Jeremy Messersmith

Jeremy Messersmith
Background information
Origin Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Genres Indie rock, Indie pop, Folk
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter
Instruments Vocals, guitar
Years active 2006–present
Labels Glassnote Records
Website www.jeremymessersmith.com

Jeremy Messersmith is an indie pop musician based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Biography

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 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. He also plays Dungeons & Dragons regularly with a gaming group that includes science fiction author Rob Callahan.[3]

Music career

His first album, The Alcatraz Kid, released in 2006, resulted 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, KCRW, and The Current.

The title "The Alcatraz Kid" was inspired by a man who used the name to prank-call where Messersmith worked.[4]

Messersmith followed up with his second album, The Silver City, produced by Dan Wilson. 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."

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, Two Broke Girls (CBS), and Showtime's The United States of Tara. Additionally, he has had his songs featured in a French Film and Norwegian commercial.

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 Messersmith receiving national press in several publications.

He has opened for President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden on separate occasions.

In the Fall of 2012, Jeremy embarked on a "Supper Club Tour" in which he combined Pot Luck Dinners with Living Room Shows, selling out shows across the country.

In 2013, he signed with Glassnote Records for his forthcoming release, Heart Murmurs, which was released in February 2014. He also toured extensively, playing with Tom O'Dell, Daughter, BOY, and Brett Dennen. The lead track from the album, Tourniquet, was featured on The Current, WXPN, NPR's Here & Now, and Time Magazine, where Messersmith was named one of 14 artists to look out for in 2014.

In 2014, Messersmith appeared on the radio variety show, Wits, alongside comedienne Maria Bamford and host, John Moe at the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, MN.[5]

Discography

Singles

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Dylan Hicks (August 30, 2006). "Speaking in Strums". City Pages. Retrieved January 28, 2010.
  2. ↑ Mary Lucia (January 4, 2007). "Jeremy Messersmith Creates Dark Lyrics and Sweet Melodies". Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved January 28, 2010.
  3. ↑ Beth Hammarlund (June 30, 2011). "Jeremy Messersmith: The Dungeon Master". Minneapolis Star Tribune. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
  4. ↑ Garrick Van Buren. "First Crack 85. Jeremy Messersmith Talking about the Alcatrez Kid". First Crack Podcast. Retrieved 2010-02-14.
  5. ↑ http://www.sctimes.com/story/entertainment/2014/10/01/radio-show-wits-comes-csb/16554609/

External links