The Kickdrums | |
|---|---|
 Alex Fitts of The Kickdrums | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Genres |
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| Occupation(s) | Record producer |
| Instrument(s) |
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| Years active | 2005–present |
| Labels |
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| Members | Alexander Fitts |
| Past members | Matt Penttila |
| Website | thekickdrums |
The Kickdrums is singer-songwriter and record producer Alexander Fitts, originally from Cleveland, Ohio. It was formerly a production duo also including DJ Matt Penttila. [1]
Indie rock singer-songwriter Alex Fitts started off as a Cleveland-based record producer, working with local hip-hop acts but took off when his music caught the ears of big-name rappers, looking for production that blended hip-hop and indie rock styles. He and his production partner, Matt Penttila, found work with artists such as 50 Cent, John Legend, and Kid Cudi, and did remixing for Kanye West, Adele, Ben Harper, and Peter Bjorn and John. [2]
At the same time, the duo began working on their own hybrid of indie rock and hip-hop, releasing an EP titled Just a Game in 2009, and continued with an album titled Meet Your Ghost in 2011 with Last Gang Records. [3]
Penttila left the band after this release and Fitts struck out on his own, turning The Kickdrums into a one-man band and trading in any vestiges of hip-hop for electronic-tinged singer-songwriter-influenced indie rock. After signing with Hopeless Records, an EP titled Still Logic was released in July 2013, followed by an album titled Thinking Out Loud in October of that year. [4]
Fitts' music has been used in a variety of TV shows, movies and games including The Sims , Teen Wolf , The Wire , Suits , Bloodline , Chuck , Cougar Town , Lovesick , Demoted , Famous in Love , The Unicorn , Temptation Island , ESPN, the BBC as well as ads for Ralph Lauren and Beats by Dre.
Albums including The Kickdrums' production have sold over 7.5 million copies worldwide. Fitts has cited The Prodigy, Wu-Tang Clan and Trent Reznor as influences.
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