David Lowery (musician)
David Lowery | |
---|---|
Genres | Alternative rock, southern rock, alternative country, country |
Occupation(s) | Lecturer at UGA |
Instrument(s) | Vocals Guitar |
Years active | 1983–present |
Labels | 429 |
David Charles Lowery (born September 10, 1960) is an American guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, mathematician, and activist. He is the founder of the alternative rock band Camper Van Beethoven and the co-founder of Cracker, a more traditional rock band. Lowery released his first solo album, The Palace Guards, in February 2011.[1]
Biography
Personal life and music career
Lowery was born in
In the early 1990s, Lowery formed Cracker with guitarist and long-time friend Johnny Hickman and bassist Davey Faragher. Cracker rejected the indie-rock sound of Camper Van Beethoven in favor of a more traditional, roots-rock sound. Cracker's biggest hits are "Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now)" from its eponymous LP, released in 1992, and "Low," from 1993's Kerosene Hat. Cracker continues to perform today, although Camper Van Beethoven has also reformed, releasing a cover of the entire Fleetwood Mac album Tusk in 2002 and several new albums of original music, beginning with New Roman Times in 2004.
From 1990 to 1995, Lowery and Hickman also collaborated frequently with German band Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle (a/k/a FSK) and were occasionally listed as full members.[4][5] Lowery produced and performed on the FSK albums Son Of Kraut (1991), The Sound Of Music (1993) and International (1995), to which he also contributed some of his own compositions (e.g. "Red Sonja" and "Dr Bernice" on The Sound of Music). Both Lowery and Hickman also joined FSK for concert tours in Europe and the US.
Other activities
Lowery graduated from the
Lowery is critical of the internet era and says that things may be worse now for working musicians than they were under the old record system. In 2012, he gave a widely shared talk called "Meet the new boss, worse than the old boss"
In 2017, Spotify settled a class action lawsuit initiated by Lowery and Melissa Ferrick covering unpaid mechanical royalties. As part of the settlement, Spotify set up a fund worth over $40 million to compensate songwriters and publishers affected.[15] In January 2019, Lowery settled a lawsuit against Napster, which concerned unpaid mechanical royalties.[16]
Solo discography
This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (February 2021) |
- The Palace Guards (2011)
- Conquistador (2016)
- In the Shadow of the Bull (2019)
- Leaving Key Member Clause (2021)
- Vending Machine (2023)
References
- ^ "About Us". 429 Records imprint from The Savoy Label Group (SLG), a division of Columbia Music Entertainment. 429 Records Santa Monica. CA. 2013. Archived from the original on 18 June 2013. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
- ^ a b Fricke, David (19 May 1988). "Camper Van Beethoven's Notes from the Underground". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
- Allmusic. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- ^ "Deutsch-amerikanische Wurzelforschung". Skug magazine, in German. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
- ^ "Interview with David Lowery (2010)" (PDF). Sparkleon.org, originally released on Cracker/Campervan Beethoven fansite 300songs.com. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
- ^ Lowery, David. "LinkedIn". LinkedIn. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
- ^ McNair, Charles (8 November 2018). "Down Beat". Terry College of Business. University of Georgia. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
- ^ "Meet the New Boss, Worse Than the Old Boss". The Trichordist. April 15, 2012.
- ^ Miller, Chris (February 1, 2011). "TAKING NOTES: Rock star becomes University music professor". Archived from the original on 2011-02-05.
- ^ "David Lowery". Terry College of Business, University of Georgia. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
- ^ Pitter, Charles (9 December 2014). "Cracker: Berkeley to Bakersfield". PopMatters.
- ISBN 978-0-307-91176-6.
- ^ Lowery, David. "Meet the New Boss, Worse Than the Old Boss - On The Media". WNYC. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
- Salon. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
- ^ Yoo, Noah (1 June 2017). "Spotify Settles David Lowery Mechanical Royalties Lawsuit". Pitchfork. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
- ^ "David Lowery's Long-Running Legal Battle Against Napster is over". 17 January 2019.