Adam Duritz
Encyclopedia
Adam Fredric Duritz is an American
musician, songwriter, record producer
, and film producer
. He is best known for his role as frontman and vocalist for the rock band Counting Crows
, in which he is a founding member and principal composer of their catalogue of songs.
Duritz has recorded solo material of his own and collaborated with other musical acts, leading him to branch out as the owner of at least two record label
s, acting as his own A&R
man. His work scoring
music for film
has been recognized by the music industry, notably with an award for co-writing the song "Accidentally in Love
" for the movie Shrek 2
from BMI
.
Duritz's lyrics have been described as "morose" and "tortured" and as "wordy introspection" and his vocals "expressive." He has also suffered from what he describes as "a dissociative disorder
, which makes the world seem like it's not real," which contributes to the length of time between albums and the inspiration for many of his lyrics.
, then El Paso, Texas
, and finally to Berkeley, California
. Duritz has lived in San Francisco, Los Angeles
, Houston, Amsterdam
and, most recently, New York City
. As a student, he attended Head-Royce School
, the Taft School, the University of California, Davis
and the University of California, Berkeley
, but dropped out before earning a degree.
bands. These included Mod-L Society, and another, was a college rock
band, Sordid Humor
. While Duritz was not a member, in the early 1990s, two other musicians who Duritz had not yet met were introduced while working with the band. Duritz had been tapped to provide vocals on one track, and future bandmate David Immerglück
, (nicknamed "Immy") as a session musician
on bass guitar. Producing the album, was David Bryson, both of whom became good friends. In 1990, Duritz joined with Bryson, and followed his lead in forming the band, The Himalayans
. In the Himalayans, his songwriting talents were beginning to gain recognition from the other musicians and a song, albeit in its infancy, "Round Here
" was written at that time. A year later, while The Himalayans recorded a demo tape for a major record label, Duritz and Bryson independently submitted another demo tape of just the two of them singing stripped-down musical selections, and called themselves Counting Crows. After listening to both tapes, Duritz and Bryson's tape was selected; although they were asked to record the song on their debut album as it was. She Likes the Weather
was the result, containing "Round Here".
He has collaborated with The Wallflowers
(led by Jakob Dylan
) on the album Bringing Down the Horse
on the track "6th Avenue Hearthache"; with Ryan Adams
on Gold
and the song "Butterfly in Reverse" from Hard Candy; with Peter Stuart on Propeller and Daisy
; with Live
on V
; and with Dashboard Confessional
on the track "So Long, So Long" from Dusk and Summer
. He also collaborated with Nanci Griffith
on "Going Back to Georgia", from Griffith's 1994 Album "Flyer".
Duritz also contributed the songs "Spin Around," "You Don't See Me," and "You're a Star" to the Josie and the Pussycats
soundtrack that were performed by the film's fictional title band. Along with bandmates Vickrey, Bryson, and Immerglück, Duritz co-wrote the song "Accidentally in Love
" for the soundtrack of the movie, Shrek 2
, winning them each an award from BMI
.
Duritz was also a judge for the 10th annual Independent Music Awards
to support independent artists' careers.
in 2000, Duritz signed Joe 90
, Gigolo Aunts
, and Neilson Hubbard
– all of whom he took on the road to open for Counting Crows.
In November 2006, Adam Duritz began production on the Chicago pop punk
band Blacktop Mourning's debut record under the name "The Devil and Bunny Show" alongside Counting Crows
guitarist David Immerglück
's current album. He later announced, on January 15, 2007, that he was launching boutique record label Tyrannosaurus Records. His debut artists include Notar
and Blacktop Mourning. The label also re-released the sole album by Duritz's former band The Himalayans
.
.
. He also reads and responds to posts on the band’s messageboard, and recently started a feature called AskCrowsAsk where fans can email questions for band members to answer. This relationship has not always been smooth; Duritz has clashed with some fans, chastising those involved in flame wars by quipping on his blog, "Some of you are truly fucking unpleasant people."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician, songwriter, record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, and film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
. He is best known for his role as frontman and vocalist for the rock band Counting Crows
Counting Crows
Counting Crows is an American rock band originating from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1991, the group gained popularity following the release of its debut album in 1993, August and Everything After, which featured the hit single "Mr. Jones"...
, in which he is a founding member and principal composer of their catalogue of songs.
Duritz has recorded solo material of his own and collaborated with other musical acts, leading him to branch out as the owner of at least two record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s, acting as his own A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
man. His work scoring
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
music for film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
has been recognized by the music industry, notably with an award for co-writing the song "Accidentally in Love
Accidentally in Love
"Accidentally in Love" is a Pop song performed by Counting Crows. It was featured in the Shrek 2 movie soundtrack and released in 2004. The song was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song. This song is included in the music game Lego Rock Band....
" for the movie Shrek 2
Shrek 2
Shrek 2 is a 2004 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film, produced by DreamWorks Animation and directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon. It is the second installment in the Shrek film series and the sequel to 2001's Shrek...
from BMI
Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
.
Duritz's lyrics have been described as "morose" and "tortured" and as "wordy introspection" and his vocals "expressive." He has also suffered from what he describes as "a dissociative disorder
Dissociative disorders
Dissociative disorders are defined as conditions that involve disruptions or breakdowns of memory, awareness, identity and/or perception. See also dissociation. People with dissociative disorders are able to escape from reality involuntarily...
, which makes the world seem like it's not real," which contributes to the length of time between albums and the inspiration for many of his lyrics.
Early life
Adam Duritz was born in Baltimore, Maryland to a Jewish family. Duritz moved to BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, then El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
, and finally to Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
. Duritz has lived in San Francisco, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, Houston, Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
and, most recently, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. As a student, he attended Head-Royce School
Head-Royce School
Head-Royce School is a co-educational college-preparatory K-12 school in Oakland, California. The forerunner of Head-Royce was the Anna Head School for Girls in Berkeley, founded in 1887...
, the Taft School, the University of California, Davis
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university established in 1905 and located in Davis, California, USA. Spanning over , the campus is the largest within the University of California system and third largest by enrollment...
and the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, but dropped out before earning a degree.
Music career
Before gaining fame, Duritz sang (and later wrote songs) for a few San Francisco Bay AreaSan Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
bands. These included Mod-L Society, and another, was a college rock
College rock
College rock is a term that was used in the United States to describe 1980s alternative rock before the term "alternative" came into common usage. The term's use of the word "college" refers to campus radio stations located at institutions of higher education in Canada and the United States, where...
band, Sordid Humor
Sordid Humor
Sordid Humor was a musical band formed in 1987 by the duo of Tom Barnes and Jim Gordon. Barnes' unique vocal style and unusual phrasing was the trademark of Sordid Humor, and he went on to lend his vocals and alt-rock guitar style to Engine 88, and a solo project called the Blimp...
. While Duritz was not a member, in the early 1990s, two other musicians who Duritz had not yet met were introduced while working with the band. Duritz had been tapped to provide vocals on one track, and future bandmate David Immerglück
David Immerglück
David Immerglück is an American multi-instrumentalist who is best known as a guitarist in the alternative rock bands Counting Crows, Camper Van Beethoven and the Monks of Doom...
, (nicknamed "Immy") as a session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
on bass guitar. Producing the album, was David Bryson, both of whom became good friends. In 1990, Duritz joined with Bryson, and followed his lead in forming the band, The Himalayans
The Himalayans
The Himalayans were a rock band formed in San Francisco in 1990 by Dan Jewett and Chris Roldan. They prided themselves on the quality of their live performances, putting considerable effort into audio engineering to get a "studio" sound in live venues....
. In the Himalayans, his songwriting talents were beginning to gain recognition from the other musicians and a song, albeit in its infancy, "Round Here
Round Here
"Round Here" was released in 1994 from Geffen Records as the second single from the Counting Crows' debut album, August and Everything After ....
" was written at that time. A year later, while The Himalayans recorded a demo tape for a major record label, Duritz and Bryson independently submitted another demo tape of just the two of them singing stripped-down musical selections, and called themselves Counting Crows. After listening to both tapes, Duritz and Bryson's tape was selected; although they were asked to record the song on their debut album as it was. She Likes the Weather
She Likes the Weather
She Likes the Weather is a 17 song album by the San Francisco band The Himalayans produced by Dan Jewett from a December 1991 studio recording and their original demo tape, re-released on compact disc in 2002 ....
was the result, containing "Round Here".
He has collaborated with The Wallflowers
The Wallflowers
The Wallflowers is a rock band from Los Angeles, California, fronted by Jakob Dylan. Formed in 1989 and originally known as The Apples, the ensemble has gone through numerous personnel changes with Dylan the only constant....
(led by Jakob Dylan
Jakob Dylan
Jakob Luke Dylan is the lead singer and songwriter of the rock band The Wallflowers and is a son of singer-songwriter Bob Dylan and Sara Dylan. He has also recorded two solo albums.-Personal life:...
) on the album Bringing Down the Horse
Bringing Down the Horse
Bringing Down the Horse is the second album of The Wallflowers, which was released in 1996. It contains hits such as "One Headlight," "6th Avenue Heartache," "Three Marlenas," and "The Difference." "One Headlight" was the band's most popular single, reaching #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock,...
on the track "6th Avenue Hearthache"; with Ryan Adams
Ryan Adams
David Ryan Adams is an American alt-country/rock singer-songwriter, from Jacksonville, North Carolina. Initially part of the group Whiskeytown, Adams left the band and released his first solo album Heartbreaker in 2000...
on Gold
Gold (Ryan Adams album)
-Album:-Singles:-Critical reception:-Personnel:* Ryan Adams – Vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo, piano* Bucky Baxter – Steel guitar* Andre Carter – Trumpet* Richard Causon – Piano* Jennifer Condos – Bass...
and the song "Butterfly in Reverse" from Hard Candy; with Peter Stuart on Propeller and Daisy
Daisy (album)
Daisy is the fourth studio album by American alternative rock band Brand New, released September 22, 2009 on Interscope Records.The album's first single, "At the Bottom," was released at the beginning of August 2009...
; with Live
Live (band)
Live is an American rock band from York, Pennsylvania, composed of Chad Taylor , Patrick Dahlheimer , and Chad Gracey . Lead singer and principal songwriter Ed Kowalczyk left the band in November 2009....
on V
V (Live album)
V is the fifth album by the band Live, released in 2001. It featuring the singles "Simple Creed" and "Overcome", the latter of which received significant exposure following the September 11 attacks.-History:...
; and with Dashboard Confessional
Dashboard Confessional
Dashboard Confessional is an American rock band from Boca Raton, Florida, led by singer-songwriter Chris Carrabba. The name of the band is derived from the song "The Sharp Hint of New Tears" from the debut album The Swiss Army Romance....
on the track "So Long, So Long" from Dusk and Summer
Dusk and Summer
Dusk and Summer is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Dashboard Confessional. It was released on June 27, 2006 on Vagrant Records...
. He also collaborated with Nanci Griffith
Nanci Griffith
Nanci Griffith, is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter from Austin, Texas.-Biography:...
on "Going Back to Georgia", from Griffith's 1994 Album "Flyer".
Duritz also contributed the songs "Spin Around," "You Don't See Me," and "You're a Star" to the Josie and the Pussycats
Josie and the Pussycats (film)
Josie and the Pussycats is a 2001 comedy film released by Universal Studios and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Directed and co-written by Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan, the film is loosely based upon the Archie comic of the same name...
soundtrack that were performed by the film's fictional title band. Along with bandmates Vickrey, Bryson, and Immerglück, Duritz co-wrote the song "Accidentally in Love
Accidentally in Love
"Accidentally in Love" is a Pop song performed by Counting Crows. It was featured in the Shrek 2 movie soundtrack and released in 2004. The song was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song. This song is included in the music game Lego Rock Band....
" for the soundtrack of the movie, Shrek 2
Shrek 2
Shrek 2 is a 2004 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film, produced by DreamWorks Animation and directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon. It is the second installment in the Shrek film series and the sequel to 2001's Shrek...
, winning them each an award from BMI
Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
.
Duritz was also a judge for the 10th annual Independent Music Awards
The Independent Music Awards
The Independent Music Awards is an international program that honors top-ranked independent artists and releases in more than 50 Album, Song, Music Video and Design categories....
to support independent artists' careers.
Record labels
Duritz has made slow progress in the music industry as a record label owner. In 1997, Duritz co-founded E Pluribus Unum, an independent label. Before the label was purchased by Interscope RecordsInterscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
in 2000, Duritz signed Joe 90
Joe 90 (band)
Joe 90 is an alternative rock band, which was formed from the group Gods Child, based in New York City, and was later relocated to Los Angeles...
, Gigolo Aunts
Gigolo Aunts
-Early history:The band was formed by middle school students Steve Hurley, Dave Gibbs, Phil Hurley and Paul Brouwer in 1981 in Potsdam, New York, originally known as Sniper...
, and Neilson Hubbard
Neilson Hubbard
Neilson Hubbard is an American singer-songwriter, musician and producer. His first band was called This Living Hand formed with Clay Jones . They signed to Adam Duritz's label, E Pluribus Unum. After the band split up, Hubbard went on to record three solo albums, The Slide Project, Why Men Fail and...
– all of whom he took on the road to open for Counting Crows.
In November 2006, Adam Duritz began production on the Chicago pop punk
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
band Blacktop Mourning's debut record under the name "The Devil and Bunny Show" alongside Counting Crows
Counting Crows
Counting Crows is an American rock band originating from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1991, the group gained popularity following the release of its debut album in 1993, August and Everything After, which featured the hit single "Mr. Jones"...
guitarist David Immerglück
David Immerglück
David Immerglück is an American multi-instrumentalist who is best known as a guitarist in the alternative rock bands Counting Crows, Camper Van Beethoven and the Monks of Doom...
's current album. He later announced, on January 15, 2007, that he was launching boutique record label Tyrannosaurus Records. His debut artists include Notar
NOTAR
NOTAR is the name of a helicopter anti-torque system which replaces the use of a tail rotor. Developed by McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems , the name is an acronym derived from the phrase NO TAil Rotor...
and Blacktop Mourning. The label also re-released the sole album by Duritz's former band The Himalayans
The Himalayans
The Himalayans were a rock band formed in San Francisco in 1990 by Dan Jewett and Chris Roldan. They prided themselves on the quality of their live performances, putting considerable effort into audio engineering to get a "studio" sound in live venues....
.
Film career
In addition to his musical pursuits, Duritz was executive producer for the films The Locusts (1997) and Burn (1998). He appeared in the 2007 mockumentary film Farce of the PenguinsFarce of the Penguins
Farce of the Penguins is a 2007 American direct-to-video parody of the 2005 documentary March of the Penguins. The motion picture features Samuel L. Jackson as narrator, with the two main characters being voiced by Bob Saget, who also wrote and directed the film, and Lewis Black...
.
Relationship with fans
Adam maintains an account and has frequently updated on TwitterTwitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
. He also reads and responds to posts on the band’s messageboard, and recently started a feature called AskCrowsAsk where fans can email questions for band members to answer. This relationship has not always been smooth; Duritz has clashed with some fans, chastising those involved in flame wars by quipping on his blog, "Some of you are truly fucking unpleasant people."
- Freeloaders'. Adam is teaming with the Broken LizardBroken LizardBroken Lizard is an American comedy troupe, consisting of five friends, best known for its films, including Super Troopers and Beerfest. Its five members are Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, and Erik Stolhanske. They collaborate on the screen-writing, acting and...
comedy troupe in an upcoming picture. The film will revolve around five guys and a girl who live in the lap of luxury in a rock star's mansion. But their sweet situation is threatened when the rock star decides to sell the home. The friends will do whatever it takes to maintain their rock and roll lifestyle, as hilarity and shenanigans ensue.
External links
- Tyrannosaurus Records -Record label