and keyboards on Post Pop Depression , written by Iggy Pop and Josh Homme, which was released in March 2016. He will tour with them to support the album. [20]

On November 4, 2022 TROPICAL GOTHCLUB – the new project from renowned musician and multi-instrumentalist Dean Fertita -released its self-titled debut LP via Third Man Records at all DSPs and streaming services. “I’m hoping the framework is in place with TROPICAL GOTHCLUB that I can experiment with releasing art and music in the future without following the conventional cycles. My focus has been on other projects the last few years and really, this is no exception. But I unexpectedly found more time than I thought I had and was able to move within the space I was given, veer off course, and speed towards the cliff.” [21]

Musical equipment

Fertita playing a Gibson SG Deanfertita.jpg
Fertita playing a Gibson SG

While playing with The Raconteurs Fertita primarily played a Fender Rhodes electric piano and a Korg synthesiser as well as a Gibson Hummingbird acoustic guitar. Fertita is also credited for playing clavinet on the band's second album, Consolers of the Lonely . With Queens of the Stone Age Fertita has been seen playing a Moog Little Phatty Synthesizer and a Clavia Nord Electro 2 through a set of Peavey amplifiers. [22] However more recently he has been seen playing a Korg SV-1 and an unidentifiable electric piano as well as the Little Phatty. For guitars, he has used a Gibson SG and Maton BB1200 through an Ampeg combo, but was seen playing a Yamaha hollowbody through a Fender Twin Reverb amplifier on their most recent tour. With The Dead Weather, Fertita plays a custom built Gretsch White Falcon originally built for a number of live performances by Jack White and Alicia Keys to perform the theme song for the James Bond film Quantum of Solace , "Another Way to Die". [23] For keyboards, he uses The Moog Little Phatty, A Wurlitzer Electric Piano, and a vintage Korg CX-3 organ. [24] Fertita's pedalboard includes a Dunlop Rotovibe, a white painted DigiTech Whammy, a Voodoo Lab Tremolo, an Electro-Harmonix nano Bassballs, a white painted Big Muff, Micro POG, a Boss TU-2 Tuner, and a MXR Micro Amp. [25] For amplification Fertita uses two Fender Twin Reverbs.

Personal life

In 2009, Fertita married. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queens of the Stone Age</span> American rock band

Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock band formed in 1996 in Seattle, Washington. The band was founded by vocalist and guitarist Josh Homme, who has been the only constant member throughout multiple lineup changes. Since 2013, the lineup has consisted of Homme alongside Troy Van Leeuwen, Michael Shuman, Dean Fertita, and Jon Theodore. The band also has a large pool of contributors and collaborators. Queens of the Stone Age are known for their blues, Krautrock and electronica-influenced style of riff-oriented and rhythmic hard rock music, coupled with Homme's distinct falsetto vocals and unorthodox guitar scales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack White</span> American musician (born 1975)

John Anthony White is an American musician who served as the guitarist and lead singer of the rock duo the White Stripes. A key artist of the 2000s garage rock revival, he is known for his distinctive musical techniques and eccentricity. He has won 12 Grammy Awards among other accolades. Rolling Stone included him on their 2010 and 2023 lists of the greatest guitarists of all time. The New York Times called White "the coolest, weirdest and savviest rockstar of our time" in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Homme</span> American musician (born 1973)

Joshua Michael "Josh" Homme is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the founder and only continuous member of the rock band Queens of the Stone Age, which he formed in 1996. Homme is the band's primary songwriter and mainly sings lead vocals and plays guitar. He also plays drums in the rock band Eagles of Death Metal, which he co-founded in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Troy Van Leeuwen</span> American rock musician and producer (born 1970)

Troy Van Leeuwen is an American musician and record producer. He is best known as a guitarist and multi-instrumentalist in the rock band Queens of the Stone Age, with whom he has recorded five studio albums. Joining the band in 2002, he is the second-longest-serving member of the band, after founding member Josh Homme. Van Leeuwen is also a member of the supergroup Gone Is Gone and has fronted his own projects, Enemy and Sweethead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Raconteurs</span> American rock supergroup

The Raconteurs are an American rock band from Detroit, Michigan, formed in 2005. The band consists of Jack White, Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence, and Patrick Keeler (drums). Lawrence and Keeler were originally members of the Greenhornes, while White and Lawrence went on to become members of the Dead Weather.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brendan Benson</span> American musician (born 1970)

Brendan Benson is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He plays guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, and drums. He has released eight solo albums and is a member of the band The Raconteurs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blanche (band)</span>

Blanche is an American alternative country band from Detroit, Michigan. Their music is based in Americana, early country, and folk blues, with a touch of haunting Southern Gothic stylings and garage rock mentality. Blanche is known for wearing vintage fashion of the early to mid-20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Greenhornes</span> American garage rock band

The Greenhornes were an American garage rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio, formed in 1996 by vocalist/guitarist Craig Fox, bass guitarist Jack Lawrence and drummer Patrick Keeler. They released their debut album Gun For You in 1999, followed by a self-titled album in 2001. A third studio album, Dual Mono, was released in 2002, with the band taking a small hiatus. The Greenhornes returned in 2005 to release a new EP, East Grand Blues, and a compilation album, Sewed Soles. During this time, Lawrence and Keeler formed The Raconteurs with Detroit musicians and personal friends Jack White and Brendan Benson, leaving very few performances and interaction with Fox. In 2010, the band reunited once again to record a studio album, Four Stars, their first in eight years.

<i>Era Vulgaris</i> (album) 2007 studio album by Queens of the Stone Age

Era Vulgaris is the fifth studio album by American rock band Queens of the Stone Age. Recorded from July 2006 to April 2007, it was released on July 20, 2007 in the United Kingdom and July 21 in the United States, being released on July 29 in other countries. The single "Sick, Sick, Sick" was released in May, followed by second single "3's & 7's" in early June, and third single "Make It wit Chu" in October. The album debuted at No. 14 on the U.S. Billboard 200 charts, selling 52,000 copies in its first week. It reached top ten positions in other countries, such as No. 7 in the UK, No. 5 in Canada, and No. 4 in Australia. It was the band's last album on Interscope Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alison Mosshart</span> American musician

Alison Nicole Mosshart is an American singer, songwriter, artist, and the lead vocalist for the rock bands The Kills and The Dead Weather. She started her musical career in 1995 with the Florida punk rock band Discount which disbanded in 2000. She then co-founded the Kills with British guitarist Jamie Hince in 2000 in London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Make It wit Chu</span> Single by Queens of the Stone Age

"Make It wit Chu" is the third single by Queens of the Stone Age from their 2007 album Era Vulgaris.

<i>Consolers of the Lonely</i> 2008 studio album by The Raconteurs

Consolers of the Lonely is the second studio album by American rock band The Raconteurs. It was released on March 25, 2008, on Warner Bros. Records in most parts of the world, and a day earlier on XL Recordings in the UK.

The Waxwings were an American rock band, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Dead Weather</span> American rock band

The Dead Weather is an American rock supergroup, formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2009. Composed of Alison Mosshart, Jack White, Dean Fertita and Jack Lawrence. The Dead Weather debuted at the opening of Third Man Records' Nashville headquarters on March 11, 2009. The band performed live for the first time at the event, immediately before releasing their debut single "Hang You from the Heavens".

New Grenada was an American indie rock band from Royal Oak, Michigan. The band was active from 2001- 2010.

<i>Hello=Fire</i> 2009 studio album by Hello=Fire

Hello=Fire is the debut album of Dean Fertita's solo project with the same name. The album was recorded at various studios while Fertita was on tour with Queens of the Stone Age. The album features guest appearances by band members from Queens of the Stone Age, Brendan Benson who also produced the album as well as The Afghan Whigs drummer Michael Horrigan. The album was released October 26, 2009 by Schnitzel Records Ltd. "Nature Of Our Minds" was released as its first single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Die by the Drop</span> 2010 single by The Dead Weather

"Die by the Drop" is the first single from The Dead Weather's second album Sea of Cowards. It was released on March 30, 2010 in the United States and April 25 in the UK. The single includes the B-side "Old Mary".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Sat by the Ocean</span> 2013 single by Queens of the Stone Age

"I Sat by the Ocean" is the second single by American rock band Queens of the Stone Age from their sixth studio album, ...Like Clockwork (2013). It was released on August 6, 2013, shortly after the band's performance at Lollapalooza music festival on August 4.

References

Alison Mosshart and Fertita at the Glastonbury Festival 2009. The Dead Weather Glastonbury 2009-2.jpg
Alison Mosshart and Fertita at the Glastonbury Festival 2009.
  1. 1 2 3 Brian McCollum Metro Detroit musician Dean Fertita moves to the front lines with the Dead Weather freep.com Retrieved: 2009-07-25
  2. ↑ "The Waxwings: Bio". mp3.com. 2008-09-17. Archived from the original on 2008-10-11. Retrieved 2008-09-17.
  3. ↑ "The Waxwings: Bio". thewaxwings.com. 2008-09-17. Archived from the original on August 28, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-17.
  4. ↑ "Rainbow Quartz Records: The Waxwings". rainbowquartz.com. 2008-09-17. Archived from the original on 2008-10-01. Retrieved 2008-09-17.
  5. ↑ "The Waxwings: News". thewaxwings.com. Archived from the original on July 24, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-17.
  6. 1 2 Ian Gormely Stone Age keyboardist Dean Fertita speaks thecoast.ca Retrieved: 2009-07-21
  7. 1 2 3 4 Dean Fertita interview Archived 2012-02-20 at the Wayback Machine faceculture.com Retrieved: 2010-02-12
  8. ↑ (2008) Album note for Consolers of the Lonely by The Raconteurs
  9. ↑ Queens of the Stone Age band profile Archived 2008-07-06 at the Wayback Machine at Drowned In Sound. Retrieved on November 15, 2007.
  10. ↑ "QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE Films 'Sick, Sick, Sick' Video". Blabbermouth.net . 2007-04-28. Archived from the original on 2007-05-06. Retrieved 2007-05-09.
  11. ↑ "Queens of the Stone Age: The "Duluth Tour" Details". Ultimate Guitar. 2007-06-03. Retrieved 2007-10-03.
  12. ↑ "Jack White launches new band with The Kills' Alison Mosshart | News". Nme.Com. 2008-12-16. Retrieved 2009-03-12.
  13. ↑ Nicole Keiper Jack White Debuts New Band the Dead Weather: A Full Report From Private Nashville Show rollingstone.com Retrieved: 2009-02-11
  14. ↑ Greg Cochrane (October 16, 2009). "New Dead Weather LP 'half done'". BBC.
  15. ↑ Dead Weather: New Disc In Early 2010 www.ultimate-guitar.com Retrieved: 2010-01-21
  16. ↑ Young, Alex. "Them Crooked Vultures, Dean Fertita lend hand to cancer-stricken Brian O'Connor". consequence.net. Archived from the original on 2012-09-26. Retrieved 2011-06-16.
  17. ↑ "Schnitzel Records London UK News". Schnitzel.co.uk. 2008-10-03. Archived from the original on 2009-09-29. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
  18. ↑ "Shapingcancercare.com". Archived from the original on 2012-09-10. Retrieved 2019-07-20.
  19. ↑ Fink, Sally. "Interview: Dean Fertita (The Dead Weather, Queens Of The Stone Age)". www.musicreview.co.za. Retrieved 2011-05-11.
  20. ↑ "Iggy Pop and Josh Homme Team Up for Secret Album". The New York Times. January 24, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  21. ↑ "Dean Fertita's Tropical Gothclub Releases Self-Titled Debut Album Via Third Man Records".
  22. ↑ Dean Fertita – Back Stage, After Show Interview – Impromptu and uncut youtube.com Retrieved: 2010-02-11
  23. ↑ Jack White: Dead Weather Use James Bond Equipment twentyfourbit.com Retrieved: 2010-02-12
  24. ↑ Organ label seen in The Dead Weather – "Bone House" – Live from The Roxy at 2:12 (1080p quality). Retrieved: 2010-09-23.
  25. ↑ Jack White's Pedalboards: From White Stripes to The Dead Weather dolphinmusic.com Retrieved:2010-02-12
  26. ↑ "Reigndance" . Retrieved 4 August 2024.
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.