Dave Pirner

All Music Guide:

Best known as the singer and frontman for top-selling alternative rockers Soul Asylum, Dave Pirner has also displayed a more soulful and contemplative side in his burgeoning solo career. Pirner was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin on April 16, 1964. In 1981, Pirner was living in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and had been bitten by the punk rock bug; he'd learned to play the drums, and started a band with friends Dan Murphy (on guitar) and Karl Mueller (on drums) called Loud Fast Rules. By 1984, Pirner had moved from drums to rhythm guitar and lead vocals (Grant Young took over behind the traps), and the band had moved far enough away from their strict hardcore aesthetic to prompt a name change to Soul Asylum. Noted for their sloppy but powerful sound and upfront sense of humor (including "punishing" unresponsive audiences with sets of oddball covers), Soul Asylum were regarded as second-stringers on the Minneapolis rock scene in their early years, but in time they got a bit more serious and won greater acclaim, and after releasing three albums, an EP, and a odds-and-ends cassette compilation on the independent Twin/Tone label, they were signed by A&M Records in 1988. Soul Asylum opted out of their deal with A&M after two acclaimed but poor-selling albums, but they hit pay dirt with their second major-label deal -- 1992's Grave Dancer's Union, released by Columbia, spawned a pair of hit singles, "Runaway Train" and "Black Gold," and the album went on to sell two million copies.

As Soul Asylum became more and more popular, Pirner began popping up as a guest artist on records by artists he admired, using his new fame to put the spotlight on performers he felt deserved greater attention. After Soul Asylum recorded a tune with Victoria Williams for the benefit album Sweet Relief, Pirner sang backup on several tracks of her album Loose, and helped her record a track for a Harry Nilsson tribute album; Pirner also lent his talents to albums by Mike Watt, Paul Westerberg, and the Autumn Defense, as well as producing sessions for Coup de Grace and Michal. He made a guest appearance on the first EP by Dan Murphy's side project Golden Smog, and returned to the drums to take part in his own secondary band, the O'Jeez, featuring Jessy Greene of the Geraldine Fibbers and the Jayhawks, and Kraig Johnson of Run Westy Run (Johnson was also a fellow Golden Smog conspirator). In 1999, Pirner moved to New Orleans, Louisiana; Soul Asylum went on hiatus after they parted ways with Columbia Records following disappointing sales for the album Candy from A Stranger, and Pirner casually began work on a solo album, working with a group of musical friends (including Chris Whitley) during periodic sessions at Kingsway Studios. In 2002, Pirner's first solo album, a contemplative R&B influenced effort called Faces & Names, was released; that same year, Soul Asylum resumed touring, and the group blocked out plans for a new album in 2003.

Wikipedia:

David Anthony "Dave" Pirner (born April 16, 1964, Green Bay, Wisconsin, United States) is an American songwriter, singer, and producer best known for being the lead vocalist and frontman for the alternative rock/grunge band, Soul Asylum.

Biography

By the time he was 17, Pirner was living and working in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He taught himself how to play the drums. By age 20, Pirner started his career drumming with a punk band called Loud Fast Rules as part of the Minneapolis scene, together with Karl Mueller (bass) and Dan Murphy (guitar). When Pirner switched to singing and playing rhythm guitar, Pat Morley joined on drums. Morley was later replaced by Grant Young, and the band changed their name to Soul Asylum. After touring the United States for a number of years they gathered a cult following of fans, but did not quite reach commercial visibility. Pirner at the time was the band's songwriter and he produced the album, Coup De Grace, by the Minneapolis metal band the Coup de Grace in 1990.

Commercial success

The band achieved commercial success and visibility on MTV and VH1 with the 1992 single, "Runaway Train", followed by another hit song, "Black Gold"; both from their album, Grave Dancers Union. As Soul Asylum grew in popularity, Pirner was seen guesting on albums of differing genres, including artists like Paul Westerberg, Jason Karaban, Mike Watt, The Autumn Defense and Victoria Williams. His disheveled appearance, blonde matted dreadlocks made an unmistakable impression on fans and critics alike; making Pirner easily recognized and associating the band with the grunge rock scene.

By 1999, Soul Asylum went into hiatus, after making 1998's Candy from a Stranger, which sold the fewest number of copies of the three (after Grave Dancers Union and Let Your Dim Light Shine (1995), which yielded the big hits "Misery" and "Just Like Anyone"). But after four years, Soul Asylum reunited and started writing songs in the studio. Bassist Karl Mueller died on June 17, 2005, at the age of 42 from esophageal cancer. About a year after his death, Soul Asylum released their most recent album The Silver Lining on Legacy Recordings, which was dedicated to Mueller. About half the songs on the album were recorded with the late bassist, such as "Lately", "Slowly Rising" and "Standing Water". The first hit from this album was "Stand Up And Be Strong". Soul Asylum toured with their new line-up, which consisted of Pirner on guitar and vocals, Dan Murphy on lead guitar, Michael Bland on drums and Tommy Stinson on bass (as well as John Fields standing in on bass and piano for Mueller). Zen Valo also quotes Pirner as "One of the best Singer/Songwriters to come out of Minnesota since Prince".

Pirner was also a part of the all-star band assembled for the soundtrack of the 1994 film Backbeat. Pirner also contributed to the soundtrack of Kevin Smith's 1997 film Chasing Amy. The song "Can't Even Tell" is featured in Smith's Clerks, and Smith used "Misery" in the sequel, Clerks II.

In 2002 Pirner released his first solo album entitled Faces & Names on Ultimatum Music. He also contributed guest vocals on the song "Chillout Tent" in The Hold Steady's 2006 release, Boys and Girls in America.

Pirner lived in Bywater, New Orleans, Louisiana for a time and still maintains a residence and recording studio in New Orleans.

Discography (solo)

Faces & Names, (2002), (Ultimatum Music)