| Jeremy Messersmith | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Origin | Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States |
| Genres | Indie rock, Indie pop |
| Occupations | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Labels | Unsigned |
| Website | www.jeremymessersmith.com |
Jeremy Messersmith is an indie pop musician based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Contents |
Jeremy Messersmith was born in Charleston, and grew up in the Tri-Cities area of Washington.[1] He moved to Minneapolis in 1999 to attend North Central University.[1][2] Jeremy is also an avid gamer and has been known to play such titles as Star Wars Galaxies, Everquest, World of Warcraft, Starcraft, Starcraft 2, and Warcraft 3. His brother has been quoted as saying, "I have never witnessed such horribly amateur skill when it comes to the world of gaming, although he does try."
His first album, The Alcatraz Kid, quickly garnered the attention of the local media, resulting in Messersmith being named the "premier under-30 songwriter in the Twin Cities" by City Pages.[1] The Alcatraz Kid also received the attention of Performing Songwriter Magazine, a national publication that stated, "Remember the way you felt the first time you heard the amazing harmonies of Simon and Garfunkel? That subdued, magical sound lives once more on Jeremy Messersmith’s The Alcatraz Kid, but this time with a 21st-century twist. Messersmith lulls with his gentle voice and overdubbed harmonies, easing the shock of his sometimes-harsh lyrics. Quirky? Certainly. Will you like it? No doubt."
The title "The Alcatraz Kid" was inspired by a man who used the name to prank-call where Messersmith worked.[3]
Messersmith followed up with his second album, The Silver City, produced by Grammy Award winner Dan Wilson of Semisonic and Trip Shakespeare. The production and sonic landscapes capture a range of pop songs ranging from the electronically inspired "Miracles" to love songs like "Love You To Pieces."
Messersmith has toured extensively in support of the album and played with the likes of Kaiser Cartel, Joan As Policewoman, Civil Wars, Joseph Arthur, Lost In The Trees, Trampled By Turtles, Eisley, Dan Wilson, Sondre Lerche, The Meat Puppets and Solid Gold. The Silver City was recognized in a press poll as the second-best album in the Twin Cities in 2008, losing out only to the rising star of hip hop act, Atmosphere. Messersmith has been featured on NPR, NPR's Car Talk, Paste Magazine, iTunes, NY Times, New York Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Wired Magazine, BoingBoing, USA Today, My Old Kentucky Blog, Yahoo Landing Page, World Cafe Live on WXPN, Independent Film Channel, MTV's The Real World, NBC's Chuck, ABC's Ugly Betty and Showtime's The United States of Tara.
In 2009, Messersmith began updating his official website every Wednesday. Updates include (but are not limited to):
(* Search for it on Youtube.com)
In February 2009, Messersmith began a Twitter account, username jmessersmith. He tweeted extensively during his 2010 tour.
In 2010, Messersmith's Reluctant Graveyard was named one of the Top 10 Albums of 2010 by NPR, Top 25 Videos of 2010 by Paste Magazine, and also won the Star Tribune's Critics Poll for Best Local Artist. His video for the Star Wars themed Tatooine went viral, with Jeremy receiving national press in several publications.
LPs
Singles