John Carroll Kirby

Last updated

John Carroll Kirby
BornFebruary 26, 1983
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
Instrument Keyboards
Years active2014–present
Labels
Website johncarrollkirby.com

John Carroll Kirby (born February 26, 1983) is an American pianist, record producer and composer based in Los Angeles, California, United States. As a musician, Kirby has collaborated with artists including Remi Wolf, Solange, Frank Ocean, Miley Cyrus, Norah Jones, Bat for Lashes, Connan Mockasin, Sébastien Tellier, Harry Styles, and others.

Contents

Career

2007–2017: Early years, collaborations, Grammy Awards

Growing up in California, Kirby was encouraged by his mom to take piano lessons, which led to a lengthy immersion in jazz. He studied jazz orchestration and composing with John Clayton at the University of Southern California [1] before touring with other artists and making a name for himself as a collaborator. In 2007, Kirby contributed to will.i.am's Songs About Girls, Jully Black's Revival, and Raya Yarbrough's self-titled LP before going on to work on albums by Mike Doughty, Norah Jones, David Holmes, and Madeleine Peyroux. In the same year, Kirby was credited with electric piano on a few tracks for Sébastien Tellier and went on to co-arrange and co-produce Sébastien Betbeder's Marie et les Naufragés.

In 2015, Kirby partnered with Cara Stricker under the alias Drool for a self-titled album of moody avant-pop released by Terrible Records. Shortly after, Kirby was on keys for Blood Orange's Freetown Sound and co-produced three tracks on Solange's Billboard 200-topping A Seat at the Table , [2] where he also played synths on Cranes in the Sky, the track which earned Solange her first Grammy for Best R&B Performance at the 59th Grammy Awards in 2016. After collaborations with INGA, Sébastien Tellier, Midnight Juggernauts' Daniel Stricker and Shabazz Palaces, Kirby issued his first solo album, Travel, on OUTSIDE INSIGHT and Meditations in Music on Leaving Records in 2017. He was also extensively involved in Boys Like Girls' Martin Johnson's side project The Night Game's self-titled album that year.

2019–present: Collaborations, studio albums

In 2019, Kirby was featured on Solange's When I Get Home , Bat for Lashes' Lost Girls , Mark Ronson's Late Night Feelings , as well as Frank Ocean's DHL and Harry Styles' Canyon Moon. In the same year, he signed to Stones Throw Records and issued Lazzara before releasing Tuscany, on Patience. The following year, Kirby played on The Avalanches' Blood Orange collaboration We Will Always Love You before releasing Conflict, an ambient album created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, on Stones Throw. Shortly after, he debuted his full-length album, My Garden , on the label. Pitchfork described Kirby as a musician who "crafts melodies with a neat geometric precision". [3]

In April 2021, Kirby announced his second studio album for Stones Throw Records, Septet . An electronic jazz album, Septet was made with a live seven-piece band and was released on June 2, 2021. The music video for the album's first single, Rainmaker, features musicians from Kirby's ensemble, along with special guests Mac DeMarco, Eddie Chacon, Cola Boyy and comedian Kerwin Frost. Kirby also wrote and produced the original soundtrack to the animated film Cryptozoo , which won the Innovator Award at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. [4] The original soundtrack was released separately by Stones Throw Records in August 2021. [5] That same year, My Garden was nominated for Best Jazz Album for the 2021 A2IM Libera Awards. He also worked closely with American singer-songwriter Kacy Hill for her album, Simple, Sweet, and Smiling , which Paper said drew "on the magnetic ambiance of Kirby's music". [6]

In March 2022, Kirby announced his album Dance Ancestral with the first single Dawn of New Day featuring ambient pioneer Laraaji. The track was included in Uncut's "The 2nd Uncut New Music Playlist Of 2022". [7] Dance Ancestral was made in collaboration with Canadian artist Yu Su and was released on Stones Throw Records on April 8, 2022.[ citation needed ]

Discography

Albums

List of albums
TitleYear
Travel2017
Meditations in Music2018
Tuscany2019
Conflict2020
My Garden 2020
Septet 2021
Dance Ancestral2022
Blowout 2023

Singles

List of singles
TitleYear
"Lazzara"2019
"Blueberry Beads"2020
"By the Sea"2020
"Wind"2020
"High"2020
"Blueberry Beads" (live at Blue Whale Club)2020
"Rainmaker"2021
"Sensing Not Seeing"2021
"Phoebe's Theme"2021
"Tenderfoot Pegasus"2021
"I Consult You Before Everything" (Amazon original)2021
"Dawn of New Day" (featuring Laraaji)2022

Collaborations

List of collaborations
Lead artistReleaseLabelYearCredits
KeyboardsProductionComposition
Sébastien Tellier L'aventuraRecord Makers2014Yes
Cara Stricker x John Carroll KirbyDroolTerrible Records2015YesYesYes
Blood Orange Freetown Sound Domino Recording Co Ltd.2016Yes
Solange A Seat at the Table ColumbiaYesYesYes
Shabazz Palaces QuazarsSub Pop2017Yes
INGA x John Carroll KirbyThe Shrek OrchidTerrible RecordsYesYesYes
Kirin J. Callinan Bravado Universal Music AustraliaYesYes
Mind GamersPower of PowerTerrible RecordsYesYesYes
Alex Cameron Forced Witness Secretly CanadianYes
Jonathan Wilson Rare BirdsBella Union2018Yes
Dita Von Teese x Sébastien TellierPorcelaineRecord MakersYesYesYes
Loren KramarMaybe3H ArtistsYesYes
SolangeMetatroniaColumbia RecordsYesYesYes
Cola Boyy Black Boogie NeonRecord MakersYes
Kali Uchis Dead To Me (Acoustic)Virgin EMI / InterscopeYes
Connan Mockasin LiveMexican Summer LLC2019YesYes
Solange When I Get Home ColumbiaYesYesYes
Yellow Days It's Real LoveSony Music Entertainment UKYesYesYes
Bat for Lashes Lost Girls Bat For Lashes, AWALYes
Frank Ocean DHLBlondedYes
Harry Styles Canyon Moon Columbia Records Yes
The Avalanches We Will Always Love You Modular2020Yes
Sébastien TellierDomestic TasksRecord MakersYes
Remi Wolf Photo ID Island Records YesYesYes
Okay Kaya Watch This Liquid Pour Itself Jagjaguwar Yes
Yellow DaysTreat You Right Sony Music Entertainment UK YesYes
Eddie Chacon Pleasure Joy & HappinessDay End RecordsYesYesYes
Miley Cyrus Never Be Me ft. Joan Jett RCA Records YesYes
Bad KarmaYesYes
Kacy Hill Simple, Sweet, and Smiling Self-released2021YesYes
Eddie Chacon Sundown Stones Throw Records 2023YesYes
Kevin Abstract Running OutRCA RecordsYesYes
When the Rope Post 2 BreakYesYes
The GreysYesYes

References

  1. "Sundance 2021 Composer Spotlight: John Carroll Kirby". ASCAP . Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  2. "Solange Scores Her First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'A Seat at the Table'". Billboard . Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  3. Pemberton, Nathan Taylor. "John Carroll Kirby - My Garden". Pitchfork . Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  4. "2021 Sundance Film Festival Awards Announced". Sundance Institute. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  5. Rojas, Morgan (August 13, 2021). "John Carroll Kirby Releases Soundtrack to 'Cryptozoo'". Cinemacy. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  6. D'Souza, Shaad. "Kacy Hill Gets Nostalgic for 'Easy Going' Music Video". Paper Magazine. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  7. Richards, Sam (March 11, 2022). "The 2nd Uncut New Music Playlist Of 2022". Uncut. Retrieved March 16, 2022.