Johnathan Rice
Encyclopedia
Johnathan Rice is a Scottish-American
singer-songwriter
. His first album, Trouble is Real
, was released on Reprise Records
on April 26, 2005. His follow up, Further North
, was released by Reprise on September 11, 2007. He has also worked as a producer on Jenny Lewis
' Acid Tongue
(2008) and as a session and live musician with Elvis Costello
(2008's Momofuku
). As of 2010, he performs with Lewis, as Jenny and Johnny.
on May 27, 1983. He spent his childhood between there and his parents' native Glasgow, Scotland. He attended two high schools, Washington D.C.'s all-male Jesuit Gonzaga College High School
and Glasgow's Turnbull High School
in the suburb of Bishopbriggs
. He also attended Fairfax Collegiate Middle School in Falls Church, Virginia.
Rice moved from Virginia to New York City at the age of eighteen with 1,000 copies of the Heart and Mind EP and the intention of launching his career as a singer/songwriter. He arrived in New York two days before the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Imagery of the attacks and their aftermath appear in the lyrics of several of the songs on Trouble Is Real, including "City on Fire", "Put Me in Your Holy War", and "Salvation Day".
Rice played small folk clubs in Manhattan and Brooklyn, most notably playing regular sets at the Living Room at its original location on Stanton St., and built a live following that lead to headlining performances at its revamped Ludlow St. location. Rice lived in an apartment in Mid-town Manhattan and worked different jobs to pay the rent, all the while writing the songs that would make up his debut album.
Rice's EP caught the attention of A&R man Perry Watts-Russell, who had just left Capitol Records
to begin working at Warner Bros. Records
. He flew Rice out to Los Angeles
, where he auditioned for Watts-Russell and label head Tom Whalley. Rice was subsequently offered a record deal with the company.
After several attempts at making Trouble is Real, Rice enlisted Mike Mogis
, the producer of Bright Eyes, Rilo Kiley
, and The Faint
. The album was recorded over five weeks in Lincoln, Nebraska
. The two worked alongside string arranger Nate Walcott
to create a rich, diverse sound for the album, with most songs leading into one another as a single work of music. The album was finally released on April 26, 2005.
The album failed to break into the charts but was a favorite of TV music-supervisors, leading to high profile appearances of songs on The OC (Rice's song "So Sweet" is featured on the OC Mix 2) and Grey's Anatomy
.
Rice has cited Neil Young
, Gram Parsons
, Colin Blunstone
, Spoon
, Pixies, and Pavement
among his influences.
Rice toured Trouble Is Real extensively, mostly as a support act for acts such as Jesse Harris
, Mason Jennings
, Starsailor
, Martha Wainwright
, Jenny Lewis
and REM
. The group, introduced to Rice's music through guitarist Peter Buck selected him to support them in London's Hyde Park
in July 2005 in front of a crowd of 80,000 people. Rice played the concert with his touring band, Death Valley, a lap steel and harmony group that featured Neal Casal
(who would go on to found the Cardinals with Ryan Adams
), and "Farmer" Dave Scher of the Beachwood Sparks and All Night Radio.
Rice's appearance at the Hyde Park concert and another performance at the 100 Club are captured on film in the 2005 documentary Johnathan Rice and Death Valley: Live in London.
in the Oscar-winning 20th Century Fox
movie Walk the Line
alongside Joaquin Phoenix
and Reese Witherspoon
and contributed to its platinum selling, T-Bone Burnett
-produced soundtrack.
. This was the beginning of a years-long stint of collaborations with Lewis. During the second leg of the tour, the band began performing a Rice composition, "Carpetbaggers." This song would later be recorded for Lewis' second solo album, 2008's Acid Tongue
, with Rice's original vocal part reinterpreted by Elvis Costello. Costello enjoyed the session with Lewis and Rice so much that he decided to bring in his band, the Imposters, to record a full album of new material with Lewis, Rice, Farmer Dave Scher and Jason Lader, resulting in 2008's Momofuku
.
In the winter of 2006 Rice enlisted producers Farmer Dave Scher and Jason Lader to make his second album, Further North, at Los Angeles' Sound City Studios. The record was mixed at Hollywood's Sound Factory and mastered in New York City by Greg Calbi. The record was released on September 11, 2007. Seven of the record's eleven songs were co-written with Jenny Lewis.
In the spring of 2007 Rice toured with Ben Gibbard, Jenny Lewis, and David Bazan finishing their tour May 21, 2007 at the Showbox in Seattle.
Rice again toured the record extensively both with a full band and solo acoustic, again mostly as a support act for The Good Life, Rilo Kiley, Matt Costa, and the Redwalls. In 2008 Rice co-headlined a tour with Maria Taylor of Azure Ray, and played Los Angeles' Sunset Junction festival.
In 2008, Rice acted as a producer, musician, and co-songwriter on Jenny Lewis' second solo album, Acid Tongue. The record was recorded back to back with Elvis Costello's Momofuku at Sound City Studios. Rice again joined Lewis' touring band for her 2008 - 2009 world tour, which included memorable performances at the Coachella and Bonnaroo festivals.
This would further lead to the collaboration with girlfriend, Jenny Lewis, as Jenny and Johnny, in 2010. Their first album, I'm Having Fun Now, was released by Warner Brothers on August 31, 2010.
Scottish American
Scottish Americans or Scots Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in Scotland. Scottish Americans are closely related to Scots-Irish Americans, descendants of Ulster Scots, and communities emphasize and celebrate a common heritage...
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...
. His first album, Trouble is Real
Trouble is Real
Trouble Is Real is the debut full-length album by singer-songwriter Johnathan Rice.The song, "So Sweet" appears on an episode of The O.C...
, was released on Reprise Records
Reprise Records
Reprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:...
on April 26, 2005. His follow up, Further North
Further North
Further North is the second full-length album released by singer-songwriter Johnathan Rice.- Track listing :# "We're All Stuck Out in the Desert" - 4:33# "Further North" - 4:15# "End of the Affair" - 2:32# "The Middle of the Road" - 4:03# "THC" - 4:01...
, was released by Reprise on September 11, 2007. He has also worked as a producer on Jenny Lewis
Jenny Lewis
Jennifer Diane Lewis , is an American singer-songwriter musician and actress. She was the primary vocalist of the indie rock band Rilo Kiley, and has released two solo albums. She currently performs as part of the duo Jenny & Johnny with boyfriend Johnathan Rice...
' Acid Tongue
Acid Tongue
Acid Tongue is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Jenny Lewis, released in September 2008 through Warner Bros. and Rough Trade Records. Inspired by jam sessions, the album was recorded in January 2008 in Van Nuys, California with the intent of capturing a more live feeling than...
(2008) and as a session and live musician with Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
(2008's Momofuku
Momofuku (album)
Momofuku is an album released in 2008 by Elvis Costello and the Imposters. The album also features collaborations with Rilo Kiley frontwoman Jenny Lewis. The album title refers to Momofuku Ando, the inventor of instant ramen noodles, and the speed at which the album was conceived and created...
). As of 2010, he performs with Lewis, as Jenny and Johnny.
Early life
Rice was born in Alexandria, VirginiaAlexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
on May 27, 1983. He spent his childhood between there and his parents' native Glasgow, Scotland. He attended two high schools, Washington D.C.'s all-male Jesuit Gonzaga College High School
Gonzaga College High School
Gonzaga College High School is a Jesuit high school for boys located in Washington, D.C. The school is named in honor of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, an Italian saint from the 16th century...
and Glasgow's Turnbull High School
Turnbull High School
Turnbull High School is a co-educational comprehensive Secondary School located in Bishopbriggs, Glasgow, Scotland. It was founded in August 1976 and named after William Turnbull, Bishop of Glasgow from 1448 to 1454, and founder of the University of Glasgow in 1451...
in the suburb of Bishopbriggs
Bishopbriggs
Bishopbriggs is a town in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. The area was once part of the historic parish of Cadder - originally lands granted by King William the Lion to the Bishop of Glasgow, Jocelin, in 1180. It was later part of the county of Lanarkshire and subsequently an independent burgh from...
. He also attended Fairfax Collegiate Middle School in Falls Church, Virginia.
Career
Before graduating from high school in 2001, Rice befriended Chris Keup, a Virginian singer songwriter and self-styled A&R man. Keup produced Rice's first known recordings, the six song Heart and Mind EP, which was recorded in Charlottesville, V.A. with engineer Stewart Myers and then informally released on Keup's own Grantham Dispatch Records.Rice moved from Virginia to New York City at the age of eighteen with 1,000 copies of the Heart and Mind EP and the intention of launching his career as a singer/songwriter. He arrived in New York two days before the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Imagery of the attacks and their aftermath appear in the lyrics of several of the songs on Trouble Is Real, including "City on Fire", "Put Me in Your Holy War", and "Salvation Day".
Rice played small folk clubs in Manhattan and Brooklyn, most notably playing regular sets at the Living Room at its original location on Stanton St., and built a live following that lead to headlining performances at its revamped Ludlow St. location. Rice lived in an apartment in Mid-town Manhattan and worked different jobs to pay the rent, all the while writing the songs that would make up his debut album.
Rice's EP caught the attention of A&R man Perry Watts-Russell, who had just left Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
to begin working at Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
. He flew Rice out to Los Angeles
Los 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...
, where he auditioned for Watts-Russell and label head Tom Whalley. Rice was subsequently offered a record deal with the company.
After several attempts at making Trouble is Real, Rice enlisted Mike Mogis
Mike Mogis
Mike Mogis is a Nebraskan producer/engineer and multi-instrumentalist who, along with his brother A.J. Mogis, founded Presto! Recording Studios ....
, the producer of Bright Eyes, Rilo Kiley
Rilo Kiley
Rilo Kiley was an American indie rock band based in Los Angeles. Formed in 1998, the band consisted of Jenny Lewis, Blake Sennett, Pierre de Reeder, and Jason Boesel....
, and The Faint
The Faint
The Faint is an American indie rock band. Formed in Omaha, Nebraska, the band consists of Todd Fink, Jacob Thiele, Dapose, Joel Petersen and Clark Baechle. The Faint was originally known as Norman Bailer and included Conor Oberst...
. The album was recorded over five weeks in Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
. The two worked alongside string arranger Nate Walcott
Nate Walcott
Nate Walcott is a trumpet, flugelhorn and keyboard player who has appeared on several of Saddle Creek Records artists' albums. He is one of three permanent members of Bright Eyes, along with Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis, and has toured with Bright Eyes....
to create a rich, diverse sound for the album, with most songs leading into one another as a single work of music. The album was finally released on April 26, 2005.
The album failed to break into the charts but was a favorite of TV music-supervisors, leading to high profile appearances of songs on The OC (Rice's song "So Sweet" is featured on the OC Mix 2) and Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
.
Rice has cited Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
, Gram Parsons
Gram Parsons
Gram Parsons was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and pianist. Parsons is best known for his work within the country genre; he also mixed blues, folk, and rock to create what he called "Cosmic American Music"...
, Colin Blunstone
Colin Blunstone
Colin Blunstone is an English pop singer-songwriter, best known as a member of the pop group The Zombies, and for his participation on various albums with The Alan Parsons Project.-Biography:...
, Spoon
Spoon (band)
Spoon is an American rock band formed in Austin, Texas. The band is composed of Britt Daniel ; Jim Eno ; Rob Pope and Eric Harvey .-History:...
, Pixies, and Pavement
Pavement (band)
Pavement is an American alternative rock band that formed in Stockton, California in 1989. In their career, they achieved a significant cult following, and they were called the best band of the 1990s by prominent music critics Robert Christgau and Stephen Thomas Erlewine...
among his influences.
Rice toured Trouble Is Real extensively, mostly as a support act for acts such as Jesse Harris
Jesse Harris
Jesse Harris is a Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter. He has collaborated with several musical artists including Norah Jones, Melody Gardot, Madeleine Peyroux, Nikki Yanofsky, and Lizz Wright.-Early life and education:...
, Mason Jennings
Mason Jennings
Mason Jennings is an American pop-folk singer-songwriter. He is well known for his simple yet catchy melodies, intimate lyrics, literary and historical themes, and distinctive voice...
, Starsailor
Starsailor (band)
Starsailor is an English post-britpop band, formed in Leigh, Warrington and Greater Manchester. By 2009, they had four charting albums and ten Top 40 singles in the UK since 2001.-Early history:...
, Martha Wainwright
Martha Wainwright
Martha Wainwright is a Canadian-American folk-rock singer-songwriter. She is the daughter of American folk singer and actor Loudon Wainwright III and Canadian folk singer-songwriter Kate McGarrigle...
, Jenny Lewis
Jenny Lewis
Jennifer Diane Lewis , is an American singer-songwriter musician and actress. She was the primary vocalist of the indie rock band Rilo Kiley, and has released two solo albums. She currently performs as part of the duo Jenny & Johnny with boyfriend Johnathan Rice...
and REM
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
. The group, introduced to Rice's music through guitarist Peter Buck selected him to support them in London's Hyde Park
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
in July 2005 in front of a crowd of 80,000 people. Rice played the concert with his touring band, Death Valley, a lap steel and harmony group that featured Neal Casal
Neal Casal
Neal Casal is an American songwriter, singer, multi-instrumentalist and photographer who has maintained an acclaimed solo career as well as playing guitar for The Cardinals.-1990 - 1999:...
(who would go on to found the Cardinals 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...
), and "Farmer" Dave Scher of the Beachwood Sparks and All Night Radio.
Rice's appearance at the Hyde Park concert and another performance at the 100 Club are captured on film in the 2005 documentary Johnathan Rice and Death Valley: Live in London.
Motion Picture Roles
Johnathan Rice played Roy OrbisonRoy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
in the Oscar-winning 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
movie Walk the Line
Walk the Line
Walk the Line is a 2005 American biographical drama film directed by James Mangold and based on the early life and career of country music artist Johnny Cash...
alongside Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Rafael Phoenix , formerly credited as Leaf Phoenix, is an American film actor. He was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and his family returned to the continental United States four years later...
and Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon
Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon , better known as Reese Witherspoon, is an American actress and film producer. Witherspoon landed her first feature role as the female lead in the film The Man in the Moon in 1991; later that year she made her television acting debut, in the cable movie Wildflower...
and contributed to its platinum selling, T-Bone Burnett
T-Bone Burnett
Joseph Henry Burnett , widely known as T-Bone Burnett, is an American musician, songwriter, and soundtrack and record producer.He was a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band on the Rolling Thunder Revue...
-produced soundtrack.
Collaborations with Jenny Lewis, Elvis Costello, and others
In 2006, Rice joined Jenny Lewis' touring band and played on her debut album Rabbit Fur CoatRabbit Fur Coat
Rabbit Fur Coat is an album by Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley, featuring The Watson Twins. It was released in the United States on January 24, 2006 by Team Love. Lewis has described the album as a "sort of soul record". The album contains a cover of the Traveling Wilburys song "Handle With Care",...
. This was the beginning of a years-long stint of collaborations with Lewis. During the second leg of the tour, the band began performing a Rice composition, "Carpetbaggers." This song would later be recorded for Lewis' second solo album, 2008's Acid Tongue
Acid Tongue
Acid Tongue is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Jenny Lewis, released in September 2008 through Warner Bros. and Rough Trade Records. Inspired by jam sessions, the album was recorded in January 2008 in Van Nuys, California with the intent of capturing a more live feeling than...
, with Rice's original vocal part reinterpreted by Elvis Costello. Costello enjoyed the session with Lewis and Rice so much that he decided to bring in his band, the Imposters, to record a full album of new material with Lewis, Rice, Farmer Dave Scher and Jason Lader, resulting in 2008's Momofuku
Momofuku (album)
Momofuku is an album released in 2008 by Elvis Costello and the Imposters. The album also features collaborations with Rilo Kiley frontwoman Jenny Lewis. The album title refers to Momofuku Ando, the inventor of instant ramen noodles, and the speed at which the album was conceived and created...
.
In the winter of 2006 Rice enlisted producers Farmer Dave Scher and Jason Lader to make his second album, Further North, at Los Angeles' Sound City Studios. The record was mixed at Hollywood's Sound Factory and mastered in New York City by Greg Calbi. The record was released on September 11, 2007. Seven of the record's eleven songs were co-written with Jenny Lewis.
In the spring of 2007 Rice toured with Ben Gibbard, Jenny Lewis, and David Bazan finishing their tour May 21, 2007 at the Showbox in Seattle.
Rice again toured the record extensively both with a full band and solo acoustic, again mostly as a support act for The Good Life, Rilo Kiley, Matt Costa, and the Redwalls. In 2008 Rice co-headlined a tour with Maria Taylor of Azure Ray, and played Los Angeles' Sunset Junction festival.
In 2008, Rice acted as a producer, musician, and co-songwriter on Jenny Lewis' second solo album, Acid Tongue. The record was recorded back to back with Elvis Costello's Momofuku at Sound City Studios. Rice again joined Lewis' touring band for her 2008 - 2009 world tour, which included memorable performances at the Coachella and Bonnaroo festivals.
This would further lead to the collaboration with girlfriend, Jenny Lewis, as Jenny and Johnny, in 2010. Their first album, I'm Having Fun Now, was released by Warner Brothers on August 31, 2010.
The Emerald Triangle Tour
In October–November 2009, Rice joined Vetiver's Andy Cabic, Farmer Dave Scher, and 60's rock-revivalist Jonathan Wilson for a five date, California-only run of shows dubbed "The Emerald Triangle Tour." The tour took the band through the Emerald Triangle, a three-county area where the vast majority of California's marijuana is grown and harvested. In a press release, the newly formed group said the purpose of the tour was to "have some fun and celebrate the current Green Rush." The tour was profiled in the May 2010 issue of High Times Magazine.Discography
- Extended Player 24:26 (EP) 2004
- Trouble Is RealTrouble is RealTrouble Is Real is the debut full-length album by singer-songwriter Johnathan Rice.The song, "So Sweet" appears on an episode of The O.C...
2005 - A Girl Called Miami EP (itunes only) 2007
- Further NorthFurther NorthFurther North is the second full-length album released by singer-songwriter Johnathan Rice.- Track listing :# "We're All Stuck Out in the Desert" - 4:33# "Further North" - 4:15# "End of the Affair" - 2:32# "The Middle of the Road" - 4:03# "THC" - 4:01...
2007
Filmography
- Walk the LineWalk the LineWalk the Line is a 2005 American biographical drama film directed by James Mangold and based on the early life and career of country music artist Johnny Cash...
(2005) ... Roy Orbison - Mark 8:36 (2005) ... Desk Attendant 1