David Charles Lowery (born September 10, 1960) is an American guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, mathematician, and activist. He is the founder of

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...

band

Camper Van Beethoven Camper Van Beethoven is an American rock band formed in Redlands, California in 1983, later based in Santa Cruz and San Francisco. Their style mixes elements of pop, ska, punk rock, folk, alternative country, and world music. The band init ...

and co-founder of the more-traditional rock band Cracker. Lowery released his first solo album, ''The Palace Guards'', on February 2, 2011, via the

429 Records 429 Records was an American record label. It was a subsidiary label of Savoy Label Group/Nippon Columbia focusing on indie rock and adult album alternative performers. In addition to releasing new material from musicians such as Dr. John, Little F ...

label.

Biography

Personal life and music career

Lowery was born in

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

, the son of a career

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...

father. He has described his parents as "a hillbilly and an English working-class woman." His family moved around a great deal during his youth before finally settling in

Redlands, California Redlands ( ) is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 73,168, up from 68,747 at the 2010 census. The city is located approximately west of Palm Springs and east of Lo ...

, where he attended high school. He became involved in music as a member of the band Sitting Ducks, who played a mixture of

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

and

acid rock Acid rock is a loosely defined type of rock music that evolved out of the mid-1960s garage punk movement and helped launch the psychedelic subculture. Named after lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), the style is generally defined by heavy, di ...

, along with what Lowery described as "fake Russian-sounding music." Sitting Ducks subsequently evolved into Camper Van Beethoven, formed in 1983 in Santa Cruz,

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 ...

. The band is best known for its cover of the

Status Quo is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, political, religious or military issues. In the sociological sense, the ''status quo'' refers to the current state of social structure and/or values. W ...

song "

Pictures of Matchstick Men "Pictures of Matchstick Men" is the first hit single by Status Quo, released on 5 January 1968. The Status Quo version The song reached number 7 in the British charts, number 8 in Canada, and number 12 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming th ...

" from the ''

Key Lime Pie Key lime pie is an American dessert pie. It is made of lime, egg yolks, and sweetened condensed milk. It may be served with no topping, topped with a meringue topping made from egg whites, or with whipped cream; it may be cooked in a pie crust, ...

'' LP and its original composition "

Take the Skinheads Bowling "Take the Skinheads Bowling" is the signature song of Santa Cruz, California alternative rock band Camper Van Beethoven, written by David Lowery and released on their 1985 album '' Telephone Free Landslide Victory''. The song (as covered by the ...

," from the band's 1985 debut LP, ''

Telephone Free Landslide Victory ''Telephone Free Landslide Victory'' is an album by musical group Camper Van Beethoven, released on Independent Project Records and released in June 1985. It featured the band's best known song, "Take the Skinheads Bowling". The album has sold o ...

,'' later featured in the

Michael Moore Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an American filmmaker, author and left-wing activist. His works frequently address the topics of globalization and capitalism. Moore won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for ' ...

movie ''

Bowling for Columbine ''Bowling for Columbine'' is a 2002 documentary film written, produced, directed, and narrated by Michael Moore. The film explores what Moore suggests are the primary causes for the Columbine High School massacre in 1999 and other acts of gun ...

.'' In the early 1990s, Lowery formed Cracker with guitarist and long-time friend

Johnny Hickman John Arthur Hickman (born September 10, 1959) is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Cracker (band), Cracker. Biography Early years Hickman is a native of Redlands, California, Redlands in San ...

and bassist

Davey Faragher David Allen "Davey" Faragher (born August 18, 1957) is an American bass guitarist from Redlands, California. Faragher's career took off and received critical notice as a founding member of the nineties band Cracker, and his subsequent work wit ...

. 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 ''Kerosene Hat'' is the second studio album by American rock band Cracker, released on August 24, 1993. It reached #1 on ''Billboards Top Heatseekers chart, and #59 on the ''Billboard'' 200 album chart. The hit single from the album, " Low," hel ...

.'' Cracker continues to perform today, although Camper Van Beethoven has also reformed, releasing a cover of the entire

Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epony ...

album ''

Tusk Tusks are elongated, continuously growing front teeth that protrude well beyond the mouth of certain mammal species. They are most commonly canine teeth, as with pigs and walruses, or, in the case of elephants, elongated incisors. Tusks share c ...

'' in 2002 and several new albums of original music, beginning with ''

New Roman Times ''New Roman Times'' is an album by musical group Camper Van Beethoven, released October 12, 2004 on Pitch-A-Tent Records. It is the band's first studio album of new material since they released ''Key Lime Pie'' in 1989 before dissolving in 1990. ...

'' 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. 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. David Lowery 03

Lowery has also done work as a producer at Sound of Music Studios in

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

, working on records by

Sparklehorse Sparklehorse was an American indie rock band from Richmond, Virginia, led by singer and multi-instrumentalist Mark Linkous. Sparklehorse was active from 1995 until Linkous' 2010 death. Prior to forming Sparklehorse, Linkous fronted local bands ...

Counting Crows Counting Crows is an American rock band from San Francisco, California. Formed in 1991, the band consists of guitarist David Bryson, drummer Jim Bogios, vocalist Adam Duritz, keyboardist Charlie Gillingham, David Immerglück, bass guitarist Mil ...

Lauren Hoffman Lauren Hoffman (born 1977) is an American singer-songwriter. She released her debut album ''Megiddo'' through Virgin Records in 1997 to critical praise. In 1999 Hoffman independently issued her second LP ''From The Blue House'' and an EP, ''A Ha ...

, September 67, Wormburner, LP,

Tea Leaf Green Tea Leaf Green is an American four-piece jam band from the San Francisco Bay Area, composed of Josh Clark (guitar and vocals), Trevor Garrod ( keyboards, vocals, guitar, and harmonica), Scott Rager ( drums), and Eric DiBerardino (bass). Histo ...

Magnet A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, steel, nickel, ...

Sons of Bill A son is a male offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative. Social issues In pre-industrial societies and some current ...

and others. Lowery, along with Ian Solla-Yates of

WNRN WNRN (91.9 FM) is a Public Radio, Adult album alternative, and formatted radio station licensed to Charlottesville, Virginia, serving Central and Western Virginia. WNRN is owned and operated by Stu-Comm, Inc. History In 1993, Mike Friend, a for ...

started RadioVA with Sound of Music in May 2010, an interview program hosted by David that has featured

The Hold Steady The Hold Steady is an American rock band originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, now based in Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2003. The band consists of Craig Finn (vocals, guitar), Tad Kubler (guitar), Galen Polivka (bass), Bobby Drake (drums), ...

Drive-By Truckers Drive-By Truckers are an American rock band based in Athens, Georgia. Two of five current members (Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley) are originally from The Shoals region of northern Alabama and met as roommates at the University of North Alabama ...

Minus the Bear Minus the Bear was an American indie rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 2001, and comprising members of Botch, Kill Sadie, and Sharks Keep Moving. Their sound was described as " Pele-esque guitar-taps and electronics with sophisticated ...

and

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros is an American folk rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 2005. The group is led by singer Alex Ebert. The band's name is based on a story Ebert wrote in his youth, about a messianic figure named E ...

. On September 13, 2010, David married Velena Vego. Vego has been the manager for both Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven since 2004. She is also the talent booker for the

40 Watt Club The 40 Watt Club is a music venue in Athens, Georgia. Along with CBGB, the Whisky a Go Go, and selected others, it was instrumental in launching American punk rock and new wave music. The 40 Watt Club was the primary performance space for numero ...

in Athens, Georgia, and

Buckhead Theatre The Buckhead Theatre is a theatre located in the Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. History The establishment was built in 1930 in Spanish baroque style by Atlanta architecture firm Daniell & Beutell and opened on June 2, ...

in Atlanta.

Other activities

Lowery graduated from the

University of California Santa Cruz The University of California, Santa Cruz (UC Santa Cruz or UCSC) is a public land-grant research university in Santa Cruz, California. It is one of the ten campuses in the University of California system. Located on Monterey Bay, on the edge of ...

in 1984 with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

. He earned an

Ed.D. The Doctor of Education (Ed.D. or D.Ed.; Latin ''Educationis Doctor'' or ''Doctor Educationis'') is (depending on region and university) a research or professional doctoral degree that focuses on the field of education. It prepares the holder for a ...

from the University of Georgia in 2018. Lowery has worked as a " quant" (a

derivatives The derivative of a function is the rate of change of the function's output relative to its input value. Derivative may also refer to: In mathematics and economics * Brzozowski derivative in the theory of formal languages * Formal derivative, an ...

trader and

financial analyst A financial analyst is a professional, undertaking financial analysis for external or internal clients as a core feature of the job. The role may specifically be titled securities analyst, research analyst, equity analyst, investment analyst, ...

) and has started a number of music-related businesses, including a

studio A studio is an artist or worker's workroom. This can be for the purpose of acting, architecture, painting, pottery (ceramics), sculpture, origami, woodworking, scrapbooking, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, animation, industrial design ...

, a

record company A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produc ...

and a

publishing company Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

. Lowery's extensive experience in business led to his appointment as a lecturer in the

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

's music business program. Charles Pitter at PopMatters has said that "in addition to this work, Lowery teaches as a lecturer and has a consistently high profile in the media as a champion of artists rights. As such, it could almost be said that Lowery has become the voice of a generation; however, it seems likely he would dismiss this title as meaningless blabber." Lowery is critical of the internet era and states that things might be worse for working musicians than under the old record system. In 2012, he gave a widely shared talk called "Meet the new boss, worse than the old boss" in which he criticized

Pandora Radio Pandora is a subscription-based music streaming service owned by Sirius XM Holdings based in Oakland, California, United States. The service carries a focus on recommendations based on the "Music Genome Project" — a means of classifying indiv ...

for low songwriter royalties, claiming to have made less than $17 from a million streams of his song " Low." In 2017, Spotify settled a class action lawsuit initiated by Lowery and

Melissa Ferrick Melissa Ferrick (born September 21, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter. Her song "Drive" (2000) is considered a lesbian anthem. She is a music professor at Northeastern University and at Berklee College of Music. Early life Ferrick was ra ...

covering unpaid mechanical royalties. As part of the settlement, Spotify set up a fund worth over $40 million to compensate songwriters and publishers affected. In January 2019, Lowery settled a lawsuit against

Napster Napster was a peer-to-peer file sharing application. It originally launched on June 1, 1999, with an emphasis on digital audio file distribution. Audio songs shared on the service were typically encoded in the MP3 format. It was founded by Shawn ...

, which concerned unpaid mechanical royalties.

Discography (solo)

* ''The Palace Guards'' (2011) * ''Conquistador'' (2016) * ''In The Shadow of the Bull'' (2019) * ''Leaving Key Member Clause'' (2021)

References

External links

David Lowery's "300 Songs" Blog

RadioVA

David Lowery's personal blog and music collection at MOG.com

David Lowery collection
at the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

's live music archive
Cracker collection
at the

's live music archive
PopGurls Interview: David Lowery
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lowery, David 1960 births Living people American derivatives traders American financial analysts American investors American rock guitarists American male guitarists American male singer-songwriters American music industry executives American music publishers (people) American rock songwriters American rock singers Businesspeople from Texas Musicians from San Antonio Singer-songwriters from Texas University of California, Santa Cruz alumni University of Georgia faculty Guitarists from Texas Mathematicians from Texas 20th-century American guitarists Camper Van Beethoven members Cracker (band) members American people of English descent 20th-century American singers 21st-century American guitarists 21st-century American singers 20th-century American male singers 21st-century American male singers