Chester French
Encyclopedia
Chester French is an American
indie pop
band consisting of lead vocalist
and songwriter
David-Andrew 'D.A.' Wallach and multi-instrumentalist
and songwriter Maxwell Drummey. They met as college students at Harvard University
, naming their band after sculptor Daniel Chester French
, who designed the statue at the Lincoln Memorial
, the John Harvard
statue, as well as the Minuteman statue at the Lexington/Concord
battlegrounds in Massachusetts
. Milwaukee-raised Wallach and Boston
native Drummey quickly found a lot of shared ground in musical tastes and philosophies and before long formed a band with three other classmates, playing various campus functions, eventually moving in a direction heavily influenced by classic British Northern Soul
. Over the summer both stayed in Cambridge, working hard at songwriting. But when school resumed, they realized that the material went way beyond the basic guitar-bass-drums-piano format of the band, and the duo continued the work themselves, Wallach handling most of the vocals, Drummey performing much of the music on multiple instruments, supplemented with the occasional special guest – and both taking production and engineering duties for recordings.
. In addition to lead vocalist
David-Andrew 'D.A.' Wallach and multi-instrumentalist
Maxwell Drummey, the band's lineup also included pianist
and percussionist
Justin Hurwitz, bassist
Michael William Judge and drummer
Damien Sayre Chazelle. Wallach originally auditioned as the group's drummer, but decided to become the lead vocalist due to his rapping
ability. The band released their first extended play
(EP), First Love, in 2004. The band described their music as "Gentlemen Rock", which combined elements of jazz
and classical music
.
The band played out and sold numerous copies of their independently released CD on the streets of Cambridge, Massachusetts. As Wallach tells "The Improper Bostonian
" when asked if they busk in Harvard Square:
also got his start.
It was at the school's studio (and through its numerous clients) where the duo's sound came together.
Over the course of the next few years, the duo began putting together a demo. The time put in heeded a demo with varied production styles and numerous instruments, sometimes within a single song.
They put the finishing touches on their demo by their senior year at Harvard and began sending packages to everyone they could find in music. Notable early supporters include Perez Hilton
, blogger Arjan Writes and, perhaps most remarkably, Kanye West
.
A copy of their demo ended up in the hands of engineer Andrew Coleman, who passed it to super-producer Pharrell Williams
. The demo also made it to Jermaine Dupri
.
Producer/Rapper West and Williams ended up in a bidding war for the band. Chester French ended up choosing a deal with Williams' Star Trak label, an imprint of Interscope Records
.
Pharrell, in an introduction of the band in front of an audience in New York, briefly mentioned the bidding war:
After landing at Star Trak at the end of their senior year at Harvard, the group moved to Los Angeles and continued work on their debut album, "Love The Future". The move inspired the song, "Bebe Buell
," which the band says, during performances, is "about LA Girls."
Soon after graduating, one of their unmastered songs, "She Loves Everybody," ended up in the premiere episode of the 4th season of "Entourage
," "Welcome to the Jungle," which aired June 17, 2007.
recorded and released a mixtape on the internet, called Jacques Jams, Vol 1: Endurance. It has since spread onto various websites and across Twitter. The mixtapes features 24 tracks and has numerous guest appearances from R&B and hip-hop stars. The guests include Solange Knowles
(on the track "Two Mans"), Kardinal Offishall
& N.O.R.E.
(on "No Parents Allowed"), Cassie (on "Chloe Jones"), Pusha-T of the Clipse
(on "Campus Kingpin"), Bun B
of UGK
, Talib Kweli
& Mickey Factz
(on "I'm So Tall"), Janelle Monae
(on "Nerd Girl"), Diddy
and Jadakiss
(on "Ciroc Star"), the Mad Rapper (on "Mad Rapper"), Wale
(on "I'm Sorry"), and Pharrell Williams
and Jermaine Dupri
(on "Life in LA").
In addition to all new tracks, the band included "The Jimmy Choos," "She Loves Everybody" and "C'Mon" from their debut album, "Love The Future" as well as the unreleased track "Out At The Compound," their yet-to-be-released remix of Lady GaGa
's "Love Game" and "What A World," the Common song produced by Pharrell Williams
that the duo appeared on (which is off Common's album, "Universal Mind Control.")
As recording came to a close, the band's first single, "She Loves Everybody
", was released. The initial run of the single was in a limited edition condom package designed by Zach Larner. The duo decided to build a live show, so they hired the brother-brother touring musician team of Omar and Manny Dominick and keyboardist Tyler Wood. Matt Oestreicher replaced Tyler Wood when he had other obligations.
The newly formed live version of Chester French debuted at the 2008 South By Southwest
festival and have toured on and off since. They supported N.E.R.D. on three tours (one with rapper Common), Matisyahu
and Lady GaGa
's The Fame Ball Tour
. The band then released the song for retail on iTunes and Amazon in October, which was quickly followed by the release of the "She Loves Everybody" EP, which features the single, the bands song "Jimmy Choos" and remixes of "She Loves Everybody" by The Neptunes
and DJ Steve Aoki
and a remix of "Jimmy Choos" by hip-hop producer El-P. Bronx, NY rapper Mickey Factz
and J.A.M.E.S. Watts released an unofficial remix of the group's song "Jimmy Choos." After the group heard the song, they got into the studio with Factz and collaborated on a track that will appear on his debut.
The group has collaborated with Talib Kweli
and singer Res for their song "Fall Back," a song released during the waning days of the Democratic primaries that was aimed at Hillary Clinton. The song appeared on the political website "The Daily Kos." Their debut album, Love the Future, was released with Star Trak/Interscope Records on April 21, 2009. The duo produced and engineered the album themselves in their college dorm at Harvard College. The duo is currently in the studio working on their second album and mixtape.
& Rick Ross
.
Max went out on tour playing drums for Travie McCoy
March and April of 2011.
The duo have also been featured in L'uomo Vogue
, Fashion Rocks
, Vibe, Vanity Fair
, Details
, Interview
, GQ, Teen Vogue
, Nylon
, FUZE Magazine and The Improper Bostonian
(where the duo was featured on the cover).
Many of the articles showcase Wallach and Drummey's sense of humor, as their answers to many questions in interviews resemble the oddball responses Bob Dylan gave during interviews.
For example, when asked by MTV
how Chester French started, Wallach states:
Wallach and Drummey apparently share the same delusion of grandeur by implying similarities between their band persona to significantly more popular artists such as Bob Dylan despite the obvious ire this is likely to illicit from anyone who interprets this type of behaviour as self aggrandizing and contrived.
When asked why hip-hop stars enjoy their music, Wallach satirically explains:
Chester French are also notable for having been one of the first bands to use Facebook for promotion and fan interaction, as they were freshman and gigging musicians at Harvard the year Mark Zuckerberg launched the website.
The band toured with Blink 182 in the summer of 2009 among other notable bands such as Taking Back Sunday
, Fall Out Boy
, Panic! at the Disco
and Weezer
, with September 13 being their final night on the tour.
Chester French appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on April 21, 2009 where they performed "C'mon."
and rock
. The band compared their approach to their pop sound with hip hop
, stating "the mentality is informed a lot by hip-hop production". The band's arrangement
s were inspired by The Zombies
' 1968 album, Odessey and Oracle
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
indie pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
band consisting of lead vocalist
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
David-Andrew 'D.A.' Wallach and multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
and songwriter Maxwell Drummey. They met as college students at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, naming their band after sculptor Daniel Chester French
Daniel Chester French
Daniel Chester French was an American sculptor. His best-known work is the sculpture of a seated Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.-Life and career:...
, who designed the statue at the Lincoln Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial is an American memorial built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The architect was Henry Bacon, the sculptor of the main statue was Daniel Chester French, and the painter of the interior...
, the John Harvard
John Harvard (clergyman)
John Harvard was an English minister in America whose deathbed bequest to the Massachusetts Bay Colony's fledgling New College was so gratefully received that the school was renamed Harvard College in his honor.-Biography:Harvard was born and raised in Southwark, England, the fourth of nine...
statue, as well as the Minuteman statue at the Lexington/Concord
Minute Man National Historical Park
Not to be confused with Minuteman Missile National Historic Site.Minute Man National Historical Park commemorates the opening battle in the American Revolutionary War. It also includes The Wayside, home in turn to three noted American authors...
battlegrounds in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Milwaukee-raised Wallach and Boston
Boston
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...
native Drummey quickly found a lot of shared ground in musical tastes and philosophies and before long formed a band with three other classmates, playing various campus functions, eventually moving in a direction heavily influenced by classic British Northern Soul
Northern soul
Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged from the British mod scene, initially in northern England in the late 1960s. Northern soul mainly consists of a particular style of black American soul music based on the heavy beat and fast tempo of the mid-1960s Tamla Motown sound...
. Over the summer both stayed in Cambridge, working hard at songwriting. But when school resumed, they realized that the material went way beyond the basic guitar-bass-drums-piano format of the band, and the duo continued the work themselves, Wallach handling most of the vocals, Drummey performing much of the music on multiple instruments, supplemented with the occasional special guest – and both taking production and engineering duties for recordings.
2003–2004: Formation and early career
Chester French was originally a five-piece band that formed in 2003 in their freshman year in Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. In addition to lead vocalist
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
David-Andrew 'D.A.' Wallach and multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
Maxwell Drummey, the band's lineup also included pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
and percussionist
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
Justin Hurwitz, bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Michael William Judge and drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Damien Sayre Chazelle. Wallach originally auditioned as the group's drummer, but decided to become the lead vocalist due to his rapping
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
ability. The band released their first extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
(EP), First Love, in 2004. The band described their music as "Gentlemen Rock", which combined elements of jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
.
The band played out and sold numerous copies of their independently released CD on the streets of Cambridge, Massachusetts. As Wallach tells "The Improper Bostonian
The Improper Bostonian
The Improper Bostonian is a glossy lifestyle guide for the city of Boston. The magazine comes out bi-weekly and reports on the area trends in a young and entertaining way.The magazine is a staple of the city, being free to people inside the city, and $14.95 a year for people who live outside Boston...
" when asked if they busk in Harvard Square:
"We did. The summer after our freshman year we created a little EP, and we sold it on the street. If people were reluctant to buy it, we'd offer to play them something live, with the agreement that if they liked our performance, they'd buy the CD for five bucks."
2005–2008: Recording contract
After paring down the group, its current lineup set out to learn how to record and produce music. They took on jobs at Harvard's Quad Studios, where R&B producer and fellow Harvard Alum Ryan LeslieRyan Leslie
Anthony Ryan Leslie, known professionally as Ryan Leslie, is a Grammy nominated American record producer, multi-instrumentalist, rapper, entrepreneur, and singer. Founder of the media company NextSelection Lifestyle Group, Leslie has produced singles for a number of artists in a variety of genres...
also got his start.
It was at the school's studio (and through its numerous clients) where the duo's sound came together.
"The studio we had at school wasn’t actually affiliated with the music program there. That’s sort of an independent student group that Max and I were actually kind [of] running too. We were actually engineering there as commercial engineers so even when we were getting the record deal, we were still recording weird a cappella groups and viola players to pick up some cash on the side. It was good too because we were able to learn how to record all kinds of different music and instruments and all that knowledge ends up being a resource when you’re working out your own project."
Over the course of the next few years, the duo began putting together a demo. The time put in heeded a demo with varied production styles and numerous instruments, sometimes within a single song.
They put the finishing touches on their demo by their senior year at Harvard and began sending packages to everyone they could find in music. Notable early supporters include Perez Hilton
Perez Hilton
Mario Armando Lavandeira, Jr. , better known as Perez Hilton , is an American blogger and television personality. His blog, Perezhilton.com , is known for posts covering gossip items about celebrities...
, blogger Arjan Writes and, perhaps most remarkably, Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
.
A copy of their demo ended up in the hands of engineer Andrew Coleman, who passed it to super-producer Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams , commonly known simply as Pharrell, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, composer, and fashion designer. Williams and Chad Hugo make up the record production duo The Neptunes, producing hip hop and R&B music...
. The demo also made it to Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin , known as Jermaine Dupri or JD, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.- Early life and career :...
.
Producer/Rapper West and Williams ended up in a bidding war for the band. Chester French ended up choosing a deal with Williams' Star Trak label, an imprint of Interscope Records
Interscope 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:...
.
Pharrell, in an introduction of the band in front of an audience in New York, briefly mentioned the bidding war:
"There's something at Star Trak records that we have been very excited about and there's, I don't know. Of course D.A. would want me to sit here and tell you how much of a crazy bidding war there was for them, as everybody in here knows D.A. But you know what? He's right. And if you think about it, think about where they come from and... okay! It's funny. But you know what? Think about it man. Like, Harvard grads? And then on top of that, there really was a bidding war and it really was incredible and we really lost our minds and you're really about to see a great, incredible show."
After landing at Star Trak at the end of their senior year at Harvard, the group moved to Los Angeles and continued work on their debut album, "Love The Future". The move inspired the song, "Bebe Buell
Bebe Buell
Beverle Lorence "Bebe" Buell is an American fashion model and singer, and Playboy magazine's November 1974 Playmate of the Month. She is also known for dating rock musicians. She is actress Liv Tyler's mother from a brief relationship with Aerosmith vocalist Steven Tyler...
," which the band says, during performances, is "about LA Girls."
Soon after graduating, one of their unmastered songs, "She Loves Everybody," ended up in the premiere episode of the 4th season of "Entourage
Entourage (TV series)
Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
," "Welcome to the Jungle," which aired June 17, 2007.
2009-2011: Love the Future
In early April 2009, Chester French and popular mixtape and club DJ Clinton SparksClinton Sparks
Clinton Sparks is a Boston-based radio, mixtape & Club DJ as well as a recording artist, writer, producer and TV personality.-Biography:...
recorded and released a mixtape on the internet, called Jacques Jams, Vol 1: Endurance. It has since spread onto various websites and across Twitter. The mixtapes features 24 tracks and has numerous guest appearances from R&B and hip-hop stars. The guests include Solange Knowles
Solange Knowles
Solange Piaget Knowles , who performs under the mononym Solange, is an American singer-songwriter, actress, model, dancer, and DJ. Knowles was born and raised in Houston, Texas along with her older sister singer Beyoncé, a former member of R&B group Destiny's Child...
(on the track "Two Mans"), Kardinal Offishall
Kardinal Offishall
Jason D. Harrow , better known by his stage name Kardinal Offishall , is a Canadian rapper and record producer. He is often credited as Canada's "hip-hop ambassador", and is best known for his distinctive reggae and dancehall-influenced style of hip-hop.-Life and career:Harrow was born in...
& N.O.R.E.
N.O.R.E.
Victor Santiago, Jr., best known by his stage name N.O.R.E. or Noreaga , is an American rapper of Puerto Rican descent...
(on "No Parents Allowed"), Cassie (on "Chloe Jones"), Pusha-T of the Clipse
Clipse
Clipse is a Virginia Beach, Virginia-based hip hop duo. Formed in 1992 by brothers Malice and Pusha T , the group is heavily affiliated with production team The Neptunes and signed to Star Trak Entertainment.- Exclusive Audio Footage :The Thornton brothers were born in The Bronx, New...
(on "Campus Kingpin"), Bun B
Bun B
Bernard Freeman better known by his stage name Bun B, is an American rapper and was one half of the southern hip hop duo UGK . He is also a guest lecturer at Rice University located in Houston, Texas...
of UGK
UGK
UGK was an American hip hop duo from Port Arthur, Texas formed in 1987 by the late Chad "Pimp C" Butler . He then joined with Bernard "Bun B" Freeman, who became his longtime partner...
, Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"...
& Mickey Factz
Mickey Factz
Mickey Williams , also known by his stage name Mickey Factz, is an American hip hop artist from The Bronx, NY.-Early life:Mickey Factz attended Adlai E...
(on "I'm So Tall"), Janelle Monae
Janelle Monáe
Janelle Monáe is an American R&B/soul musician signed to Bad Boy Records and Atlantic Records.Monáe debuted with a conceptual EP, Metropolis: Suite I ...
(on "Nerd Girl"), Diddy
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
and Jadakiss
Jadakiss
Jason Phillips , better known as Jadakiss, is an American rapper. He is a member of the group The LOX. Jadakiss is one of the three owners of the imprint known as D-Block. In early 2007, Jadakiss signed to Roc-a-Fella Records / Def Jam Records.-Early life:By the age of 16, Jadakiss was a freestyle...
(on "Ciroc Star"), the Mad Rapper (on "Mad Rapper"), Wale
Wale
A wale is a broad, thick plank around the outside of a wooden ship.The garboard is the wale next to the keel; the gunwale is the top such plank and covers the heads of the timbers between the main and fore drifts....
(on "I'm Sorry"), and Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams , commonly known simply as Pharrell, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, composer, and fashion designer. Williams and Chad Hugo make up the record production duo The Neptunes, producing hip hop and R&B music...
and Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin , known as Jermaine Dupri or JD, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.- Early life and career :...
(on "Life in LA").
In addition to all new tracks, the band included "The Jimmy Choos," "She Loves Everybody" and "C'Mon" from their debut album, "Love The Future" as well as the unreleased track "Out At The Compound," their yet-to-be-released remix of Lady GaGa
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
's "Love Game" and "What A World," the Common song produced by Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams , commonly known simply as Pharrell, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, composer, and fashion designer. Williams and Chad Hugo make up the record production duo The Neptunes, producing hip hop and R&B music...
that the duo appeared on (which is off Common's album, "Universal Mind Control.")
As recording came to a close, the band's first single, "She Loves Everybody
She Loves Everybody
"She Loves Everybody" is a song by the band Chester French. It is the first single from their debut album Love the Future.The single was released as an EP and featured packinging in the style of a condom wrapper, due to the themes considered in the eponymous song, in particular referencing the...
", was released. The initial run of the single was in a limited edition condom package designed by Zach Larner. The duo decided to build a live show, so they hired the brother-brother touring musician team of Omar and Manny Dominick and keyboardist Tyler Wood. Matt Oestreicher replaced Tyler Wood when he had other obligations.
The newly formed live version of Chester French debuted at the 2008 South By Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
festival and have toured on and off since. They supported N.E.R.D. on three tours (one with rapper Common), Matisyahu
Matisyahu
Matthew Paul Miller , better known by his Hebrew name and stage name Matisyahu, is an American Hasidic Jewish reggae and alternative rock musician....
and Lady GaGa
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
's The Fame Ball Tour
The Fame Ball Tour
The Fame Ball Tour was the debut concert tour by American recording artist Lady Gaga, in support of her debut studio album, The Fame . North American shows began in March, followed by dates in Oceania and a solo trek through Europe. Dates in Asia soon followed, as well as two performances at...
. The band then released the song for retail on iTunes and Amazon in October, which was quickly followed by the release of the "She Loves Everybody" EP, which features the single, the bands song "Jimmy Choos" and remixes of "She Loves Everybody" by The Neptunes
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...
and DJ Steve Aoki
Steve Aoki
Steve Aoki is an American electro house musician, record producer and the founder of Dim Mak Records.-Early life:...
and a remix of "Jimmy Choos" by hip-hop producer El-P. Bronx, NY rapper Mickey Factz
Mickey Factz
Mickey Williams , also known by his stage name Mickey Factz, is an American hip hop artist from The Bronx, NY.-Early life:Mickey Factz attended Adlai E...
and J.A.M.E.S. Watts released an unofficial remix of the group's song "Jimmy Choos." After the group heard the song, they got into the studio with Factz and collaborated on a track that will appear on his debut.
The group has collaborated with Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"...
and singer Res for their song "Fall Back," a song released during the waning days of the Democratic primaries that was aimed at Hillary Clinton. The song appeared on the political website "The Daily Kos." Their debut album, Love the Future, was released with Star Trak/Interscope Records on April 21, 2009. The duo produced and engineered the album themselves in their college dorm at Harvard College. The duo is currently in the studio working on their second album and mixtape.
2011-present
Chester French recorded a song with Warner Brothers Maybach music "Play Your Part" featuring Meek Mill, WaleWale
A wale is a broad, thick plank around the outside of a wooden ship.The garboard is the wale next to the keel; the gunwale is the top such plank and covers the heads of the timbers between the main and fore drifts....
& Rick Ross
Rick Ross (rapper)
William Leonard Roberts II , better known by his stage name Rick Ross, is an American rapper. He derived his stage name from the drug trafficker "Freeway" Ricky Ross, to whom he has no connection...
.
Max went out on tour playing drums for Travie McCoy
Travie McCoy
Travie Lazarus McCoy is an American singer and rapper. He is the lead vocalist of the alternative hip-hop band Gym Class Heroes. He released his debut solo album Lazarus on June 8, 2010....
March and April of 2011.
Press
The band is notable for the amount of press generated about them in their short time as a signed band (which just recently released their debut). Rolling Stone Magazine listed the band as one of their "Artists To Watch" in their March 2008 issue. The magazine described "She Loves Everybody" as an "ode to safe sex [that] mixes a Euro film-soundtrack vibe with synth beats - mood music for the thinking bachelor's pad."The duo have also been featured in L'uomo Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
, Fashion Rocks
Fashion Rocks
Fashion Rocks was an annual international charity fundraiser event which features fashions by the world's top designers being presented to live performances by popular music acts.The inaugural event was held at the Royal Albert Hall on October 15, 2003...
, Vibe, Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
, Details
Details (magazine)
Details is an American monthly men's magazine published by Condé Nast Publications, founded in 1982. Though primarily a magazine devoted to fashion and lifestyle, Details also features reports on relevant social and political issues.-History:...
, Interview
Interview (magazine)
Interview is an American magazine which has the nickname The Crystal Ball Of Pop. It was founded in late 1969 by artist Andy Warhol. The magazine features intimate conversations between some of the world's biggest celebrities, artists, musicians, and creative thinkers...
, GQ, Teen Vogue
Teen Vogue
Teen Vogue magazine began as a version of Vogue magazine for teenage girls. This US magazine focuses on fashion and celebrities and offers information about the latest entertainment and feature stories on current issues and events.- Description :...
, Nylon
Nylon (magazine)
Nylon is an American magazine that focuses on pop culture and fashion. Its coverage includes art, beauty, music, design, celebrities, technology and travel...
, FUZE Magazine and The Improper Bostonian
The Improper Bostonian
The Improper Bostonian is a glossy lifestyle guide for the city of Boston. The magazine comes out bi-weekly and reports on the area trends in a young and entertaining way.The magazine is a staple of the city, being free to people inside the city, and $14.95 a year for people who live outside Boston...
(where the duo was featured on the cover).
Many of the articles showcase Wallach and Drummey's sense of humor, as their answers to many questions in interviews resemble the oddball responses Bob Dylan gave during interviews.
For example, when asked by MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
how Chester French started, Wallach states:
"Chester French started when we were freshmen in college. Max wanted to start a group called Marilyn Manson, which is what he told me in the dining room. And I thought that was a great idea. So we realized there was a conflict, potentially, with the name, but the underlying concept was great and so that's what we've been trying to achieve ever since."
Wallach and Drummey apparently share the same delusion of grandeur by implying similarities between their band persona to significantly more popular artists such as Bob Dylan despite the obvious ire this is likely to illicit from anyone who interprets this type of behaviour as self aggrandizing and contrived.
When asked why hip-hop stars enjoy their music, Wallach satirically explains:
"They find it interesting that we're the first artists to wear whiteface all the time, publicly."
Chester French are also notable for having been one of the first bands to use Facebook for promotion and fan interaction, as they were freshman and gigging musicians at Harvard the year Mark Zuckerberg launched the website.
The band toured with Blink 182 in the summer of 2009 among other notable bands such as Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday is a rock band from Long Island, NY, formed in 1999 by guitarist Eddie Reyes. Current members of the band are Adam Lazzara , John Nolan , Eddie Reyes , Shaun Cooper and Mark O'Connell ....
, Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, formed in 2001. The band consists of vocalist, guitarist and composer Patrick Stump, bassist and lyricist Pete Wentz, guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurley. The band released five studio albums from 2003–2008...
, Panic! at the Disco
Panic! at the Disco
Panic! at the Disco is an American alternative rock duo, formed in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2005. Since its split, the band's line-up includes Brendon Urie and Spencer Smith . Former members Ryan Ross and Jon Walker left the group in 2009...
and Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
, with September 13 being their final night on the tour.
Chester French appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on April 21, 2009 where they performed "C'mon."
Musical style
Chester French's sound generally contains elements of popPop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
. The band compared their approach to their pop sound with hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, stating "the mentality is informed a lot by hip-hop production". The band's arrangement
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
s were inspired by The Zombies
The Zombies
The Zombies are an English rock band, formed in 1961 in St Albans and led by Rod Argent, on piano and keyboards, and vocalist Colin Blunstone. The group scored a UK and US hit in 1964 with "She's Not There"...
' 1968 album, Odessey and Oracle
Odessey and Oracle
Odessey and Oracle is the third studio album by British pop rock band The Zombies, released on 19 April 1968 by Date Records. It is among the most critically acclaimed albums of popular music.-Album information:...
.
Albums
| Year | Title | Chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
Top Digital Albums | Billboard Comprehensive Albums Billboard Comprehensive Albums Billboard Comprehensive Albums was established in 2003 and was a weekly albums chart produced by Billboard magazine that ranked the biggest selling albums in the United States regardless of the product's age or method of sales.... |
Top Internet Albums | ||
| 2009 | Love the Future Love the Future Love the Future is the debut album by the band Chester French, which was released on April 21, 2009 under the record label Star Trak Entertainment.-Background:...
|
77 | 19 | 82 | 17 |
Mixtapes
- Jacques Jams, Vol. 1: Endurance (2009)
- Jacques Jams, Vol. 2: Stamina (TBD)
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
Hot Singles Sales | Hot Dance Singles Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States, established in 1985. It measures the sale of commercially released singles that deal with dance music and remixes... |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
|||
| 2008 | "She Loves Everybody She Loves Everybody "She Loves Everybody" is a song by the band Chester French. It is the first single from their debut album Love the Future.The single was released as an EP and featured packinging in the style of a condom wrapper, due to the themes considered in the eponymous song, in particular referencing the... " |
— | 2 | 1 | — | Love the Future |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||||
Guest appearances
| Year | Song | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | "Fall Back" (Idle Warship Idle Warship Idle Warship is a musical duo composed of Brooklyn emcee Talib Kweli and Philadelphia singer Res, Res has appeared on each Talib Kweli album since 2000's Train of Thought. They have also toured together, including on the summer 2005 MGD Flavor 2 Savor mini-tour. They released their debut mixtape,... featuring Chester French) |
Non-album single |
| "What a World" (Common featuring Chester French) | Universal Mind Control Universal Mind Control -Chart positions:In its first week, Universal Mind Control sold 81,663 in the United States.As of December 31, 2008, the album has sold 211,781.- Release history :-External links:* at Metacritic*... |
|
| 2009 | "As I Em" (Asher Roth Asher Roth Asher Paul Roth is an American rapper.-Early life:Asher Roth was born and raised in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, a small town about 20 miles northeast of Philadelphia. His mother, Elizabeth , is a yoga instructor, and his father, David Roth, is the executive director of a design firm... featuring Chester French) |
Asleep in the Bread Aisle Asleep in the Bread Aisle -Chart positions:-Samples:*"As I Em"**"Geraldine and John" by Joe Jackson*"Fallin"**"Falling" by Ben Kweller**"Kissing My Love" by Bill Withers*"I Love College"**"Say It Ain't So" by Weezer **"Impeach the President" by the Honey Drippers... |
| "Dancing Like A White Girl " (Masta Ace Masta Ace Duval Clear , known better by his stage name Masta Ace, is a rapper from Brownsville, Brooklyn. He appeared on the classic 1988 Juice Crew posse cut "The Symphony"... & Edo G featuring Chester French) |
Arts & Entertainment | |
| 2010 | "Get Loose" (Reflection Eternal Reflection Eternal Reflection Eternal is a hip hop duo composed of emcee Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek. They released their first album, Train of Thought, in 2000... featuring Chester French) |
Revolutions per Minute Revolutions per Minute (Reflection Eternal album) Revolutions per Minute is the second studio album by American hip hop duo Reflection Eternal, released May 18, 2010, on Blacksmith Records and Rawkus Records... |
| 2010 | "Gotta Get Up" (Asher Roth & Nottz Nottz Dominick Lamb better known by his stage name, Nottz is a music producer, writer and rapper from Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. He sometimes extends his executive name to Nottz Raw.-History:... featuring DA of Chester French) |
The Rawth EP |
| 2011 | "Play Your Part" (Maybach Music Group Maybach Music Group Maybach Music Group is a record label founded by Rick Ross, currently distributed by Warner Bros. Records, which took over distribution following the expiration of a deal with Def Jam Recordings.... featuring DA of Chester French) |
Self Made Vol. 1 Self Made Vol. 1 MMG Presents: Self Made, Vol. 1 has received generally favorable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 66, based on 7 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable".-Track... |
| "Big Hype" (Patrick Stump Patrick Stump Patrick Vaughn Stump is an American singer-songwriter, composer, record producer, and music critic. He is the composer, lead singer, and multi-instrumentalist of Fall Out Boy, an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, and is also a solo artist... featuring DA & Driis) |
Truant Wave Truant Wave Truant Wave is the debut studio EP by American singer and songwriter Patrick Stump, member of Fall Out Boy. It was first released as a digital download exclusive to iTunes, on February 22, 2011 through Nervous Breakdance Media, Stump's own record label, before becoming available from all online... |
|
| "Clouds" (Tim William featuring DA ) | TBA |
Music videos
| Year | Song | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | "She Loves Everybody" | Paul Hunter Paul Hunter (director) Paul Hunter is a music video director known for his high-budget, visually distinctive videos for popular music singles. He has directed over 100 music videos, many television advertisements and was nominated for an Emmy for Nike's Freestyle commercial... |