Justin Pierre
Encyclopedia
Justin Courtney Pierre is a singer, songwriter
and guitarist
originally from Mahtomedi, Minnesota
, United States
. He is the co-founder and lead vocalist
of the pop punk
band Motion City Soundtrack
, and is known for his interests and pursuits in film making and production of music
.
. During his childhood, he enjoyed skateboarding and listening to hip-hop such as Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys
. Pierre attended Mahtomedi High School, where he developed an interest in indie rock
. Pierre played guitar and sang in a band called Slide Coaster, who released an album in 1995 titled Thrown. The group eventually disbanded, leaving Pierre to focus more on his hobby of making short films. However, his friend Joshua Cain
convinced him to continue making music and recruited Pierre to join his band, which would eventually become Motion City Soundtrack.
, becoming the lead singer as well as playing rhythm
guitar
. He and Cain both previously took stints on the moog synthesizer
in the band, until the foundation of the current lineup. Pierre is the primary lyricist
for the band, noted for his pronounced sideburns
, wild hair and glasses (which are Kirk Originals).
Motion City Soundtrack
released their third album on September 18, 2007 entitled Even If It Kills Me
. Pierre has struggled with alcohol and substance abuse problems in the past, and during the recording of the album Commit This To Memory
, he relapsed and binge drank due to the ending of a relationship. Pierre suffers from asthma
, having to use his inhaler on stage at times.
The band released their fourth album, My Dinosaur Life
, on January 19, 2010. Pierre recently was "trucking along on The Dino Trail" to promote the album. He began his promotional tour in Chicago on November 1 and was making his way around the United States doing "meet ups, impromptu performances, in store appearances, and other shenanigans that will surely ensue along the way."
Pierre has been involved in the direction of music videos for fellow bands, he co-directed the music video for "Big Drag" by Limbeck
, as well as co-directing with Shane Nelson the video for Sing It Loud's
"No One Can Touch Us", which was produced by MCS' guitarist Joshua Cain
.
's "Chicago is So Two Years Ago", Small Towns Burn A Little Slower
's "Alias: The Bookeeper", Metro Station's
"Kelsey", Sing It Loud's
"We're Not Afraid", and is thought to have been heard singing numerous times on the Limbeck
album Hi, Everything's Great. He also sings and helped write a song with Michigan City band, Grown Ups, called Are You Kitten Me?
Justin Pierre was featured in Revolution on Canvas, Volume 2: Poetry From the Indie Music Scene, a compilation of poetry from the indie music scene, inputting a short story about the love and loss of a certain person in his life who was also addicted to alcohol. Pierre also produced two songs (along with Joshua Cain
) on Metro Station's self-titled debut album.
Pierre recently joined sci-fi legend Lance Henriksen
, horror icons Bill Moseley
, Danielle Harris
and Tiffany Shepis
, as well as AFI's
Davey Havok
and Battlestar Galactica's
Nicki Clyne
in the cast of the "illustrated film" series Godkiller
. Pierre voices the lead role of Tommy, a boy on a mission to save his dying sister in a post-nuclear wasteland.
Pierre is also in a band called Farewell Continental, which until recently he wasn't revealed as a member. Their first full length album was released on May 10, 2011, followed by a United States tour.
s from Fender Telecaster Deluxes, to Fender Telecaster Customs to American Fender Telecasters.
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...
and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
originally from Mahtomedi, Minnesota
Mahtomedi, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,563 people, 2,503 households, and 2,027 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,095.4 people per square mile . There were 2,581 housing units at an average density of 715.1 per square mile...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He is the co-founder and 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...
of the 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 Motion City Soundtrack
Motion City Soundtrack
Motion City Soundtrack is an American rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, formed in 1997. The band consists of founding members Justin Pierre and Joshua Cain , along with keyboardist and moog synthesist Jesse Johnson, bassist and backing vocalist Matthew Taylor, and drummer, percussionist and...
, and is known for his interests and pursuits in film making and production of music
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...
.
Early life
Justin Pierre was raised in Mahtomedi, MinnesotaMahtomedi, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,563 people, 2,503 households, and 2,027 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,095.4 people per square mile . There were 2,581 housing units at an average density of 715.1 per square mile...
. During his childhood, he enjoyed skateboarding and listening to hip-hop such as Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
. Pierre attended Mahtomedi High School, where he developed an interest in indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
. Pierre played guitar and sang in a band called Slide Coaster, who released an album in 1995 titled Thrown. The group eventually disbanded, leaving Pierre to focus more on his hobby of making short films. However, his friend Joshua Cain
Joshua Cain
Joshua Allen Cain is a guitarist and record producer from Saint Paul, Minnesota. He is the co-founder and lead guitarist of American pop punk band Motion City Soundtrack...
convinced him to continue making music and recruited Pierre to join his band, which would eventually become Motion City Soundtrack.
Musical career
Justin Pierre formed Motion City Soundtrack in 1997 with friend Joshua CainJoshua Cain
Joshua Allen Cain is a guitarist and record producer from Saint Paul, Minnesota. He is the co-founder and lead guitarist of American pop punk band Motion City Soundtrack...
, becoming the lead singer as well as playing rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
. He and Cain both previously took stints on the moog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled...
in the band, until the foundation of the current lineup. Pierre is the primary lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
for the band, noted for his pronounced sideburns
Sideburns
Sideburns or sideboards are patches of facial hair grown on the sides of the face, extending from the hairline to below the ears and worn with an unbearded chin...
, wild hair and glasses (which are Kirk Originals).
Motion City Soundtrack
Motion City Soundtrack
Motion City Soundtrack is an American rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, formed in 1997. The band consists of founding members Justin Pierre and Joshua Cain , along with keyboardist and moog synthesist Jesse Johnson, bassist and backing vocalist Matthew Taylor, and drummer, percussionist and...
released their third album on September 18, 2007 entitled Even If It Kills Me
Even If It Kills Me
Even if It Kills Me is the third studio album by American pop punk band Motion City Soundtrack, released on September 18, 2007. The album was a follow up to their 2005 album, Commit This to Memory and was co-produced by Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne and Eli Janney of Girls Against Boys,...
. Pierre has struggled with alcohol and substance abuse problems in the past, and during the recording of the album Commit This To Memory
Commit This to Memory
-Re-issue:The band released a deluxe edition of the album in mid-2006. The new version featured a bonus track originally featured on the Japanese edition and a bonus DVD featuring previously unreleased material, including a Documentary directed by and a live performance from the 7th Street Entry...
, he relapsed and binge drank due to the ending of a relationship. Pierre suffers from asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
, having to use his inhaler on stage at times.
The band released their fourth album, My Dinosaur Life
My Dinosaur Life
My Dinosaur Life is the fourth studio album by American pop punk band Motion City Soundtrack, released through Columbia Records on January 19, 2010. It is the band's first album on a major label, after they moved from Epitaph Records in June 2008...
, on January 19, 2010. Pierre recently was "trucking along on The Dino Trail" to promote the album. He began his promotional tour in Chicago on November 1 and was making his way around the United States doing "meet ups, impromptu performances, in store appearances, and other shenanigans that will surely ensue along the way."
Film making
Pierre makes short films, went to Minneapolis Community Technical College for film, but did not complete a degree. He now works on independent short films while at home, recording, and on tour. His most famous is entitled "Karen" and was in a few film festivals early winter and spring 2007, including the 3rd annual Griffon International Film Festival (GIFF) and The Sacramento International Film Festival.Pierre has been involved in the direction of music videos for fellow bands, he co-directed the music video for "Big Drag" by Limbeck
Limbeck
Limbeck was an alternative country band, with pop-punk roots, hailing from Orange County, California.-Background:Originating in Laguna Niguel, California, Limbeck featured Robb MacLean on lead vocals and guitar, Patrick Carrie guitar and backing vocals, Justin Entsminger on bass, and Jon Phillip,...
, as well as co-directing with Shane Nelson the video for Sing It Loud's
Sing it Loud
-History:Sing it Loud grew out of a friendship between cousins vocalist Pat Brown and guitarist Kieren Smith, who founded the group together and added members whom they met locally in the Minneapolis music scene. Brown officially brought the group together after his previous band called it quits....
"No One Can Touch Us", which was produced by MCS' guitarist Joshua Cain
Joshua Cain
Joshua Allen Cain is a guitarist and record producer from Saint Paul, Minnesota. He is the co-founder and lead guitarist of American pop punk band Motion City Soundtrack...
.
Other works
In addition to singing for Motion City Soundtrack, Justin has sung guest vocals on Fall Out BoyFall 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...
's "Chicago is So Two Years Ago", Small Towns Burn A Little Slower
Small Towns Burn A Little Slower
Small Towns Burn a Little Slower was a band from St. Paul/Minneapolis, Minnesota.The band was established in the summer of 2002. Early on with Jeff McIlvenna on vocals and Luke Allison on bass, they recorded and released the Holding On to What's Killing You EP in 2003 on Dead Letter Records...
's "Alias: The Bookeeper", Metro Station's
Metro Station (band)
Metro Station is an American pop rock band that formed in Los Angeles by Mason Musso and Trace Cyrus. In late 2006, the band signed a recording contract with Columbia/Red Ink. They are best known for their Top 10 Billboard hit single "Shake It" from their self-titled debut album...
"Kelsey", Sing It Loud's
Sing it Loud
-History:Sing it Loud grew out of a friendship between cousins vocalist Pat Brown and guitarist Kieren Smith, who founded the group together and added members whom they met locally in the Minneapolis music scene. Brown officially brought the group together after his previous band called it quits....
"We're Not Afraid", and is thought to have been heard singing numerous times on the Limbeck
Limbeck
Limbeck was an alternative country band, with pop-punk roots, hailing from Orange County, California.-Background:Originating in Laguna Niguel, California, Limbeck featured Robb MacLean on lead vocals and guitar, Patrick Carrie guitar and backing vocals, Justin Entsminger on bass, and Jon Phillip,...
album Hi, Everything's Great. He also sings and helped write a song with Michigan City band, Grown Ups, called Are You Kitten Me?
Justin Pierre was featured in Revolution on Canvas, Volume 2: Poetry From the Indie Music Scene, a compilation of poetry from the indie music scene, inputting a short story about the love and loss of a certain person in his life who was also addicted to alcohol. Pierre also produced two songs (along with Joshua Cain
Joshua Cain
Joshua Allen Cain is a guitarist and record producer from Saint Paul, Minnesota. He is the co-founder and lead guitarist of American pop punk band Motion City Soundtrack...
) on Metro Station's self-titled debut album.
Pierre recently joined sci-fi legend Lance Henriksen
Lance Henriksen
Lance James Henriksen is an American actor and artist best known to film and television audiences for his roles in science fiction, action, and horror films such as the Alien film franchise, and on television shows such as Millennium....
, horror icons Bill Moseley
Bill Moseley
William "Bill" Moseley is an American film actor and musician who has starred in a number of cult classic horror films, including House of 1000 Corpses, Repo! The Genetic Opera and The Devil's Rejects. His first big role was in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 as Chop Top...
, Danielle Harris
Danielle Harris
Danielle Andrea Harris is an American film and television actress, best known as a scream queen for her roles in several horror films, four of them in the Halloween series: in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers as Jamie Lloyd and in Halloween and...
and Tiffany Shepis
Tiffany Shepis
- External links :...
, as well as AFI's
AFI (band)
AFI is an American alternative rock band from Ukiah, California that formed in 1991. They have consisted of the same lineup since 1998: lead vocalist Davey Havok, drummer and backup vocalist Adam Carson, with bassist Hunter Burgan and guitarist Jade Puget, who both play keyboard and contribute...
Davey Havok
Davey Havok
David Paden Marchand , more commonly known by the stage name Davey Havok, is the lead vocalist of the American rock band AFI and the electronic music band Blaqk Audio....
and Battlestar Galactica's
Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica is an American science fiction franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The franchise began with the Battlestar Galactica TV series in 1978, and was followed by a brief sequel TV series in 1980, a line of book adaptations, original novels, comic books, a board game, and video games...
Nicki Clyne
Nicki Clyne
Nicki Clyne is a Canadian actress best known for her role as Cally Henderson Tyrol on the Sci-Fi Channel television program Battlestar Galactica.-Early life:...
in the cast of the "illustrated film" series Godkiller
Godkiller (series)
Godkiller is a transmedia series of graphic novels, illustrated films, and novels created by award-winning filmmaker Matt Pizzolo that tells the stories of human beings caught in the crossfire of warring fallen gods. The core series is a trilogy of feature-length illustrated films beginning with...
. Pierre voices the lead role of Tommy, a boy on a mission to save his dying sister in a post-nuclear wasteland.
Pierre is also in a band called Farewell Continental, which until recently he wasn't revealed as a member. Their first full length album was released on May 10, 2011, followed by a United States tour.
Equipment
Pierre plays a variety of Fender TelecasterFender Telecaster
The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is typically a dual-pickup, solid-body electric guitar made by Fender.Its simple yet effective design and revolutionary sound broke ground and set trends in electric guitar manufacturing and popular music...
s from Fender Telecaster Deluxes, to Fender Telecaster Customs to American Fender Telecasters.