Van William

Last updated

Van William (also known as Van Pierszalowski) is an American musician. He formed the band Waters, serving as a vocalist and guitarist, and was the frontman of the band Port O'Brien. He is currently a solo artist.

Contents

Van William was born on November 24, 1984 in Cambria, San Luis Obispo, California, USA as Van William Pierszalowski. [1] He is a California native but has lived in Norway, Alaska and New York. [2] While living in Alaska every summer growing up, Van worked on his father's commercial salmon fishing boat, the Shawnee, on Kodiak Island. Van has cited Neil Young, Kurt Cobain, and Lily Allen as his musical heroes. [3]

On July 18, 2017, NPR premiered the music video for "Revolution", featuring the Swedish folk group First Aid Kit. This also served as the announcement for the release of The Revolution EP, Van's solo debut, in September. [4] In January 2018, the song "Revolution" reached number 6 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Songs chart. [5] His first full-length album, Countries, was released on January 19, 2018. [6] Following the release of Countries, Van William performed with First Aid Kit during their 2018 world tour for their album Ruins .

Discography

Related Research Articles

Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke ; brothers Jonny Greenwood and Colin Greenwood (bass); Ed O'Brien ; and Philip Selway. They have worked with the producer Nigel Godrich and the cover artist Stanley Donwood since 1994. Radiohead's experimental approach is credited with advancing the sound of alternative rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jewel (singer)</span> American singer-songwriter and actress

Jewel Kilcher is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She has received four Grammy Award nominations and, as of 2021, has sold over 30 million albums worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iron & Wine</span> American musician (born 1974)

Samuel "Sam" Ervin Beam, better known by his stage name Iron & Wine, is an American singer-songwriter. He has released six studio albums, several EPs and singles, as well as a few download-only releases, which include a live album. He occasionally tours with a full band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crazy Little Thing Called Love</span> 1979 single by Queen

"Crazy Little Thing Called Love" is a song by the British rock band Queen. Written by Freddie Mercury in 1979, the track is included on their 1980 album The Game, and also appears on the band's compilation album Greatest Hits in 1981. The song peaked at number two in the UK Singles Chart in 1979, becoming the group's first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US in 1980, remaining there for four consecutive weeks. It topped the Australian ARIA Charts for seven weeks. It was the band's final single release of the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amos Lee</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1977)

Amos Lee is an American singer-songwriter whose musical style encompasses folk, rock, and soul. He was born in Philadelphia and graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in English. After working as a schoolteacher and bartender he began to pursue a career in music. His manager Bill Eib, an artist manager and new artist development agent, submitted a demo recording to Blue Note Records which resulted in a recording contract and association with singer Norah Jones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Smith (British musician)</span> English singer and musician (born 1972)

Steve Smith is an English singer and musician, best known as the vocalist for the Grammy award winning house music group Dirty Vegas and as the percussionist for the new wave band Squeeze. He has recorded albums and played concerts for alternate rock band Portugal the Man since 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Kurstin</span> American record producer and songwriter

Gregory Allen Kurstin is an American record producer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter. He has won nine Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year, Non-Classical in 2017 and 2018, and written and produced four songs that hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port O'Brien</span>

Port O'Brien was an American musical group combining elements of acoustic, folk and indie rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The War on Drugs (band)</span> American rock band

The War on Drugs is an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed in 2005. The band consists of Adam Granduciel, David Hartley, Robbie Bennett (keyboards), Charlie Hall (drums), Jon Natchez, Anthony LaMarca (guitar) and Eliza Hardy Jones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Band Perry</span> American country music group

The Band Perry was an American band composed of siblings Kimberly Perry, Reid Perry, and Neil Perry. They signed to Republic Nashville in August 2009 and released their self-titled debut album on October 12, 2010. From this album, "If I Die Young" reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs and Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks charts and has been certified 6x multi-platinum. Their second album, Pioneer, was released April 2, 2013. It produced additional number one singles in "Better Dig Two" and "Done", plus the top 10 hits "Don't Let Me Be Lonely" and "Chainsaw". The band transitioned to pop in 2017 and began to release music independently in 2018 before officially going on hiatus in 2023. Following this, Kimberly returned to her country roots and launched a solo career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cassadee Pope</span> American singer

Cassadee Blake Pope is an American pop and country singer. She was the lead vocalist and songwriter of the pop rock band Hey Monday, with whom she released one studio album and two EPs. Pope embarked on a solo career in early 2012 and released the EP Cassadee Pope in May 2012. She took part in the third season of The Voice and became the first female winner in December 2012. Her debut solo country album, Frame by Frame, was released in 2013 to a top 10 Billboard 200 charting. It debuted at No. 1 on Top Country Albums, with 43,000 copies sold in its first week.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Aid Kit (band)</span> Swedish folk duo

First Aid Kit is a Swedish folk duo consisting of the sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg, born in 1990 and 1993, respectively. When performing live, they are accompanied by a drummer, a guitarist and a keyboard player. In 2008, they gained some Internet popularity for their cover of the Fleet Foxes' song "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song". Rolling Stone magazine chose their song "Emmylou" as the number 10 "Single of the Year" in 2012. They have released five albums, four EPs and several singles. In 2015, they were nominated for a Brit Award as one of the five best international groups. They were nominated again in 2019 and 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kishi Bashi</span> Musical artist

Kaoru Ishibashi, who performs as Kishi Bashi, is an American singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter currently based in Athens, Georgia. He was a founding member of Jupiter One and, for a few years, was a member of the band of Montreal. He embarked on his career as a solo artist in 2011, releasing his debut album 151a at Joyful Noise Recordings in 2012 to immediate fanfare and critical acclaim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Record Company</span>

The Record Company is a Grammy-nominated American rock band from Los Angeles. The members are Chris Vos, Alex Stiff, and Marc Cazorla. Their music is influenced by blues musicians like John Lee Hooker, early punk bands like The Stooges, and rock bands like The Rolling Stones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida Georgia Line</span> American country music duo

Florida Georgia Line is an American country music duo founded in 2010 by vocalists and songwriters Tyler Hubbard of Georgia and Brian Kelley of Florida; however, the band is on an indefinite hiatus from touring and “taking a break” from making music together as the members pursue solo careers. Their 2012 debut single "Cruise" broke two major sales records: it was downloaded over seven million times, making it the first country song ever to receive the Diamond certification, and it became the best-selling digital country song, with 24 weeks at number one, until it was surpassed in July 2017 by Sam Hunt's "Body Like a Back Road". Their music style is described as "bro-country", which incorporates production elements from rock and hip-hop music, and tends to cover subject matter such as partying, drinking, driving trucks and sexual attraction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mickey Guyton</span> American country music singer (born 1983)

Candace Mycale "Mickey" Guyton is an American country music artist. Raised in Texas, Guyton was exposed to various types of music at a young age, and her material incorporates elements of contemporary country and R&B music. She moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 2011 and signed a recording contract with Capitol Records Nashville. In 2015, the label released Guyton's debut extended play (EP), Unbreakable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waters (band)</span>

Waters is a musical project formed by Van Pierszalowski, the frontman of Port O'Brien, after Port O'Brien broke up. Pierszalowski traveled to Oslo to work on the album. The group released their debut album, Out in the Light, in 2011 to generally favorable reviews. The band consists of Van Pierszalowski (vocals/guitar), Brian DaMert (guitar), Greg Sellin (bass), Andrew Wales (drums), and Sara DaMert (keyboard).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olivia O'Brien</span> American singer

Olivia Gail O'Brien is an American singer. In 2016, after she collaborated with Gnash on the single "I Hate U, I Love U", the pair peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States and number one in Australia, resulting in a recording contract with Island Records. Her debut studio album, Was It Even Real?, was released in April 2019. Her single "Josslyn", a part of her EP The Results of My Poor Judgement, became popular on the media-sharing app TikTok and is another one of her well-known works.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maggie Rogers</span> American musician (born 1994)

Margaret Debay Rogers is an American singer-songwriter and record producer from Easton, Maryland. After her song "Alaska" was played to artist-in-residence Pharrell Williams during a master class at the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts in 2016, she gained widespread recognition. She has released two independent albums, The Echo (2012) and Blood Ballet (2014) and two studio albums, Heard It in a Past Life (2019) and Surrender (2022). She was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boygenius</span> American indie rock group, formed 2018

Boygenius is an American indie rock supergroup formed in 2018 by Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus. Their self-titled debut EP was written and recorded at Sound City Studios in Los Angeles. On January 18, 2023, the band announced their debut studio album, The Record, which was released on March 31.

References

  1. "Van Pierszalowski IMDB Bio". IMDB. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  2. "An Interview with WATERS". POPMatters. 5 January 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  3. "Fisherman's Blues – Port O'Brien Interview". THE VPME. 18 October 2008. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  4. Boilen, Bob (18 July 2017). "First Watch: Van William Feat. First Aid Kit, 'Revolution'". NPR. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  5. "First Aid Kit Revolution Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  6. 1 2 "Countries by Van William". Apple Music . 19 January 2018. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  7. "Release group "When They Burn" by van William - MusicBrainz".