Jason Alexander Cruz (born February 6, 1974) is the American
lead singer
The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...
and
lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment.
Royalties
A lyricist's incom ...
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 ...
band
Strung Out, which formed in 1989 when he was 15 years old. He is also an artist, and a poet and fronts his
roots
A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients.
Root or roots may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media
* ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusing ...
Americana
Americana may refer to:
*Americana (music), a genre or style of American music
*Americana (culture), artifacts of the culture of the United States
Film, radio and television
* ''Americana'' (1992 TV series), a documentary series presented by J ...
band 'Jason Cruz and Howl'. His personal website showcases his various forms of original artwork (paintings as well as graphic design and photography).
Early life
Cruz grew up in and around Los Angeles. He focused his energies on art and creative writing in school and began playing with
Strung Out in 1991 in Southern California.
Jason's major influences include classic artists such as
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...
,
Jimi Hendrix,
,
William Burroughs
William Seward Burroughs II (; February 5, 1914 – August 2, 1997) was an American writer and visual artist, widely considered a primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodern author who influenced popular cultur ...
,
Charles Bukowski
Henry Charles Bukowski ( ; born Heinrich Karl Bukowski, ; August 16, 1920 – March 9, 1994) was a German-American poet, novelist, and short story writer. His writing was influenced by the social, cultural, and economic ambience of his adopted ...
, and
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
and visual artists Robert Mcginnis and Jean-Michel Basquiat. He has said that he was influenced by the desert, dirt road swap meets and the melancholy music that his mother used to listen to when he was growing up.
[Apicella, Vinnie. "Strung Out: Jason Cruz; Girls, guns and caffeine bombs"]
CounterCulture.co.uk
Accessed June 12, 2006. The first concert he ever went to was Depeche Mode in 1986 when he was 12 years old then graduated to punk rock shows and skateboarding.
Jason apprenticed as a tattoo artist for two years then took up oil Painting under the moniker 'Amerikan Blackheart' and has been showing regularly in L.A. and southern California for the past four years as well as performing with his band Howl.
In addition to being a songwriter, musician, and artist, he has also published 3 original poems, which can be found in the collection entitled ''Revolution On Canvas: Poetry From The Indie Music Scene''.
Cruz provided lead vocals and wrote the lyrics for T4 Project, a band made up of many well-known punk musicians, for its 2008 "Story-Based Concept Album."
On August 21, 2012, Cruz self-released his first solo record titled ''Loungecore'' under the name Jason Cruz and Howl.
Jason currently lives in Ventura,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
. In July 2010 Jason welcomed daughter Sydney Echo Cruz.
Discography
Strung Out
''See
Strung Out for full list''
*''
Another Day in Paradise
"Another Day in Paradise" is a song recorded by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins. Produced by Collins along with Hugh Padgham, it was released as the first single from his number-one album '' ...But Seriously'' (1989). As wi ...
'' (1994)
*''
Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues'' (1996)
*''
Twisted by Design'' (1998)
*''
The Element of Sonic Defiance'' (2000)
*''
An American Paradox'' (2002)
*''
Exile In Oblivion'' (2004)
*''
Blackhawks Over Los Angeles'' (2007)
*''
Agents of the Underground'' (2009)
*''
Transmission.Alpha.Delta'' (2015)
*''
Black Out The Sky'' (2018)
*''
Songs of Armor and Devotion'' (2019)
T4 Project
*''Story-Based Concept Album'' (2008)
Jason Cruz and Howl
*''Loungecore'' (2012)
*''Good Man's Ruin'' (2014)
*''Wolves'' (2023)
References
External links
Jason's websiteRevolution On Canvas
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cruz, Jason
1974 births
Living people
American punk rock singers
American male singer-songwriters
American rock songwriters
21st-century American singers
21st-century American male singers