Pronoun (musician)

Last updated
Pronoun
Origin Brooklyn, New York
Genres Indie pop
Instrument(s)vocals, guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, programming
Years active2015-present [1]
LabelsRhyme & Reason, Wax Bodega
Website www.musicpronoun.com

Alyse Vellturo, known professionally as Pronoun (stylized pronoun/PRONOUN), is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist one-woman band based in Brooklyn, New York. [2] Her music has been described by critics as indie/synth [3] and indie pop. Billboard named her as one of their breakout indie artists for 2019. [4] She is also the founder of the record label Sleep Well Records. [5]

Contents

Life and career

Vellturo is a Boston native. She originally started out with piano lessons, guitar lessons, and some drum lessons before taking a break from music to play sports. [6] [7] Eventually Vellturo returned to playing music and later attended the Berklee College of Music where she originally planned to study composition and performance. Shortly after beginning her studies at Berklee, Vellturo switched to audio engineering, production, and business. After graduating she began working in the industry as a music manager and distributor. Vellturo turned to making her own music at age 28 as a way to express herself creatively after a bad breakup. [8] [9] [10]

Vellturo originally wanted to name her project monachopsis, a term for the subtle but persistent feeling of being out of place; however, a friend at her record label insisted she call herself something that was less obscure and easier to pronounce. [11] [12] Vellturo gave the friend 30 minutes to come up with a better name and the friend returned with the suggestion pronoun. [13] [14]

In 2016 Vellturo debuted with her EP There's No One New Around You . [15] The title is a reference to the message that appears on Tinder when there are no new matches on the app. The whole EP was recorded in the bedroom of her apartment. Vellturo played all the instruments, except the drums, which were recorded using a drum machine. [16] The first single, "a million other things," was featured on Spotify's “New Music Friday” playlist in November 2016 and earned nearly half a million streams. [17]

In 2017 Vellturo played at the SXSW music festival [18] and the Savannah Stopover Music Festival, [19] [20] and in 2018 she played at Chicago's Riot Fest. [21]

Her debut studio album I'll Show You Stronger was released via Rhyme & Reason on May 24, 2019. [22] This LP was also recorded in Vellturo's apartment (except for the drums) [23] and exemplifies what Vellturo calls "indie-emo-bedroom-rock-that no-one-asked-for." [24] [25] The album received overall positive reviews from The Boston Globe, [26] Pitchfork, who gave the album a score of 6.5, [27] and Exclaim! which gave the album a 9/10 rating. [28] The album was ranked 19 on billboard magazine's 25 Best Rock and Alternative Albums list. [29] In 2019 it was announced that she would open for the US leg of the Jimmy Eat World tour. [30]

In 2021 Vellturo released her second EP OMG I MADE IT. The lead single, ″I WANNA DIE BUT I CAN’T (CUZ I GOTTA KEEP LIVING)″ received positive press from Stereogum, [31] MTV, [32] and Billboard, where it landed the 44th spot in their June article ″The 50 Best Songs of 2021 So Far: Staff Picks″ [33] and 98th on Billboard's top 100 songs of 2021 where it was described "as both a scream-along anthem about stunted emotional growth, and proof as to why Pronoun leader Alyse Vellturo needs to be playing bigger stages" [34] Vellturo describes the EP as "kind of like making fun of myself, like in a cheeky way kind of" and includes adding a typo to "SOUND THE ALARMS!!!1!" and deciding to "rebrand" herself by using all capitalized letters for both the EP and PRONOUN name. [35]

Discography

Albums

EPs

Related Research Articles

Stereogum is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alyse Black</span> American singer and songwriter

Alyse Black is an American singer and songwriter. Black's music is described as indie pop with jazz influences, in the vein of artists such as Fiona Apple, Regina Spektor and Norah Jones. Her song "Stood for Stand for", which was featured on Black's debut album Too Much & Too Lovely, won Billboard's 2007 World Song Contest in the Jazz category.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">K.Flay</span> American musician

Kristine Meredith Flaherty, better known as K.Flay, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, and rapper. She has released five studio albums: Life as a Dog (2014), Every Where Is Some Where (2017), Solutions (2019), Inside Voices / Outside Voices (2022), and Mono (2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chvrches</span> Scottish synthpop group

Chvrches are a Scottish synth-pop band from Glasgow, formed in September 2011. The band consists of Lauren Mayberry, Iain Cook, Martin Doherty and, unofficially since 2018, Jonny Scott. Mostly deriving from the synth-pop genre, Chvrches also incorporate indietronica, indie pop, and electronic dance into their sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arca (musician)</span> Venezuelan musician (born 1989)

Alejandra Ghersi Rodríguez, known professionally as Arca, is a Venezuelan musician and record producer based in Barcelona, Spain. She initially began releasing music under the name of Nuuro. After attending the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, Ghersi first released the EP Baron Libre (2012) under the name Arca and subsequently released the EPs Stretch 1 and Stretch 2; the latter experimented with hip hop and brought her attention from prominent music publications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lizzo</span> American rapper and singer (born 1988)

Melissa Viviane Jefferson, known professionally as Lizzo, is an American singer, rapper, and flautist. Born in Detroit, Michigan, she moved to Houston, Texas, with her family at the age of ten. After college, she moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she began her recording career in hip hop music. Prior to signing with Nice Life Recording Company and Atlantic Records, Lizzo released two studio albums, Lizzobangers (2013) and Big Grrrl Small World (2015). Her first major-label extended play (EP), Coconut Oil, was released in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alvvays</span> Canadian indie pop band

Alvvays is a Canadian indie pop band formed in 2011, originating from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and subsequently based in Toronto, Ontario. It consists of Molly Rankin, Kerri MacLellan (keyboards), Alec O'Hanley (guitars), Abbey Blackwell (bass), and Sheridan Riley (drums). Their self-titled debut studio album, released in 2014, topped the US college charts. Their second studio album, Antisocialites, was released on September 8, 2017. Their third studio album, Blue Rev, was released on October 7, 2022.

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

Lorely Rodriguez, known professionally as Empress Of, is a Honduran-American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer based in Los Angeles, California.

<i>Survive the Summer</i> 2018 EP by Iggy Azalea

Survive the Summer is the fourth extended play by Australian rapper Iggy Azalea. It was released on 3 August 2018 by Island Records. Work began in mid-2017. Survive the Summer contains production by Bedrock, Ronny J, GT and Wallis Lane.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julien Baker</span> American rock musician (born 1995)

Julien Rose Baker is an American indie rock singer and guitarist. Her music is noted for its moody quality and confessional lyrical style, as well as frank explorations of topics including Christianity, addiction, mental illness, and human nature. She has received six Grammy Award nominations and three wins as a member of Boygenius.

Bethlehem Steel is an indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2012. The band is composed of singer-guitarist Rebecca Ryskalczyk, bassist Patrick Ronayne, singer-guitarist Christina Puerto and drummer Jon Gernhart. Bethlehem Steel has described their band as at first "our sound was a lot softer, through the anger of everything, we were able to transform the sound of the band.” In 2016 they were named as one of 14 bands that impressed at South by Southwest. Bethlehem Steel has been known for playing the party game Ninja, which was the basis of one of their singles music videos. They have previously toured with Cold Sweats, Pleistoscene, Haybaby, Baked and Painted Zeros.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucy Dacus</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1995)

Lucy Elizabeth Dacus is an American singer-songwriter and producer. Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Dacus attracted attention with her debut album No Burden (2016), which led to a deal with Matador Records. Historian, her second album, was released in 2018 to critical acclaim. Home Video, her third studio album, was released in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ocean Eyes (song)</span> 2016 single by Billie Eilish

"Ocean Eyes" is a single by American singer Billie Eilish and was released as the lead single from her debut EP, Don't Smile at Me, and the soundtrack album to the film Everything, Everything (2017). The song was written and produced by Eilish's older brother, Finneas O'Connell, and was originally written for his band. Finneas gave the song to Eilish for her dance performance after realizing the song suited her vocals. It was originally released on SoundCloud on November 18, 2015, but was later re-released commercially on November 18, 2016, as a single through Darkroom and Interscope Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Aces (indie pop band)</span> American indie pop band

The Aces are an American alternative pop band from Provo, Utah. The band has four members: guitarist Katie Henderson, bassist McKenna Petty, and sisters Alisa Ramirez (drums) and Cristal Ramirez.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">070 Shake</span> American rapper and singer

Danielle Balbuena, better known by her stage name 070 Shake, is an American rapper and singer. She is best known for her guest appearance on English singer Raye's 2022 single "Escapism," which peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, peaked atop the UK Singles Chart, and won Song of the Year at the 2024 Brit Awards.

<i>Cuz I Love You</i> 2019 studio album by Lizzo

Cuz I Love You is the third studio album and major label debut studio album by American rapper and singer Lizzo. It was released through Nice Life and Atlantic Records on April 19, 2019. The album features guest appearances from fellow American rappers Missy Elliott and Gucci Mane. It spawned the single "Juice" and the promotional single "Tempo", the latter of which is a collaboration with Elliott. The deluxe edition of the album was released on May 3 and includes the Billboard Hot 100 number one single "Truth Hurts". The deluxe edition was nominated for Album of the Year at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, and won Best Urban Contemporary Album.

<i>Theres No One New Around You</i> 2016 EP by Pronoun

There's No One New Around You is the debut studio EP from the American musician pronoun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squirrel Flower</span> American musician (born 1996)

Squirrel Flower is the stage name of American musician Ella O'Connor Williams.

Claud Mintz, known professionally as Claud, is an American bedroom pop singer-songwriter from the suburbs of Chicago. Claud is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. They are known for the songs "Soft Spot" and "Wish You Were Gay".

<i>OMG I MADE IT</i> 2021 EP by Pronoun

OMG I MADE IT is the second EP released by the American musician pronoun.

References

  1. ↑ Lerner, Rebecca (31 October 2018). "How One-Woman Band Pronoun Is Making It Big". Forbes. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  2. ↑ Mcphate, Tim (May 2, 2018). "One Take: Pronoun Gets Possessive On Pizza, *NSync, Tamagotchis & More". The Recording Academy . Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  3. ↑ Stanley, Rebecca (February 20, 2019). "The Wonder Years and Mayday Parade, O2 Academy 2, Birmingham - review with pictures". Express & Star. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  4. ↑ Payne, Chris (January 11, 2019). "Artists to Watch: 17 Alternative & Indie Breakouts For 2019". Billboard. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  5. ↑ Hill, John (September 4, 2018). "In Conversation: pronoun". Clash Magazine. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  6. ↑ Greenough, Jason D (26 June 2017). "interview: pronoun". Allston Pudding. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  7. ↑ Frezza, Robert (December 2016). "An Interview with pronoun". youtube. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  8. ↑ Greenough, Jason D (26 June 2017). "interview: pronoun". Allston Pudding. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  9. ↑ Lerner, Rebecca (October 21, 2018). "How One-Woman Band Pronoun Is Making It Big". Forbes . Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  10. ↑ Frezza, Robert (December 2016). "An Interview with pronoun". youtube. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  11. ↑ Goldfine, Jael (13 June 2019). "Meet Pronoun, The Queer Emo-Indie Rocker Mixing Old and New". Paper. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  12. ↑ Lerner, Rebecca (31 October 2018). "How One-Woman Band Pronoun Is Making It Big". Forbes. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  13. ↑ Graves, Cassidy Dawn (21 May 2019). "Meet Indie-Rock Multitasker Pronoun". Bedford + Bowery. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  14. ↑ Nunn, Jerry (31 October 2018). "pronoun talks about name, breakups" . Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  15. ↑ Blake, Liza (October 18, 2016). "pronoun Makes Indie Debut With New EP, Featuring 'just cuz you can't': Exclusive Premiere". Billboard. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  16. ↑ Nunn, Jerry (31 October 2018). "pronoun talks about name, breakups" . Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  17. ↑ Suwak, Jeff (8 May 2017). "7 Questions with Alyse Vellturo, aka Pronoun". Rawckus Magazine. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  18. ↑ Burbeck, Rory (October 12, 2016). "Announcing 150+ Showcasing Artists for the 2017 SXSW Music Festival". SXSW. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  19. ↑ Stringer, David (February 20, 2017). "Savannah Stopover 2017, A Lineup Filled with Buzzing Acts". SCENESC. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  20. ↑ Aniftos, Rania (March 2, 2017). "pronoun's 'Use Passport to Choose New Location,' a Reworked EP: Exclusive Premiere". Billboard. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  21. ↑ Williams, Kevin and Roti, Jess (September 16, 2018). "29 beats on Riot Fest: All the punks, young and old, with some clunkers and legends". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved March 2, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. ↑ Duffey, Connor (February 13, 2019). "pronoun – "stay"". Stereogum. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  23. ↑ Williams, Pip (22 April 2019). "On The Rise: pronoun". The Line Of Best Fit. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  24. ↑ "Pronoun". Rhyme & reason. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  25. ↑ "Being Stronger: Interview with Alyse Vellturo of pronoun". New Noise. 12 June 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  26. ↑ Madonna, Zoë (May 22, 2019). "With 'i'll show you stronger,' pronoun does just that". the Boston Globe. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
  27. ↑ Kemp, Sophie (May 29, 2019). "Album Review: I'll show you stronger". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
  28. ↑ Feibel, Adam (22 May 2019). "pronoun i'll show you stronger". Exclaim!. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  29. ↑ Billboard Staff (December 17, 2019). "The 25 Best Rock & Alternative Albums of 2019: Staff List". Billboard. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  30. ↑ Marano, Francesco (September 23, 2019). "Jimmy Eat World Shares 2019 Tour Dates: Ticket Presale Code & On-Sale Info". Zumic. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  31. ↑ Rettig, James (April 21, 2021). "Pronoun – "I WANNA DIE BUT I CAN'T (CUZ I GOTTA KEEP LIVING)"". Stereogum. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  32. ↑ Hosken, Patrick (April 23, 2021). "BOP SHOP: SONGS FROM IANN DIOR, RINA SAWAYAMA, PRONOUN, NEZ, AND MORE". MTV News. Archived from the original on April 23, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  33. ↑ Daw, Stephen (June 8, 2021). "The 50 Best Songs of 2021 So Far: Staff Picks". Billboard. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  34. ↑ "The 100 Best Songs of 2021: Staff List". Billboard. 7 December 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  35. ↑ "OMG SHE MADE IT; PRONOUN TALKS ABOUT HER NEW EP". WERS 88.9. 8 April 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
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.