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Nico Constantine

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Nico Constantine
Nico Constantine with guitar
Nico Constantine with guitar
Background information
GenresRock and Roll, indie, pop
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter, producer, music director
InstrumentGuitar
Years active1996–present
Websiteinstitutionrecords.world

Nico Constantine is an American music director, producer, and guitarist, known for his work with Lady Gaga, Biters, Program the Dead,[1] Comes with the Fall,[2] and Madfly.[3] He is the founder of Institution Records.

Biography

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Madfly and Comes with the Fall

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In 1996, Constantine joined Madfly in Atlanta, Georgia, along with singer-guitarist William DuVall, drummer Bevan Davies, and bassist Jeffery Blount. In 1998, Joan Jett signed Madfly to Blackheart/Mercury Records. After releasing White Hot in the Black,[2] the band left Blackheart/Mercury, and reformed as Comes with the Fall in 1999, with Adam Stanger replacing Jeffery Blount on bass.[2]

Comes with the Fall recorded their self-titled album in Atlanta,[4] a year later, before relocating to Los Angeles, California,[2] catching the attention of Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell. Their self-titled album was released the same year through DuVall's DVL Records.[2]

Constantine amicably parted ways with Comes with the Fall during the first leg of the Degradation Trip tour,[5] however, some of his writing would appear on their later studio releases, The Year Is One, The Reckoning and Beyond the Last Light. DuVall thanked Constantine along with the rest of the founding members of Comes with the Fall within the liner notes of Alice in Chains' 2009 album Black Gives Way to Blue.

Constantine and The Biters
Constantine with Lady Gaga on the Fame Ball tour
Program the Dead Live
Constantine, Jerry Cantrell, and William DuVall

Program the Dead

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After leaving Comes with the Fall, Constantine went on to form the band Program the Dead, along with vocalist Matt Koruba, drummer Dave Murga, and bassist Johnny McClay (later replaced by Tom Kafafian). Program the Dead was signed to Universal Motown by Andrew Kronfeld six months after forming. The band toured extensively throughout the United States, Canada and the UK sharing the stage with such bands as HIM, Mindless Self Indulgence, and the Bloodhound Gang.[6][7]

Lady Gaga

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In 2006, Constantine played guitar on Lady Gaga's planned album release for Island Def Jam. In 2009, he served as Lady Gaga's music director and lead guitarist, assembling her first live band for her World Tour 2009 of the Fame Ball[8] throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Israel and the United States. He also served as Gaga's music director and guitarist for her performances on Dancing with the Stars, the BBC Glastonbury Concert, the Isle of MTV Malta Special, Australia's Live at the Chapel, and many European TV specials.

Institution Records and Production career

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In 2013, Constantine founded Institution Records,[9] working with bands such as Biters, Starbenders, Rosegarden Funeral Party, and Brooklynn.

Discography

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Title Release Label Band
Get the Silver 1996 Killing Floor Records Madfly
White Hot in the Black 1998 Blackheart/MercuryRecords
Comes with the Fall 2000 DVL Comes with the Fall
Program the Dead 2005 Universal Records Program the Dead
Ginger 2007 Sippy Cup Records
Sticks & Bricks 2007 (extended play)
Calling the Snakes 2008 (extended play)
Dead in the City Basements: Live 2008
Poison Arrows 2009 Full Breach Kicks Poison Arrows
It's OK to Like Biters 2010 Underrated Records The Biters
Dirty Pollyanna 2010 Sippy Cup Records Dirty Pollyanna
Tell Angela 2011
Last of a Dying Breed 2012 Pipeline Records The Biters
Take My Hand (single) 2013 Institution Records Brooklynn
Take My Hand (music video) 2013
Indigo (7" A-side) 2014 The Biters
Brooklynn (debut EP) 2014 Brooklynn
Starbenders (debut EP) 2014 Starbenders
Free 2 B (EP) 2015 Brooklynn
Friends (music video) 2015
What I Need (music video) 2015
Powder (7") 2015 Starbenders[10]
Powder (music video) 2015
Brake (single) 2015
Paper Beats Rock (single) 2015
Blood (single) 2016
Heavy Petting 2016
So High (single) 2016
Far From Heaven (single) 2017
Down and Out (single) 2017
1969 (single) 2017
Julian (EP) 2017
Japanese Rooms (EP) 2019
Death By Amplifier (single) 2019
London (single) 2019 Sumerian Records
Holy Mother (single) 2019
Love Potions 2020

References

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  1. ^ Haught, Lori. "Program the Dead breathes some life into rock n' roll". Downtown Express. Retrieved April 5, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d e Prato, Greg. "Comes with the Fall Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
  3. ^ Band History Archived July 22, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Rosen, Steven (September 25, 2009). "Alice in Chains: 'We All Have Very High Standards For Ourselves'". Ultimate Guitar Archive. Archived from the original on August 19, 2010.
  5. ^ Nico
  6. ^ Introducing William DuVall
  7. ^ Comes with the Fall News
  8. ^ "VOX Artists | Nico: On the Go go with Lady Gaga". www.voxamps.com. Archived from the original on October 1, 2009.
  9. ^ "Institution Records". institutionrecords.world. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  10. ^ "starbenders albums and discography | Last.fm". Last.fm. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
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Media related to Nico Constantine at Wikimedia Commons