Jenn Wasner

Jenn Wasner is one of the founding members of the band Wye Oak, from Baltimore, Maryland. Along with her friend Andy Stack, they have performed on tour with notable bands such as The National and The Decemberists.^[2] Wasner has completed numerous other music projects as well, including a solo project entitled Flock of Dimes, and a collaboration called Dungeonesse with Jon Ehrens of White Life and Art Department.

Early life

Wasner was born on April 16, 1986 in Baltimore, Maryland.^[3] She began singing at an early age with her mother, and eventually started taking classical piano lessons at the around the age of five.^[4] At the age of twelve, her mom taught her how to play guitar, which led to the beginning of her songwriting career.^[4] By high school, Wasner had met Andy Stack, and begun playing music together. She continued to write music while away at college.^[5]

Music career

After college, Wasner moved to the Hampden neighborhood of Baltimore.^[6] Together with Stack, they formed a band under the name "Monarch", which was soon changed to be Wye Oak after the state tree of Maryland.^[2] After the release of their highly regarded work, Civilian in 2011, the group toured in the United States and Europe. Civilian was named the best album of 2011 by the A.V. Club, and was featured on television in the popular series The Walking Dead and in the film, Safety Not Guaranteed.

When Wasner returned to Maryland in 2012, she began work on the solo project, "Flock of Dimes" which experimented with new synths and electronic beats. The next year, she worked with Jon Ehrens of the Baltimore-pop group, White Life, on a new project labeled Dungeonesse.^[7]

Stack and Wasner reunited to create the fifth major album Shriek, released in April 2014. Wasner and Stack recently performed at Coachella, and are now on tour for Shriek in North America and Europe.^[8]

Discography

Wye Oak

• If Children – 2007
• The Knot – 2009
• My Neighbor / My Creator (EP) – 2010
• Civilian – 2011
• Shriek - 2014

Flock of Dimes

• "Curtain" b/w "Apparition" (7" single) - 2012
• Prison Bride (7" single) - 2012

References