Warren Ellis (musician)

Last updated

Warren Ellis
Warren Ellis Nina Simone's Gum event.jpg
Ellis playing violin in 2021
Background information
Born (1965-02-14) 14 February 1965 (age 59)
Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
Occupations
  • Musician
  • composer
Instruments
Labels
Member of
Formerly of Grinderman

Warren Ellis (born 14 February 1965) [1] is an Australian musician and composer. He is a member of the rock groups Dirty Three and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. He performed with the band Grinderman until its disbandment in 2013, and has composed film scores with long-time friend, collaborator and band-mate Nick Cave. Ellis plays the violin, piano, accordion, bouzouki, guitar, flute, mandolin, mandocello and viola. [2] [3] He has been a member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds since 1994. [4] [5]

Contents

Life and career

Ellis was born in Ballarat, Victoria. [6] He has said that he came to music by accident: while playing at the local tip, he found an abandoned piano accordion. He took it to school and his teacher showed him how to play it. [7] He later learned classical violin and flute at school in Ballarat.

After winning a scholarship to a private high school, [8] Ellis went to university in Melbourne, where he studied classical violin. After that he then worked briefly as a schoolteacher in country Victoria. In January 1988 he travelled to Europe, where he busked in Greece, Hungary, Scotland and Ireland. A year later he returned to Australia. [6] [9] Ellis then wrote music for theatre groups and performed at art openings and plays in Melbourne, before he started playing in bands in the early nineties. [3] [10]

In 1992, Ellis formed The Dirty Three with guitarist Mick Turner and drummer Jim White. As of 2018 the band has recorded nine studio albums, including several to appear on the ARIA charts in their native Australia.

In 1993, Ellis was invited to play with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds as part of a small string ensemble for several songs on Let Love In (released 1994). He soon joined the band as a full-time member, initially emphasising violin but gradually adding many other instruments. Ellis eventually co-wrote many of the band's songs and became a pivotal collaborator with singer Nick Cave in film scores and other projects. Ellis was also a member of Grinderman, a side-group from the Bad Seeds, who have released two albums. [3]

Ellis of the Dirty Three performing at WOMADelaide 2012 Warren Ellis of the Dirty Three.JPG
Ellis of the Dirty Three performing at WOMADelaide 2012

In 2002, Ellis released a solo album on King Crab records called Three Pieces for Violin. Since 2005 he has played on several Marianne Faithfull albums. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis composed the award-winning score of the film The Proposition , [11] and collaborated again on the scores of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford , [12] The Road , [13] and Far from Men . [14]

In 2009, Nick Cave and Warren Ellis released White Lunar – an album that includes other soundtrack scores. [15]

Following the release of Carnage , Ellis and Nick Cave toured Europe in the autumn of 2021 and the United States in the spring of 2022. [16]

Ellis has lived in Paris since 1998 with his French wife and their two children. [17] [3]

In 2021, Ellis and his wife announced the purchase of a parcel of land in Sumatra, which they donated to the non-profit Jakarta Animal Aid Network. Ellis Park Wildlife Sanctuary is adjacent to the existing Sumatra Wildlife Centre, and specialises in animals who need lifetime care and cannot survive in the wild. [18] [19] Ellis Park, a documentary about Ellis and the sanctuary was directed by Justin Kurzel. [20]

Works

Solo albums

Solo scores

Collaborations with Nick Cave

Other collaborations

Books

Awards and nominations

APRA Music Awards

The APRA Awards have been presented annually since 1982 by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), "honouring composers and songwriters". [34]

YearNominee / workAwardResultRef.
2014 "Jubilee Street" (with Nick Cave)Song of the YearShortlisted [35]
"We No Who U R" (with Nick Cave)Shortlisted
2021 "Ghosteen" (with Nick Cave)Song of the YearShortlisted [36]
2022 "Albuquerque" (with Nick Cave)Song of the YearShortlisted [37]
ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual ceremony presented by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), which recognise excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of the music of Australia. They commenced in 1987.

YearNominee / workAwardResult
2006 The Proposition (Nick Cave with Warren Ellis)Best Original Soundtrack / Cast / Show RecordingNominated
2007 Nick Cave (honorary inductees Harvey, Ellis, Savage, Casey) ARIA Hall of Fame inducted
2013 Lawless (with Nick Cave)Best Original Soundtrack / Cast / Show RecordingNominated
2021 Carnage (with Nick Cave) [38] Best Adult Contemporary Album Nominated
Australian Music Prize

The Australian Music Prize (the AMP) is an annual award of $30,000 given to an Australian band or solo artist in recognition of the merit of an album released during the year of award. It commenced in 2005.

YearNominee / workAwardResult
2021 [39] Carnage (with Nick Cave)Australian Music PrizeNominated
National Live Music Awards

The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse live industry, celebrating the success of the Australian live scene. The awards commenced in 2016.

YearNominee / workAwardResult
2020 [40] himselfLive Instrumentalist of the YearWon
2023 [41] Nick Cave and Warren Ellis - Australian Carnage Tour (Supersonic)Best International Tour in AustraliaWon

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Cave</span> Australian musician (born 1957)

Nicholas Edward Cave is an Australian musician, writer and actor. Known for his baritone voice and for fronting the rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Cave's music is characterised by emotional intensity, a wide variety of influences and lyrical obsessions with death, religion, love, and violence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds</span> Australian post punk/alternative rock band

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian rock band formed in 1983 by vocalist Nick Cave, multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey and guitarist-vocalist Blixa Bargeld. The band has featured international personnel throughout its career and presently consists of Cave, violinist and multi-instrumentalist Warren Ellis, bassist Martyn P. Casey, guitarist George Vjestica, touring keyboardist/percussionist Larry Mullins, also known as Toby Dammit, and drummers Thomas Wydler (Switzerland) and Jim Sclavunos. Described as "one of the most original and celebrated bands of the post-punk and alternative rock eras in the '80s and onward", they have released eighteen studio albums and completed numerous international tours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Sclavunos</span> American drummer

James Sclavunos is an American drummer, multi-instrumentalist musician, record producer, and writer. He is best known as a drummer, having been a member of two seminal no wave groups in the late 1970s. He is also noted for stints in Sonic Youth and the Cramps, and has been a member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds since 1994. Sclavunos has led his own group the Vanity Set since 2000.

<i>The Proposition</i> (soundtrack) 2005 soundtrack album by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis

The Proposition is a soundtrack recorded by Nick Cave in collaboration with Warren Ellis, and was produced for the film The Proposition, released in October 2005. At the 2005 AFI Awards it won Best Original Music Score for Cave and Ellis.

<i>Before the Poison</i> 2004 studio album by Marianne Faithfull

Before the Poison is the sixteenth studio album by British singer Marianne Faithfull, recorded in 2003 and released in France on 28 September 2004, and in the United States on 25 January 2005.

Cezary Jan Skubiszewski is a Polish-born Australian film and television composer. He composed film scores for Red Dog, Two Hands, The Sapphires and TV series Picnic at Hanging Rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grinderman</span> Australian-American rock band

Grinderman was an Australian-American rock band that formed in London, England, in 2006. The band included Nick Cave, Warren Ellis, Martyn P. Casey and Jim Sclavunos.

<i>Grinderman</i> (album) 2007 studio album by Grinderman

Grinderman is the eponymous debut studio album by alternative rock band Grinderman, a side project of members of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released on 5 March 2007 on Mute Records in Europe and ANTI- in the United States. Aiming to recreate the more raw, primal sound of all former related projects such as The Birthday Party, Grinderman's lyrical and musical content diverged significantly from Nick Cave's concurrent work with The Bad Seeds, whose last studio album, Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus (2004), was primarily blues, gospel and alternative-orientated in stark contrast to the raw sound of the early Bad Seeds albums. Incidentally, the musical direction of Grinderman influenced The Bad Seeds' next studio album, Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! (2008).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Get It On (Grinderman song)</span> 2007 single by Grinderman

"Get It On" is the first single by alternative rock group Grinderman - a side project of the Australian post-punk group Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds - from their self-titled debut album Grinderman. Released on 8 January 2007, the song received positive reception from music critics, though failed to chart.

<i>The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford</i> (soundtrack) 2007 soundtrack album by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis is the official soundtrack album to the movie of the same name. Cave and Ellis composed all the music. According to the CD liner notes, Cave played piano, celesta and other keyboards, while Ellis played violin, viola, guitar and keyboards. Furthermore, some songs featured percussion, a small string ensemble and other instruments.

<i>Easy Come, Easy Go</i> (Marianne Faithfull album) 2008 studio album by Marianne Faithfull

Easy Come, Easy Go is a studio album of cover versions by English singer Marianne Faithfull, which was released in the EU on 10 November 2008. The album is produced by Hal Willner and features guest appearances from a variety of musicians. It was released as both a standard 10-track CD and a special 18-track edition with a DVD documentary by Anne Rohart under Jean-Baptiste Mondino's artistic direction, with both Faithfull and Wilner commenting on the song selection. A collectible 2-disc vinyl pressing is also available. The album was recorded with Pro Tools in NYC at the Sear Sound Studio.

<i>Grinderman 2</i> 2010 studio album by Grinderman

Grinderman 2 is the second and final studio album by alternative rock band Grinderman, a side project of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released on 13 September 2010 on Mute Records in the United Kingdom and ANTI- in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worm Tamer</span> 2010 single by Grinderman

"Worm Tamer" is a song by alternative rock group Grinderman, written collectively by the band with lyrics by frontman Nick Cave and music by Warren Ellis, Martyn P. Casey and Jim Sclavunos. The song was released as the band's fifth single and second single from their second studio album, Grinderman 2, on 22 November 2010. The song was debuted live on the BBC music programme, Later... with Jools Holland, on 21 September 2010, alongside the former single "Heathen Child" and succeeding single "Palaces of Montezuma."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dirty Three</span> Australian instrumental rock band

Dirty Three are an Australian instrumental rock band, consisting of Warren Ellis, Mick Turner and Jim White (drums), which formed in 1992. Their 1996 album Horse Stories was voted by Rolling Stone as one of the top three albums of the year. Two of their albums have peaked into the top 50 on the ARIA Albums Chart, Ocean Songs (1998) and Toward the Low Sun (2012). During their career they have spent much of their time overseas when not performing together. Turner is based in Melbourne, White lives in New York, and Ellis in Paris. Australian rock music historian Ian McFarlane described them as providing a "rumbling, dynamic sound incorporated open-ended, improvisational, electric rock ... minus the jazz-rock histrionics". In October 2010, Ocean Songs was listed in the book 100 Best Australian Albums.

Daniel Francis Luscombe is an Australian guitarist, producer, and composer. He has collaborated with many musicians, been a member of several bands, including The Blackeyed Susans, The Drones, and Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males, and has composed music for films and TV.

Augustin Viard is a French musician who plays the ondes Martenot, an electronic instrument developed in the 1920s.

<i>Carnage</i> (Nick Cave and Warren Ellis album) 2021 studio album by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis

Carnage is a 2021 studio album by Australian musicians Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. Longtime collaborators in Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Grinderman, Carnage is their first full-length studio album as a duo, apart from their extensive work in film music. It was recorded during the COVID-19 lockdown and released digitally on 25 February 2021 via Goliath Records, with a CD and vinyl release on 28 May 2021, but was pushed back to 18 June 2021.

<i>She Walks in Beauty</i> (album) 2021 studio album by Warren Ellis and Marianne Faithfull

She Walks in Beauty is a 2021 studio album by Australian multi-instrumentalist Warren Ellis and British singer Marianne Faithfull putting music to British romantic poetry. Faithfull started recording it in 2020, only finishing it during her recovery from a serious case of COVID-19; she has described the work as her dream project that she wanted to record for 50 years. The album has received positive reviews from critics.

<i>This Much I Know to Be True</i> 2022 British film

This Much I Know to Be True is a 2022 British documentary film directed by Andrew Dominik. It is a companion to Dominik's documentary One More Time with Feeling (2016). The film had its world premiere on 12 February 2022 at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Cave discography</span> The solo discography of Australian recording artist Nick Cave.

This is the discography of Australian singer-songwriter Nick Cave. In addition to his career as lead singer of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, he has released 1 studio album, 11 soundtrack albums, 1 extended play, 2 short soundtracks, 3 singles, 3 live albums, and 1 compilation album. Since 2005, the majority of his work has been written & recorded in collaboration with Bad Seeds member and multi-instrumentalist Warren Ellis.

References

  1. ↑ "Warren Ellis | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  2. ↑ "CULTURE : Digging diamonds from the dirt; Dirty Three Birmingham Academy 2". Thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Warren Ellis Interview". BBC. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  4. ↑ Baker, J. (2013). The Art of Nick Cave: New Critical Essays. Intellect Books. p. 72.
  5. ↑ "Liverpool – Entertainment – Dirty Three @ Carling Academy". BBC. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  6. 1 2 Calkin, J. "Flying on instruments". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014.
  7. ↑ Badham, Van (3 January 2016). "Warren Ellis of Dirty Three: music is a place to get away from things". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077.
  8. ↑ Option: Volumes 66–71, Sonic Options Network, 1996
  9. ↑ Dwyer, M. (31 March 2002). "Wild seed". The Age.
  10. ↑ "From The Archives -Dirty Three- Concert Chronology / Gigography". Fromthearchives.com. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  11. ↑ Deusner, Stephen M. (21 February 2006). "The Proposition OST". Pitchfork . Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  12. ↑ Klein, Joshua (1 February 2008). "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford". Pitchfork . Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  13. ↑ Murray, Robin (12 January 2010). "Warren Ellis On 'The Road' Score". Clash Magazine . Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  14. ↑ Fischer, Russ (6 April 2015). "Sample the Nick Cave and Warren Ellis Score for 'Far From Men'". Slash Film . Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  15. ↑ Lusk, Jon (2009). "Nick Cave & Warren Ellis White Lunar Review". BBC Music . BBC . Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  16. ↑ "Nick Cave and Warren Ellis".
  17. ↑ "More than one string to his bow". The Age. January 2006. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  18. ↑ Alex Gallagher (23 June 2021). Warren Ellis is opening a wildlife sanctuary for animals with special needs. wafv951.com, accessed 17 March 2022
  19. ↑ Ellis Park website
  20. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (2 October 2024). "Justin Kurzel's Warren Ellis Documentary 'Ellis Park' Boarded By The Yellow Affair". Deadline. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  21. ↑ Warren Ellis – Bad Girl (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2017, CD) , retrieved 24 August 2021
  22. ↑ "Warren Ellis set to release 'This Train I Ride' film score". 16 March 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  23. ↑ Purple Perilla by Warren Ellis, 24 February 2021, retrieved 16 May 2021
  24. ↑ "Vesturport". Vesturport.com. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  25. ↑ "Trailer: Nick Cave-Penned/Scored 'Lawless'". Twentyfourbit.com. 25 April 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  26. ↑ ""Wood Dove" – Nick Cave & Warren Ellis (Video by David Orr)". YouTube . 26 May 2023.
  27. ↑ Leggett, Steve. "Son of Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs & Chanteys Review". AllMusic . Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  28. ↑ "Cinésonore : "Le Brasier Shelley", un film sans image en son immersif au mk2 Bibliothèque à Paris". France Culture . Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  29. ↑ "Tinariwen Release New Album 'Amadjar' Today". 6 September 2019. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  30. ↑ "she walks in beauty | Marianne Faithfull Official". Mariannefaithfull.org.uk. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  31. ↑ "The 1975 'Being Funny in a Foreign Language' Review". 13 October 2022.
  32. ↑ Larman, Alexander (2 October 2022). "In brief: Three Times a Countess; Queen High; Nina Simone's Gum – review". The Guardian . Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  33. ↑ "Book review: Nina Simone's Gum by Warren Ellis". Radio New Zealand . 25 October 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  34. ↑ "APRA History". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  35. ↑ "Nick Cave, Boy & Bear Lead APRA 2014 Song of the Year Shortlist". Music Feeds . 15 April 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  36. ↑ "One of these songs will be the Peer-Voted APRA Song of the Year!". APRA AMCOS . 3 February 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  37. ↑ "2022 Peer-Voted APRA Song of the Year shortlist revealed!". APRA AMCOS . 3 February 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  38. ↑ Kelly, Vivienne (20 October 2021). "ARIA Awards nominees revealed: Amy Shark & Genesis Owusu lead the charge". The Music Network . Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  39. ↑ "Australian Music Prize reveals 'strong & diverse' shortlist". The Music Network. 1 February 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  40. ↑ "Nominees announced for 2020 National Live Music Awards". NLMAs. 7 September 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  41. ↑ "Genesis Owusu And Amyl & The Sniffers Win Big At The 2023 National Live Music Awards". The Music . 11 October 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
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.