Mikey Freedom Hart

Last updated

Mikey Freedom Hart
Born Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer
Years active1990–present

Mikey Freedom Hart is a Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He has worked with Bleachers, Taylor Swift, Empress Of, Dev Hynes a.k.a. Blood Orange, ASAP Rocky, Lana Del Rey, Tei Shi, and The Chicks. [1] [2] He has received three Grammy nominations, of which he received two wins. [3]

Contents

A classically trained pianist, Hart has performed and recorded with various musical instruments. He now currently plays live for Bleachers and Blood Orange.

Life and career

Hart was born and raised in Lake Charles, Louisiana where he attended Barbe High School followed by McNeese State University. He started learning piano classically at age three, grew up performing and singing in church. He then moved to New York City at the age of 16. [2]

In 2018, Hart co-wrote the Dev Hynes song "Hope" featuring Puff Daddy and Tei Shi in the Negro Swan album. [4] He has played and added additional production to Santigold's single "Banshee". [5] He co-produced and co-wrote the Portugal. The Man's song "Easy Tiger". [5] In 2020, he played and recorded DX7, electric guitar, nylon guitar, Rhodes, and celesta on Taylor Swift's song "Gold Rush". [6] He can be heard playing a number of instruments and adding his sound to Swift's albums Lover , Folklore , Evermore , Fearless (Taylor's Version) , Red (Taylor's Version) , Midnights , Speak Now (Taylor's Version) , 1989 (Taylor's Version) , and The Tortured Poets Department . [7]

He played piano on Lana Del Rey's albums Norman Fucking Rockwell! and Chemtrails over the Country Club . [5] Hart has also worked with several other artists including Empress Of, ASAP Rocky, The Chicks, and Emily Lind. [8] [9] He was a producer on the Jon Batiste's single "Freedom" and album We Are for which he was nominated for Grammy Awards in 2021. [5] [10]

Bands

Hart plays keyboards for the Bleachers. [11] [12] He also plays keyboard and piano for Blood Orange, [13] [14]

He performed and helped direct the musical component of Louis Vuitton Fall 2019 Menswear Fashion show at Paris Fashion Week. [15]

Ex Reyes

In 2015, Hart started a solo project as Brooklyn-based psychedelic-soul band "Ex Reyes". [2] [16] Different musicians are performing for the band. [17]

In 2016, music video for the song "Keeping U in Line" was released. [16] In 2017, an original song "Blame Me" was released with Amazon Music. [18]

Accolades

Hart was nominated for three Grammy Awards for Album of the Year for producing and playing on Jon Batiste's album We Are in 2022 and for engineering on Taylor Swift's albums Evermore in 2022 and Midnights in 2024. He won for We Are and Midnights. [3]

YearNominee / workAwardResult
2022 [3] We Are (producer) Grammy Award for Album of the Year Won
2022 [3] Evermore (musician)Nominated
2024 [3] Midnights (musician)Won

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taylor Swift</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1989)

Taylor Alison Swift is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic reinventions, and cultural impact, Swift is a leading figure in popular music and the subject of widespread public interest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Batiste</span> American musician (born 1986)

Jonathan Michael Batiste is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, bandleader, composer, and television personality. He has recorded and performed with artists including Stevie Wonder, Prince, Willie Nelson, Lenny Kravitz, Ed Sheeran, Lana Del Rey, Roy Hargrove, Juvenile, and Mavis Staples. Batiste appeared nightly with his band, Stay Human, as bandleader and musical director on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert from 2015 to 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Antonoff</span> American musician (born 1984)

Jack Michael Antonoff is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Antonoff is the lead vocalist of rock band Bleachers. He was previously the guitarist and drummer for the pop rock band Fun and the lead vocalist for the indie rock band Steel Train. Aside from his work with the three groups, Antonoff has been prolific in songwriting and production for various music industry acts, including Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, P!nk, Sara Bareilles, the 1975, Lorde, St. Vincent, Florence and the Machine, Lana Del Rey, Sabrina Carpenter, Gracie Abrams, Fifth Harmony, Kevin Abstract, Carly Rae Jepsen, the Chicks, Tegan and Sara, and Clairo. Antonoff is credited with impacting the sound of popular music throughout the 2010s and 2020s.

"All Too Well" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Written by Swift and Liz Rose, the song was first produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman for her fourth studio album, Red (2012). After a 2019 dispute regarding the ownership of Swift's masters, she re-recorded the song as "Taylor's Version" and released an unabridged "10 Minute Version" as part of the re-recorded album Red in November 2021.

Mark Anthony Spears, known professionally as Sounwave, is an American record producer and songwriter. He is a frequent collaborator of rapper Kendrick Lamar, having worked on all of his projects since his 2009 self-titled extended play. Sounwave has also worked with artists such as Taylor Swift, Chloe x Halle, Baby Keem, Mac Miller, and Bleachers. He has won three Grammy Awards, including two for Best Rap Album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bleachers (band)</span> American alternative rock band

Bleachers is an American indie pop band from New Jersey. Formed in 2013, singer and multi-instrumentalist Jack Antonoff was the only permanent member of the group until 2023, when longtime touring musicians Mikey Freedom Hart, Sean Hutchinson, Evan Smith, Michael Riddleberger, and Zem Audu became official members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tei Shi</span> Canadian singer, songwriter and record producer (born 1989)

Valerie Teicher Barbosa, best known by her stage name Tei Shi, is a Colombian and Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer based in New York City. She released her first singles and music videos in 2013, also performing live for the first time at CMJ. Tei Shi released her debut extended play, Saudade, in November 2013, which Noisey described as a "layered masterpiece of melodies... expertly entwined vocal loops, and shivery sonics."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Out of the Woods</span> 2016 single by Taylor Swift

"Out of the Woods" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her fifth studio album, 1989 (2014). Swift wrote and produced the song with Jack Antonoff. With lyrics inspired by a failed relationship and the ensuing anxieties that Swift experienced, "Out of the Woods" is a synth-pop song with elements of Eurodance and indietronica and features heavy synthesizers, looping drums, and layered background vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gasoline (Haim song)</span> 2020 song by Haim featuring Taylor Swift

"Gasoline" is a song by American band Haim from their third studio album Women in Music, Pt. III (2020). The song was written by the band members along with Rostam Batmanglij, and produced by Batmanglij, Danielle Haim, and Ariel Rechtshaid. A remix of "Gasoline" with American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift was included as one of two bonus tracks of the album's expanded edition. The remix was released as a single on February 19, 2021, by Columbia Records. It marks Haim's second collaboration with Swift, following "No Body, No Crime" on Swift's Evermore (2020).

<i>Evermore</i> 2020 studio album by Taylor Swift

Evermore is the ninth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was a surprise album released on December 11, 2020, via Republic Records, less than five months after her previous studio album Folklore. Evermore was a spontaneous product of Swift's extended collaboration with her Folklore collaborator Aaron Dessner, mainly recorded at his Long Pond Studio in the Hudson Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willow (song)</span> 2020 single by Taylor Swift

"Willow" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her ninth studio album, Evermore (2020). It was released on December 11, 2020, by Republic Records as the lead single from the album. "Willow" is a chamber folk love song making use of several metaphors to convey the singer's romantic state of mind, such as portraying her life as a willow tree, over picked guitars, glockenspiel, flute, strings, and percussion.

"No Body, No Crime" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, featuring the American band Haim, from her ninth studio album, Evermore (2020). She wrote the track as a result of her fixation with crime documentaries and podcasts, and co-produced it with Aaron Dessner. A tune featuring styles of country, country rock, and Americana, "No Body, No Crime" is a murder ballad about the murder of a woman named Este, narrated by her friend who avenges her. Republic Records in partnership with MCA Nashville sent the song to US country radio on January 11, 2021, as a single from Evermore.

"Champagne Problems" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her ninth studio album, Evermore (2020). She wrote the song with Joe Alwyn, who is credited under the pseudonym William Bowery, and produced it with Aaron Dessner. "Champagne Problems" is a lo-fi tune driven by a rhythmic composition of piano and guitar riff.

"Coney Island" is a song by Taylor Swift featuring the National, taken from Swift's ninth studio album, Evermore (2020). Swift, Joe Alwyn, and the National's Aaron and Bryce Dessner wrote the song, with the latter two producing it. Matt Berninger contributed guest vocals. Republic Records sent "Coney Island" to US adult album alternative radio as a single on January 18, 2021.

"Long Story Short" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her ninth studio album, Evermore (2020). She wrote the song with its producer, Aaron Dessner. "Long Story Short" is an upbeat song that consists of dynamic programmed and live drums, synths, strings, and guitars; music critics characterize the genre as synth-pop, electropop, folk-pop, and indie rock. The lyrics see Swift reminiscing about a dark part of her past and her contentment with a current state of mind.

<i>Fearless (Taylors Version)</i> 2021 re-recorded album by Taylor Swift

Fearless (Taylor's Version) is the first re-recorded album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, released on April 9, 2021, by Republic Records. A re-recording of Swift's second studio album, Fearless (2008), it is part of her re-recording projects following the 2019 dispute over the master recordings of her back catalog.

"'Tis the Damn Season" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her ninth studio album, Evermore (2020). She wrote the song with Aaron Dessner, who produced it using an instrumental track he had written prior. "'Tis the Damn Season" is a folk song instrumented by a finger-picked electric guitar and programmed drums. Narrated from the perspective of a female character named Dorothea, the lyrics detail her returning to her hometown during the holiday season and engaging in a quickly-faded rekindled relationship.

Jahaan Akil Sweet is an American record producer, songwriter, and pianist from Jacksonville, Florida. Sweet was first credited with production work on projects by California-based singer Kehlani, who he met at Juilliard School in 2014. He co-produced her mixtapes Cloud 19 (2014) and You Should Be Here (2015), and has since worked with artists including Drake, Taylor Swift, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Eminem, the Carters, and Travis Scott. Sweet has been credited on the singles "Lavender Haze" (2023) by Swift, "Lucky You" (2018) by Eminem, and "K-pop" and "Fe!n" by Travis Scott, all of which have peaked within the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bejeweled (song)</span> 2022 promotional single by Taylor Swift

"Bejeweled" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her tenth studio album, Midnights (2022). She wrote and produced the song with Jack Antonoff. It is a synth-laden synth-pop and bubblegum pop track with ringing synth arpeggios and elements of disco and electronica. The lyrics are about self-worth; Swift said the lyrics were also a statement of her return to pop music with Midnights after the 2020 folk-oriented albums Folklore and Evermore. The song was released for limited-time download via Swift's website on October 25, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Braxton Cook</span> American jazz saxophonist (born 1991)

Braxton Cook is an American alto saxophonist and singer-songwriter. He has toured with jazz musicians Christian Scott, Christian McBride, and Marquis Hill, and performed with Jon Batiste, Mac Miller, and Rihanna. In 2017, Fader named Cook a "jazz prodigy," and in 2018, Ebony listed him as one of the "top five jazz artists to watch."

References

  1. Wang, Steffanee (June 16, 2022). "Premiere: Tei Shi Hits Back At Music Labels With New Song "Grip"". Nylon. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 "Mikey Freedom Hart". Advanced Alternative Media. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "2022 GRAMMYs Awards: Complete Nominations List". GRAMMY.com. November 23, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  4. "Here are the full album credits for Blood Orange's Negro Swan". The FADER. August 24, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Mikey Freedom Hart Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  6. Minsker, Evan (December 11, 2020). "Taylor Swift Releases New Album evermore: Listen and Read the Full Credits". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  7. "All 214 Songs Jack Antonoff Has Produced, Ranked From Worst to Best". Consequence. August 26, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  8. Gillespie, Katherine (July 30, 2021). "Emily Lind's New Music Video Feels Like a Lost Vacation". PAPER . Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  9. "Mikey Freedom Hart". Discogs. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  10. "2022 Grammy Awards nomination list led by Jon Batiste". MARCA. November 23, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  11. McKenna, Lyndsey (July 12, 2021). "Bleachers: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert". NPR . Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  12. Shaffer, Claire (July 12, 2021). "Bleachers Premiere New Song for NPR's 'Tiny Desk Concert' Series". Rolling Stone . Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  13. "Blood Orange announces 2020 tour with Tei Shi". The FADER. December 10, 2019. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  14. Boilen, Bob (January 29, 2019). "Blood Orange: Tiny Desk Concert". NPR. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  15. Robinson, Roxanne (January 17, 2019). "Virgil Abloh's Fall 2019 Louis Vuitton Men's Show Waxed Nostalgic for Michael Jackson". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  16. 1 2 Bell, Sadie (December 12, 2016). "Video: Ex Reyes – "Keeping U in Line"". SPIN. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  17. Maese, Sasha. "EX REYES: GREAT TIMING". ATYPICAL SOUNDS. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  18. "Ex-Reyes". LPR. Retrieved February 22, 2022.