Deb Talan
Encyclopedia
Deborah Ruth "Deb" Talan (born January 27, 1968) is an American
singer-songwriter
. She is best known for being in the folk-pop duo The Weepies
.
outside of Boston
, Talan grew up in the small town of Pelham, Massachusetts and attended Amherst Regional High School (ARHS). She later attended Brown University
, where she was a member of the Chattertocks, Brown's oldest all-female a cappella group, before moving to Oregon
, where she was a member of Hummingfish, a Portland
band, for six years.
Talan's recurring lyrical motifs include celestial objects, birds, nature, and various historical figures (e.g., Marc Chagall
in "Painting By Chagall," Amelia Earhart
in "Thinking Amelia," and Vincent van Gogh
in "Vincent").
Jonathan Lethem
’s novel Motherless Brooklyn
inspired Deb Talan to write "Tell Your Story Walking". This song appears on the 2002 album Songs Inspired by Literature (Chapter One), a benefit of the organization Artist
s for Literacy. "Tell Your Story Walking" was the winner of Artists for Literacy’s 2002 songwriting contest.
In addition to The Weepies' albums, Talan and Tannen collaborated with singer/actress Mandy Moore
on her 2007 album Wild Hope
. Together, they wrote and recorded five songs with Mandy — the single "Extraordinary
," the title track "Wild Hope," "All Good Things," "Few Days Down" and "Looking Forward to Looking Back."
"Forgiven" played over the closing credits of the 2001 movie Lovely & Amazing
.
, California
, with her husband and musical partner Steve Tannen
and their two sons, Theo Samuel (b. October 2007) and Alexander (b. spring 2010). Together they are the indie pop-folk duo The Weepies
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
. She is best known for being in the folk-pop duo The Weepies
The Weepies
The Weepies are an indie pop-folk duo of married singer-songwriters Deb Talan and Steve Tannen. Their music has been described as "subtly intoxicating folk-pop".-Formation and early years :...
.
Early life and career
Born in suburban MassachusettsMassachusetts
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...
outside of 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...
, Talan grew up in the small town of Pelham, Massachusetts and attended Amherst Regional High School (ARHS). She later attended Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, where she was a member of the Chattertocks, Brown's oldest all-female a cappella group, before moving to Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, where she was a member of Hummingfish, a Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
band, for six years.
Talan's recurring lyrical motifs include celestial objects, birds, nature, and various historical figures (e.g., Marc Chagall
Marc Chagall
Marc Chagall Art critic Robert Hughes referred to Chagall as "the quintessential Jewish artist of the twentieth century."According to art historian Michael J...
in "Painting By Chagall," Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Mary Earhart was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean...
in "Thinking Amelia," and Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh , and used Brabant dialect in his writing; it is therefore likely that he himself pronounced his name with a Brabant accent: , with a voiced V and palatalized G and gh. In France, where much of his work was produced, it is...
in "Vincent").
Jonathan Lethem
Jonathan Lethem
Jonathan Allen Lethem is an American novelist, essayist and short story writer. His first novel, Gun, with Occasional Music, a genre work that mixed elements of science fiction and detective fiction, was published in 1994. It was followed by three more science fiction novels...
’s novel Motherless Brooklyn
Motherless Brooklyn
Motherless Brooklyn is a Jonathan Lethem detective story set in Brooklyn and published in 1999. Lethem's protagonist, Lionel Essrog, has Tourette syndrome, a disorder marked by involuntary tics...
inspired Deb Talan to write "Tell Your Story Walking". This song appears on the 2002 album Songs Inspired by Literature (Chapter One), a benefit of the organization Artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
s for Literacy. "Tell Your Story Walking" was the winner of Artists for Literacy’s 2002 songwriting contest.
In addition to The Weepies' albums, Talan and Tannen collaborated with singer/actress Mandy Moore
Mandy Moore
Amanda Leigh "Mandy" Moore is an American singer-songwriter, actress and fashion designer. Moore became famous as a teenager in the late 1990s, after the release of her teen pop albums So Real, I Wanna Be with You, and Mandy Moore. In 2007, she took an adult pop-folk direction with the release of...
on her 2007 album Wild Hope
Wild Hope
-Singles:#"Extraordinary"#"Nothing That You Are" #"All Good Things" - Unreleased tracks :*"Changed My Mind" *"Shades" *"Never Again"...
. Together, they wrote and recorded five songs with Mandy — the single "Extraordinary
Extraordinary
Extraordinary may refer to:* The Extraordinary, an Australian television documentary series* ExtraOrdinary, an EP by Nizlopi* "Extraordinary" , a song by Mandy Moore...
," the title track "Wild Hope," "All Good Things," "Few Days Down" and "Looking Forward to Looking Back."
"Forgiven" played over the closing credits of the 2001 movie Lovely & Amazing
Lovely & Amazing
Lovely & Amazing is a 2001 American dramedy film written and directed by Nicole Holofcener.-Plot:The story focuses on Jane Marks, her adult daughters Michelle and Elizabeth, and her pre-teen adopted African American daughter Annie, each of whom allows her personal insecurities to affect her life...
.
Personal life
Currently, she resides in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, with her husband and musical partner Steve Tannen
Steve Tannen
Steven J. "Steve" Tannen is an American singer-songwriter. He is best known for being in the folk-pop duo The Weepies.-Early life and career:...
and their two sons, Theo Samuel (b. October 2007) and Alexander (b. spring 2010). Together they are the indie pop-folk duo The Weepies
The Weepies
The Weepies are an indie pop-folk duo of married singer-songwriters Deb Talan and Steve Tannen. Their music has been described as "subtly intoxicating folk-pop".-Formation and early years :...
.
Discography
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Songs for a Misfit Heart | Independent |
| 2000 | Something Burning | Happyhead Music |
| 2001 | Sincerely | Happyhead Music |
| 2003 | A Bird Flies Out | Independent |
External links
- Deb Talan Official Site
- http://www.artistsforliteracy.org
- Deb Talan collection at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
's live music archive - Deb Talan on Last.fmLast.fmLast.fm is a music website, founded in the United Kingdom in 2002. It has claimed 30 million active users in March 2009. On 30 May 2007, CBS Interactive acquired Last.fm for UK£140m ....
- Lovely & Amazing soundtrack