Jason Lytle
Jason Lytle | |
|---|---|
 Jason Lytle live with Grandaddy in London, England, October 1998 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jason Q. Lytle |
| Genres | Space rock Indie rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, musician |
| Instrument(s) | Singer, guitar, keyboards |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Labels | V2, ANTI-, The Ship |
Jason Lytle (born March 26, 1969) is an American musician best known for his work in the indie rock group Grandaddy. He released a solo album in 2009 and is currently in the band Admiral Radley.
Biography
Lytle was born in Modesto, California with an older sister, three younger brothers, and a stepsister.[1] His father was in the grocery business, and his mother a housewife; They divorced when Lytle was aged five.[1] A fan of music at an early age, he played drums as a child. Skateboarding, however, captured his interest. By his late teens, Lytle was a sponsored amateur.[2] While laid up with a career-ending ACL injury, he started to play music again, writing songs and eventually setting up a home studio. Grandaddy came together gradually, signed to V2 Records, put out albums, and toured the world.
After spending years on the road, Lytle grew tired of the rock and roll lifestyle and recorded much of the band's final album, Just Like the Fambly Cat, on his own. In December 2005, six months prior to the release of Just Like the Fambly Cat, the band decided to break up: the reasons included elusive mainstream success, despite widespread critical acclaim, and lack of money.[3][4] Early in 2006, Lytle moved to Montana from Modesto, California, where he had lived his whole life.[2]
Mid-2006 saw Lytle briefly touring the U.S. in support of The Fambly Cat, playing new arrangements of Grandaddy songs as a duo with Rusty Miller of Jackpot.[5] The tour was brokered as part of a deal to get V2 to agree to releasing a Grandaddy DVD that Lytle has in the works.[6]
Lytle's debut solo album, Yours Truly, the Commuter, was released on May 19, 2009 on the ANTI- label.[7]
He appears in the music video for I Am Lost (And The Moment Cannot Last) from the album. The video was shot in Sylmar, CA on December 9, 2008 and directed by The General Assembly (directors).
On December 7, 2009, Lytle independently released an EP of seven improvised piano recordings as a "Merry X-mas" gift to fans through his website on bandcamp.com.[8] He also announced that he was currently working on a new album.
Lytle later joined with Aaron Burtch, a former Grandaddy bandmate, and Aaron Espinoza and Ariana Murray, of the band Earlimart, to form a new band called Admiral Radley. Their debut CD, entitled I Heart California, was released in the USA on July 13, 2010, on Espinoza's The Ship label.[9]
Discography
with Grandaddy
Solo albums
- Yours Truly, the Commuter (2009)
- Merry X-Mas 2009 (2009)
- Music Meant to Accompany the Art of Ron Cameron (2010)
Compilation appearances
- All Together Now (2006, Little Monster/V2) (song: "All You Need Is Love")
- Real Fun: Polaroids from the Independent Music Landscape (2007, PictureBox) (song: "Thee Everything")
- I Am the Resurrection: A Tribute to John Fahey (2006, Vanguard) (song: "Dance of the Inhabitants of the Palace of King Phillip XIV of Spain")
Guest appearances
- The Band of Blacky Ranchette — Still Lookin' Good to Me (2003, Thrill Jockey) (drums, keyboards, vocals)
- Jackpot — Moonbreath (2007, Jackpine Social Club) (backing vocals)
- M. Ward — Hold Time (2009, Merge)
- The Crystal Method — Divided by Night (2009, Tiny E) (vocals on "Slipstream")
- Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse — Dark Night of the Soul — (2009) (vocals on "Jaykub" and "Everytime I'm with You")
- Sage Francis — Li(f)e (music, "Little Houdini")
- Donovan's Brain — Fires Which Burnt Brightly (2009, Career Records) (keyboards and vocals, "I Saw Your Light")
Notes
- ^ a b Righi, Len (2001) "With Imagination, Grandaddy Singer Turns Slumps Into Creative Highs", The Morning Call, June 2, 2001, p. A39
- ^ a b "All That You Can't Leave Behind", Jonathan Valania, Magnet, p. 64–70, 123-124, April/May 2006.
- ^ "Grandaddy Retires", Spin.com, January 27, 2006
- ^ For critical acclaim, see e.g. Rolling Stone archive. Retrieved 29 March 2010.
- ^ "With Grandaddy gone, Jason Lytle puts his cards on the table.", Len Righi, The Morning Call, July 15, 2006.
- ^ "Avoid Yr. Idols", Rob Harvilla, The Village Voice, July 17, 2006
- ^ "Jason Lytle's Long Anticipated Solo Album Out May 19th on Anti- Records", ANTI- website
- ^ Jason Lytle's bandcamp page. bandcamp. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
- ^ Admiral Radley: the Other California at LA Weekly, Admiral Radley – “I Heart California” (Stereogum Premiere) at Stereogum. Retrieved on 24 August 2010. Release in the UK was slated for 30 August 2010.