Alexander Greenwald (born October 9, 1979) is an American musician, actor, and record producer. He is the lead vocalist of the California rock band
Phantom Planet
Phantom Planet is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1994. The band consists of Alex Greenwald (vocals, rhythm guitar), Darren Robinson (lead guitar), Sam Farrar (bass guitar) and Jeff Conrad (drums). The band is best known for it ...
.
Life and career
Greenwald was born in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, to a family of
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
descent. In 1994, Greenwald formed
Phantom Planet
Phantom Planet is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1994. The band consists of Alex Greenwald (vocals, rhythm guitar), Darren Robinson (lead guitar), Sam Farrar (bass guitar) and Jeff Conrad (drums). The band is best known for it ...
in his teens with four friends – guitarist Darren Robinson, bassist
Sam Farrar
Sam John Farrar (born June 29, 1978) is an American musician. He is best known as a member of the pop rock band Maroon 5, in which he plays several instruments, most notably bass guitar. A frequent collaborator with the band since the 1990s, he ...
, guitarist
Jacques Brautbar
Jacques Brautbar (born March 14, 1979) is an United States of America, American composer, photographer, producer, writer and guitarist, formerly of rock music, rock band Phantom Planet. He left the band in 2004, after their Phantom Planet (alb ...
, and drummer
Jason Schwartzman
Jason Francesco Schwartzman (born June 26, 1980) is an American actor and musician.
Schwartzman made his film debut in Wes Anderson's 1998 film '' Rushmore'', and has gone on to appear in six other Anderson films: '' The Darjeeling Limited'' (2 ...
. The band is best known for producing the song "
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
", which was used as the theme song of the teen drama ''
The O.C.
''The O.C. '' is an American teen drama television series created by Josh Schwartz that originally aired on the Fox network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 22, 2007, running a total of four seasons. "O.C." is an initiali ...
'', which lasted four seasons. Phantom Planet announced their hiatus on November 25, 2008.
In 2006, he collaborated with
DJ Mark Ronson
Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He is best known for his collaborations with artists such as Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, Robbi ...
, to cover the
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Greenwood (bass) ...
song, "
Just
Just or JUST may refer to:
__NOTOC__ People
* Just (surname)
* Just (given name)
Arts and entertainment
* ''Just'', a 1998 album by Dave Lindholm
* "Just" (song), a song by Radiohead
* "Just", a song from the album ''Lost and Found'' by Mudvayne ...
". The
cover
Cover or covers may refer to:
Packaging
* Another name for a lid
* Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package
* Album cover, the front of the packaging
* Book cover or magazine cover
** Book design
** Back cover copy, part of co ...
appears on the
compilation album
A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...
''
Exit Music: Songs with Radio Heads'', as well as the Mark Ronson album, ''
Version
Version may refer to:
Computing
* Software version, a set of numbers that identify a unique evolution of a computer program
* VERSION (CONFIG.SYS directive), a configuration directive in FreeDOS
Music
* Cover version
* Dub version
* Remix
* ''Ve ...
''. He appeared with Ronson at the 2007
Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contemp ...
where he climbed up on to the lighting rig of the
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...
stage during the performance of "Just", and also sang "
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
". In 2010, he collaborated once again with Ronson on the album "Record Collection", on which Greenwald shares writing credits on six out of the eleven tracks. He became part of Ronson's band,
The Business Intl. for this record. He was also a member of Los Angeles band
blackblack, until 2007. At live shows, he was known for 1980s styled dance moves, which were inspired from watching
David Byrne
David Byrne (; born 14 May 1952) is a Scottish-American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, writer, music theorist, visual artist and filmmaker. He was a founding member and the principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of ...
of the
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.[Talkin ...](_blank)
.
Greenwald is a vegan and has appeared in at least two ads for
PETA
Peta or PETA may refer to:
Acronym
* Pembela Tanah Air, a militia established by the occupying Japanese in Indonesia in 1943
* People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an American animal rights organization
* People Eating Tasty Animals, an ...
. He told PETA his reasons for going vegan: "In college I stopped eating red meat on a bet with my girlfriend at the time. She bet she could stop smoking, and I bet that I could stop eating red meat. She started smoking again, so I won, which I'm always proud of.…I had been a vegetarian as a child for whatever reason. I guess kids sometimes follow their instincts…My friend dared me to go vegan as I was reading this book ''
Fast Food Nation
''Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal'' is a 2001 book by Eric Schlosser. First serialized by ''Rolling Stone'' in 1999, the book has drawn comparisons to Upton Sinclair's 1906 muckraking novel ''The Jungle''. The book was ...
'', which opened my eyes to a lot of cruelties.…Ever since then, I've been vegan and enjoyed it daily."
Greenwald co-produced and appeared on ex –
Panic! at the Disco
Panic! at the Disco is the solo project of American musician Brendon Urie. It was originally a pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, formed in 2004 by childhood friends Urie, Ryan Ross, Spencer Smith, and Brent Wilson. They recorded their firs ...
members
Ryan Ross
George Ryan Ross III (born August 30, 1986) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter best known for his work as the lead guitarist and primary songwriter of the band Panic! at the Disco before his departure in 2009. Ross and former Panic ...
and
Jon Walker
Jonathan Jacob Walker (born September 17, 1985) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Formerly the bassist of Panic! at the Disco, Walker was also the lead guitarist and occasional split vocalist of The Young Veins (wh ...
's new band,
The Young Veins
The Young Veins was an American rock band from Topanga, California. The band was composed of Ryan Ross and Jon Walker, two former members of the Las Vegas band Panic! at the Disco, along with bassist Andy Soukal, drummer Nick Murray and keyboa ...
debut record, ''
Take a Vacation!
''Take a Vacation!'' is the first studio album by American rock band the Young Veins, and the first musical project by Ryan Ross and Jon Walker after their departure from Panic! at the Disco. It is the only album released during the tenure of me ...
''.
He played bass and produced several tracks on
The Like
The Like was an alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California. Its final lineup consisted of Z Berg (vocals and guitar), Tennessee Thomas (drums), Laena Geronimo (bass), and Annie Monroe (organ). The band released three extended plays (EPs) ...
's second studio album ''
Release Me''.
He is currently part of the group
Phases (previously named JJAMZ), and signed to
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...
.
JJAMZ
JJAMZ
Phases (formerly known as JJAMZ and pronounced ''juh-jamz'') is an American indie pop band from Los Angeles, California composed of Jason Boesel (Rilo Kiley / Bright Eyes/ Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band), Alex Greenwald (Phantom Plane ...
was a band composed of Greenwald along with James Valentine (
Maroon 5
Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. It currently consists of lead vocalist Adam Levine, keyboardist and rhythm guitarist Jesse Carmichael, lead guitarist James Valentine (musician), James Valentine, drummer Matt ...
), Jason Boesel (
Rilo Kiley
Rilo Kiley ( ) was an American indie rock band based in Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1998, the band consisted of Jenny Lewis, Blake Sennett, Pierre de Reeder, and Dave Rock.
The group released their debut album ''Take-Offs and Landings'' ...
/
Conor Oberst
Conor Mullen Oberst (born February 15, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter best known for his work in Bright Eyes. He has also played in several other bands, including Desaparecidos, the Faint (previously named Norman Bailer), Commander Venu ...
), Michael Runion (solo), and
Z Berg
Elizabeth Anne "Z" Berg (born June 28, 1986) is an American musician. She was a founding member, guitarist, and lead vocalist of the indie rock group the Like. Berg's father is former Geffen Records A&R exec/record producer Tony Berg.
Musical c ...
(
The Like
The Like was an alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California. Its final lineup consisted of Z Berg (vocals and guitar), Tennessee Thomas (drums), Laena Geronimo (bass), and Annie Monroe (organ). The band released three extended plays (EPs) ...
). The group was started at karaoke night at Guys in Hollywood. The band name is an acronym, using the first letter of each member's name. The group was a means of escape from each member's respective band at the time. "JJAMZ started at an interesting time in all of our lives. We all needed some kind of escape from relationships or our other bands. It was a tumultuous time, and the lyrics just came out. It was like word vomit. I can't remember," said Z Berg in one of their first interviews as a band. The band played their first concert at the Echo Plex on January 27, 2009. The band released their first and only album, ''
Suicide Pact
A suicide pact is an agreed plan between two or more individuals to die by suicide. The plan may be to die together, or separately and closely timed.
General considerations
Suicide pacts are an important concept in the study of suicide, and h ...
'', on July 10, 2012. It was released through
Dangerbird Records
Dangerbird Records is an independent record label in Los Angeles, California. The label is home to artists from around the world and part of the burgeoning Silver Lake music scene. The label has had international success from its small roster of ...
.
Phases
Following Valentine's departure from JJAMZ, the band changed its name to
Phases. Signed to
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...
, Phases is composed of Greenwald, Z Berg, Jason Boesel, and Michael Runion.
Mark Ronson & The Business International
Greenwald is the executive producer and one of the musicians in The Business International. He also helped to write several of the songs on their album
''Record Collection''. He is one of the lead singers in the song 'The Night Last Night', and appeared the music video for "
The Bike Song
"The Bike Song" is the second single taken from ''Record Collection'', the third studio album by Mark Ronson, released under the moniker Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. The song featured singer Kyle Falconer from Scottish indie rock band The Vi ...
".
Cameos
In addition to the commercials for
the Gap The Gap may refer to:
Places Australia
* The Gap, New South Wales, a locality near Wagga Wagga, New South Wales
* The Gap, Northern Territory, a suburb of Alice Springs, Northern Territory
* The Gap, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland
...
and his appearance in the 2001 film ''
Donnie Darko
''Donnie Darko'' is a 2001 American science fiction psychological thriller film written and directed by Richard Kelly and produced by Flower Films. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Mary McDonnell, Katha ...
'', Greenwald appeared in two music videos for the electronica band
M83 – "Don't Save Us From the Flames" and "Teen Angst", the video for
Uffie
Anna-Catherine Hartley (born December 9, 1987), known professionally as Uffie (), is an American-French singer, songwriter, rapper, DJ, and fashion designer formerly signed to French electronic music record label Ed Banger Records.
Uffie's music ...
's "
ADD SUV" and also in videos for Mark Ronson, including the video for "Just".
Personal life
In 2013, Greenwald began a relationship with actress
Brie Larson
Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers (born October 1, 1989), known professionally as Brie Larson, is an American actress. Known for her supporting roles in comedies as a teenager, she has since expanded to leading roles in independent films and blockb ...
. In May 2016, Larson's representative confirmed that the pair were engaged. On January 10, 2019, it was reported that Greenwald and Larson had called off their engagement. In June 2020, it was confirmed that Greenwald and Australian actress
Phoebe Tonkin
Phoebe Jane Elizabeth Tonkin (born 12 July 1989) is an Australian actress. She is known for portraying Cleo Sertori in '' H2O: Just Add Water'', Fiona Maxwell in ''Tomorrow, When the War Began'', Faye Chamberlain in ''The Secret Circle'', and H ...
were in a relationship.
Filmography
Discography
;Solo
* ''
Yo'' (2014)
;With
JJAMZ
Phases (formerly known as JJAMZ and pronounced ''juh-jamz'') is an American indie pop band from Los Angeles, California composed of Jason Boesel (Rilo Kiley / Bright Eyes/ Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band), Alex Greenwald (Phantom Plane ...
* ''
Suicide Pact
A suicide pact is an agreed plan between two or more individuals to die by suicide. The plan may be to die together, or separately and closely timed.
General considerations
Suicide pacts are an important concept in the study of suicide, and h ...
'' (2012)
;With
Phases
* ''
For Life'' (2015)
;With
Phantom Planet
Phantom Planet is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1994. The band consists of Alex Greenwald (vocals, rhythm guitar), Darren Robinson (lead guitar), Sam Farrar (bass guitar) and Jeff Conrad (drums). The band is best known for it ...
* ''
Phantom Planet Is Missing'' (1998)
* ''
Polaroid
Polaroid may refer to:
* Polaroid Corporation, an American company known for its instant film and cameras
* Polaroid camera, a brand of instant camera formerly produced by Polaroid Corporation
* Polaroid film, instant film, and photographs
* Polar ...
'' (1998)
* ''
The Guest'' (2002)
* ''
Negatives'' (2004)
* ''
Negatives 2'' (2004)
* ''
Phantom Planet
Phantom Planet is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1994. The band consists of Alex Greenwald (vocals, rhythm guitar), Darren Robinson (lead guitar), Sam Farrar (bass guitar) and Jeff Conrad (drums). The band is best known for it ...
'' (2004)
* ''
Raise the Dead'' (2008)
* ''
Devastator'' (2020)
;With
Blackblack
* ''Blackblack EP 1''
* ''Blackblack EP 2''
* ''BlackBlack'' (2006)
References
External links
TheOCShow.comPETAkids.comTheyWillRockYou.comInterview Magazine*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Greenwald, Alex
1979 births
American male film actors
Male models from California
Musicians from Los Angeles
American rock singers
Living people
Male actors from Los Angeles
People from Mandeville Canyon, Los Angeles
Phantom Planet members
Jewish rock musicians
21st-century American singers
21st-century American male singers
Phases (band) members