Jump to content

Alex Dezen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 2605:e000:909a:ea00:d553:5fb7:dab8:4f48 (talk) at 05:49, 17 September 2016 (Notable song credits). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Alex Dezen
Birth nameAlexander Dezen
Born (1978-06-26) June 26, 1978 (age 46)
New York City
GenresPop, rock, Americana
Occupation(s)Songwriter, composer, producer, artist
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active2000–present
LabelsWarner Chappell Publishing, Epic Records, Rounder Records, Poor Man Records, In Music We Trust
Websitewww.alexdezen.com

Alex Dezen (born June 26, 1978) is a solo artist and the lead singer and songwriter for the American rock and roll band The Damnwells.[1] He is also a multi-platinum selling songwriter.[2] He holds an MFA degree in English from The University of Iowa's Iowa Writers' Workshop, which he attended from 2008-2010 as a Jeffrey G. and Victoria J. Edwards Fellow.[3] As a songwriter, he has written and released songs for artists such as Justin Bieber, Matt Hires, Court Yard Hounds, The Veronicas, and others. He has also written for and worked with a number of additional artist such as The Dixie Chicks, Dave Grohl, Gary Louris of The Jayhawks, Sara Bareilles, Christina Perri, Genevieve Schatz of Company of Thieves, Simple Plan, Jesse & Joy and many others. He is currently signed to Warner Chappell Music Publishing.[4]

Career

A series of 4 solo EPs, known as "The Bedhead EPs," were released throughout 2014. The first one, titled 1/4, was released on January 21, 2014.[5][6] The second, titled 2/4, was released on April 22, 2014, and was accompanied by a video, which premiered on the website for American Songwriter magazine.[7] The 3rd EP, titled 3/4, was released on July 22, 2014[8] The final EP in the series, 4/4, was released on December 30, 2014.[9]

In 2015, he collaborated with the American dance company Pilobolus, composing the music for the dance piece Wednesday Morning, 11:45 (2015), which premiered at The American Dance Festival in Durham, NC, on June 15, 2015.[10][11]

The Damnwells eponymous fifth studio album, featuring the original four members, was released on April 14, 2015.[12]

On November 3, 2015, Dezen announced a PledgeMusic project of songs written in early 2015 to be released as his first solo album.[13] The project reached its crowdfunding goal in one week. The self-titled album was released by Rock Ridge Music on February 12, 2016, followed by a 9-hour, free internet concert where Dezen performed acoustic versions of every song he has ever released over his 15-year career either with The Damnwells or as a solo artist, including a live, full-band performance of the self-titled solo album live at the High Watt in Nashville, TN.[14] The footage is still available online view Dezen's YouTube channel.[15]

On August 23, 2016, Dezen announced another Pledge Music campaign for his second solo album, releasing the song and video for "Randolph Tonight" exclusively to Pledgers.[16]

Notable song credits

The Damnwells "Golden Days" - Air Stereo (#19 Billboard album)
Justin Bieber "Take You" - Believe and Believe Acoustic (# 1 Billboard album)
Cody Simpson "Gentleman" - Paradise (# 27 Billboard album)

"Ends with You" - Coast to Coast

Court Yard Hounds "Sunshine," "Gets You Down" - Amelita (#18 Billboard album)
The Veronicas "You and Me" - The Veronicas (album)
Matt Hires "Restless Heart," "I Am Not Here," "Wishing on Dead Stars," "All That's Left is You" - The World Won't Last Forever, But Tonight We Can Pretend[17]

References