Thomas Mars | |
|---|---|
 Mars in 2018 | |
| Born | Thomas Pablo Croquet 21 November 1976 Versailles, France |
| Known for | Phoenix |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2, including Romy Mars |
| Musical career | |
| Also known as | Gordon Tracks |
| Genres | Alternative rock |
| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1999–present |
| Labels |
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Thomas Pablo Croquet (born 21 November 1976), known professionally as Thomas Mars, is a French musician and the lead singer of the French indie pop band Phoenix.
Thomas Pablo Croquet was born on 21 November 1976 in Versailles, France. Croquet was originally inspired to learn English by his uncle, Horst. [1]
Croquet formed the band Phoenix with schoolfriends Chris Mazzalai and Deck d'Arcy. Mazzalai's older brother, Laurent Brancowitz, also joined the band after the break-up of Darlin'. Croquet says that he "destroyed every single other option that would lead me to any potential career other than music", attending college for only four days, studying economics. [2]
Croquet is the frontman of the band Phoenix, which formed in 1995. He adopted a stage name, Thomas Mars, along with other bandmates in order to "sound cooler". [3] In an interview, the band's bassist Deck D'Arcy said that he and Mars started playing music when they were around 11-years-old. [4] The band eventually became a full-time profession for Mars following his dropping out of college. [2] The band pressed 500 copies of a single on their own label before being signed to Paris-based label, Source Records. [5]
Mars wrote and produced Phoenix's first charting single in France, "Too Young", which peaked at number 97. [6] Eventually Phoenix's first studio album, United was released in 2000, shipping 150,000 units worldwide. [7] The band has released seven albums and won a Grammy Award in 2010. [8]
Under the pseudonym Gordon Tracks, Mars co-wrote, performed vocals and drummed on the 2000 Air song "Playground Love" from The Virgin Suicides, which reached No. 25 on the UK singles chart. [9]
In 2011, Croquet married filmmaker Sofia Coppola at Palazzo Margherita in Bernalda. The couple met in 1999 on the set of The Virgin Suicides, which she directed and he contributed music to under the pseudonym Gordon Tracks. [10] They have two daughters together, Romy and Cosima. [11]
The German literary critic Hellmuth Karasek was his uncle. [1]
As of 2018, Croquet lives in New York City with his wife and children. He travels to Paris monthly and has a residence there. The rest of his Phoenix bandmates reside in France. [1]
The Virgin Suicides is a coming-of-age thriller novel and the debut novel by American writer Jeffrey Eugenides, published in 1993. The story, which is set in Grosse Pointe, Michigan during the 1970s, centers on the lives of five doomed sisters, the Lisbon girls. The novel is written in first person plural from the perspective of an anonymous group of teenage boys who struggle to find an explanation for the Lisbons' deaths. The novel's first chapter appeared in The Paris Review in 1990, and won the 1991 Aga Khan Prize for Fiction. The novel was adapted into a 1999 movie by director Sofia Coppola, starring Kirsten Dunst.
Air is a French music duo from Versailles, consisting of Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel. Their critically acclaimed debut album, Moon Safari, including the track "Sexy Boy", was an international success in 1998. Its follow-up, The Virgin Suicides, was the score to Sofia Coppola's first film The Virgin Suicides. The band has since released the albums 10 000 Hz Legend, Talkie Walkie, Pocket Symphony, Love 2, Le voyage dans la lune and Music for Museum. The band is influenced by a wide variety of musical styles and artists.
Sofia Carmina Coppola is an American filmmaker and former actress. She has won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Golden Lion, and a Cannes Film Festival Award. She was also nominated for three BAFTA Awards, as well as a Primetime Emmy Award.
Alphabetical is the second studio album by French indie pop band Phoenix, released in 2004. The album has two singles, "Everything Is Everything" and "Run Run Run".
United is the debut studio album by French indie pop band Phoenix, released in 2000. Singles released from the album include "Too Young", "If I Ever Feel Better" and "Party Time".
The Virgin Suicides is a score composed by French electronic music duo Air for the 1999 film of the same name by Sofia Coppola. It was released on 23 February 2000 by Virgin Records. The album was nominated for Best Soundtrack at the 2001 Brit Awards. The French edition of Rolling Stone magazine placed The Virgin Suicides at number 49 on their list of the 100 essential French rock albums. In 2014, NME placed the album at number 11 on their "61 of the Greatest Film Soundtracks Ever" list. In 2019, Pitchfork placed the album at number four on their "Top 50 Best Movie Scores of All Time" list.
Phoenix is a French indie rock band from Versailles, formed in 1995. Their line-up, which has remained unchanged since their formation, comprises Thomas Mars, Deck d'Arcy, Christian Mazzalai and Laurent Brancowitz. Thomas Hedlund has been the band's session and live drummer since 2005.
The Virgin Suicides is a 1999 American psychological romantic drama film written and directed by Sofia Coppola in her feature directorial debut, and co-produced by her father, Francis Ford Coppola. It stars James Woods, Kathleen Turner, Kirsten Dunst, A.J. Cook, and Josh Hartnett, with Scott Glenn, Michael Paré, Jonathan Tucker, and Danny DeVito in supporting roles.
The Virgin Suicides (Music from the Motion Picture) is the soundtrack accompanying the 1999 debut feature film by director Sofia Coppola. Released by Emperor Norton Records on March 28, 2000, the album features classic rock and pop songs by Todd Rundgren, Heart, Sloan, The Hollies, Al Green, Gilbert O'Sullivan, 10cc and Styx; plus two tracks from the French electronic music duo Air.
Brian Reitzell is an American musician, composer, record producer and music supervisor best known for his work on many film and TV soundtracks. He is notable for working extensively with the American film director Sofia Coppola. He was formerly the drummer for the LA punk band Redd Kross. He has collaborated extensively with the French electronica duo Air, having performed drums on their albums The Virgin Suicides and 10 000 Hz Legend. Reitzell also toured with the band on their "Moon Safari" tour in 1998 and again in 2000 and 2001. In 2003, he was nominated for a BAFTA, along with Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine, for the score to Lost in Translation.
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is the fourth studio album by French indie pop band Phoenix. It was released on 25 May 2009 by V2 Records. While the band's previous work enjoyed a moderate underground following, the release of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix drew the attention of a more mainstream audience. In the US, Phoenix began a promotional tour including performances on several late night talk shows. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix continued to gain momentum with the increased exposure of the tour. The album received critical acclaim with many publications calling it one of the best albums of 2009. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix earned the band a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album at the 52nd Grammy Awards held on 31 January 2010.
Somewhere is a 2010 drama film written and directed by Sofia Coppola. The film follows Johnny Marco, a newly famous actor, as he recuperates from a minor injury at the Chateau Marmont, a well-known Hollywood retreat. Despite money, fame and professional success, Marco is trapped in an existential crisis and has an emotionally empty daily life. When his ex-wife suffers an unexplained breakdown and goes away, she leaves Cleo, their 11-year-old daughter, in his care. They spend time together and her presence helps Marco mature and accept adult responsibility. The film explores ennui among Hollywood stars, the father–daughter relationship and offers an oblique comedy of show business, particularly Hollywood filmmaking and the life of a "star".
"Point of View" is a song by Italian electronic music group DB Boulevard, written by Alfredo Comazzetto and vocalist Moony under her real name, Monica Bragato. The song is based around a sample of "Heatwave" by French band Phoenix, so Deck D'Arcy, Laurent Brancowitz, Thomas Mars Jr., and Christian Mazzalai are also credited as writers. "Point of View" became a chart hit in Europe and Australia and topped the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. The music video of the song features a computer-animated cardboard woman.
Bankrupt! is the fifth studio album by French indie pop band Phoenix. The album was released on 19 April 2013 by Loyauté, Glassnote Records and Atlantic Records. It is the band's follow up to Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, which was released four years earlier in 2009. The album was produced by the band with Philippe Zdar and was recorded in a span of two years at Studios d'Herbécourt and Motorbass Studios in Paris, France, and at Oscilloscope Laboratories in New York City, United States. The album received generally favorable reviews from music critics upon release. It debuted at number 3 on the French Albums Chart, number 4 on the Billboard 200, and number 14 on the UK Albums Chart.
Nancy Steiner is an American costume designer. Her credits include Little Miss Sunshine, Lost in Translation, The Lovely Bones, The Good Girl and The Virgin Suicides.
Gian-Carla Coppola is an American film director and screenwriter. She made her directorial feature film debut with Palo Alto in 2013. A member of the Coppola family, she is the granddaughter of director Francis Ford Coppola and niece of Sofia Coppola.
French indie pop band Phoenix has released seven studio albums, two extended plays, one live album, twenty-three singles, and nineteen music videos. Their first three albums, United (2000), Alphabetical (2003), and It's Never Been Like That (2006), were released through Source, Virgin Records, and Astralwerks. The band received major commercial success following the release of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (2009), which was released through V2 Records, Glassnote, Loyauté, and Cooperative Music. It was certified gold in Australia, Canada, and the United States. "1901", the album's lead single and "Lisztomania" the second single from the album were certified platinum in the US by the RIAA. After signing with Atlantic Records, the band released Bankrupt! (2013), which peaked at number three in the band's home country of France, making it their highest-peaking album there. The band's sixth album, Ti Amo (2017), had a positive commercial performance. The band's seventh album Alpha Zulu was released on 4 November 2022.
Alpha Zulu is the seventh studio album by French indie pop band Phoenix, released on 4 November 2022 through Loyauté and Glassnote Records. Self-produced by the band, it is their first album since 2017's Ti Amo. The singles "Identical", "Alpha Zulu", "Tonight", and "Winter Solstice" preceded the album. The band embarked on a tour in support of the album, which visited North America, the UK and Europe in late 2022, with another tour of North America set to commence in August 2023. The album received critical acclaim.
Priscilla (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the 2023 film Priscilla, directed by Sofia Coppola. Based on the life of actress Priscilla Presley and her relationship with singer-actor Elvis, the film stars Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi as the respective main characters. The soundtrack was supervised by the French indie pop band Phoenix and Randall Poster. The former, which contributed to elements of the film score not included in the soundtrack. The soundtrack also features contributions from the duo Sons of Raphael.
Romy Croquet Mars is an American actress and singer. A member of the Coppola family, she is the daughter of filmmaker Sofia Coppola and musician Thomas Mars.
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