Warren Ellis (born 14 February 1965) is an Australian musician and composer. He is a member of the rock groups

Dirty Three Dirty Three is an Australian instrumental rock band, consisting of Warren Ellis (violin and bass guitar), Mick Turner (electric and bass guitars) and Jim White (drums), which formed in 1992. Their 1996 album '' Horse Stories'' was voted by '' ...

and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. He also performed with the band

Grinderman Grinderman was an Australian-American rock band that formed in London, England, in 2006. The band included Nick Cave (vocals, guitar, organ, piano), Warren Ellis (tenor guitar, electric mandolin, violin, viola, guitar, backing vocals), Martyn ...

until its disbandment in 2013. He has also composed

film score A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to e ...

s with long-time friend, collaborator and band-mate Nick Cave. Ellis plays the violin, piano, accordion,

bouzouki The bouzouki (, also ; el, μπουζούκι ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', from Greek ), also spelled buzuki or buzuci, is a musical instrument popular in Greece. It is a member of the long-necked lute family, with a round body with a flat top and ...

, guitar, flute, mandolin,

mandocello The mandocello ( it, mandoloncello, Liuto cantabile, liuto moderno) is a plucked string instrument of the mandolin family. It is larger than the mandolin, and is the baritone instrument of the mandolin family. Its eight strings are in four paire ...

and viola. He has been a member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds since 1994.

Life and career

Ellis was born in Ballarat, Victoria. He has said that he came to music by accident: while playing at the local tip, he found an abandoned piano accordion. He took it to school and his teacher showed him how to play it. He later learned classical violin and flute at school in Ballarat. After winning a scholarship to a private high school, Ellis went to university in Melbourne, where he studied classical violin. After that he then worked briefly as a schoolteacher in country Victoria. In January 1988 he travelled to Europe, where he busked in Greece, Hungary, Scotland and Ireland. A year later he returned to Australia. Ellis then wrote music for theatre groups and performed at art openings and plays in Melbourne, before he started playing in bands in the early nineties. In 1992, Ellis formed

The Dirty Three Dirty Three is an Australian instrumental rock band, consisting of Warren Ellis (violin and bass guitar), Mick Turner (electric and bass guitars) and Jim White (drums), which formed in 1992. Their 1996 album '' Horse Stories'' was voted by ''R ...

with guitarist Mick Turner and drummer Jim White. As of 2018 the band has recorded nine studio albums, including several to appear on the ARIA charts in their native Australia. In 1993, Ellis was invited to play with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds as part of a small string ensemble for several songs on '' Let Love In'' (released 1994). He soon joined the band as a full-time member, initially emphasising violin but gradually adding many other instruments. Ellis eventually co-wrote many of the band's songs and became a pivotal collaborator with singer Nick Cave in film scores and other projects. Ellis was also a member of

, a side-group from the Bad Seeds, who have released two albums. Warren Ellis of the Dirty Three

In 2002, Ellis released a solo album on King Crab records called ''Three Pieces for Violin''. Since 2005 he has played on several Marianne Faithfull albums. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis composed the award-winning score of the film '' The Proposition'', and collaborated again on the scores of ''

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford ''The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford'' is a 2007 American epic revisionist Western film written and directed by Andrew Dominik and starring Brad Pitt as Jesse James. Adapted from Ron Hansen's 1983 novel of the same ti ...

'', ''

The Road ''The Road'' is a 2006 post-apocalyptic novel by American writer Cormac McCarthy. The book details the grueling journey of a father and his young son over a period of several months across a landscape blasted by an unspecified cataclysm that ha ...

'', and ''

Far from Men ''Far from Men'' (french: Loin des hommes) is a 2014 French drama film directed by David Oelhoffen. Set in French Colonial Algeria, the narrative follows Daru, a reclusive, pacifist, Algerian-born French teacher of Spanish descent (Viggo Morte ...

''. In 2009, Nick Cave and Warren Ellis released ''White Lunar'' – an album that includes other soundtrack scores. Following the release of '' Carnage'', Ellis and Nick Cave toured Europe in the autumn of 2021 and the United States in the spring of 2022. Ellis has lived in Paris since 1998 with his French wife and their two children. In 2021, Ellis and his wife announced the purchase of a parcel of land in

Sumatra Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...

, which they donated to the non-profit Jakarta Animal Aid Network. Ellis Park Wildlife Sanctuary is adjacent to the existing Sumatra Wildlife Centre, and specialises in animals who need lifetime care and cannot survive in the wild.

Works

Solo albums

* ''Three Pieces for Violin'' (2002)

Solo scores

* ''

Mustang The mustang is a free-roaming horse of the Western United States, descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but because they are descended from once- domesticated animals, the ...

'', film soundtrack (2015) *''Bad Girl'', film soundtrack (2017) * '' Django'', film soundtrack (2017) * ''This Train I Ride'', film soundtrack (2020) *''Purple Perilla'', book soundtrack (2021)

Collaborations with Nick Cave

* ''

Woyzeck ''Woyzeck'' () is a stage play written by Georg Büchner. Büchner wrote the play between July and October 1836, yet left it incomplete at his death in February 1837. The play first appeared in 1877 in a heavily edited version by Karl Emil Fr ...

'', theatre score (2005), adaptation by Gísli Örn Gardarsson * '' The Proposition'', soundtrack (2005) * ''

The Metamorphosis ''Metamorphosis'' (german: Die Verwandlung) is a novella written by Franz Kafka which was first published in 1915. One of Kafka's best-known works, ''Metamorphosis'' tells the story of salesman Gregor Samsa, who wakes one morning to find himsel ...

'', theatre score (2006) * ''

'', soundtrack (2007) * ''

The English Surgeon ''The English Surgeon'' is a documentary film that premiered at the BFI London Film Festival in 2007. It focuses on the work of Henry Marsh, a neurosurgeon from the UK, and his efforts to help desperately ill patients in Ukrainian hospital ...

'', soundtrack (2007) with Nick Cave * ''

'', soundtrack (2009) * ''The Girls of Phnom Penh'', soundtrack (2009) * '' Lawless'' soundtrack (2012) composed with Nick Cave * ''Days of Grace'', soundtrack (2012) With Nick Cave,

Atticus Ross Atticus Matthew Cowper Ross (born 16 January 1968) is an English musician, record producer, composer, and audio engineer. Along with Trent Reznor, he won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for '' The Social Network'' in 2010. In 2013, th ...

, Claudia Sarne,

Leopold Ross Leopold "Leo" Ross is an English musician, record producer, recording engineer and music programmer. Leopold is a guitarist in LA based band Io Echo. Career Leopold was a founding member of eclectic rock band Nojahoda who released one alb ...

Shigeru Umebayashi (born February 19, 1951) is a Japanese composer. Once the leader and bass player of Japan's new wave rock band EX, composer Shigeru Umebayashi began scoring films in 1985 when the band broke up. He has more than 30 Japanese and Chinese film sc ...

* ''

West of Memphis ''West of Memphis'' is a 2012 New Zealand-American documentary film directed and co-written by Amy J. Berg, produced by Peter Jackson and Damien Echols, and released in the US by Sony Pictures Classics to critical acclaim. It received a nomina ...

'', soundtrack (2013) * '' Loin des Hommes'', soundtrack (2015) * '' Hell or High Water'', soundtrack (2016) composed with Nick Cave * '' War Machine'', soundtrack (2017) composed with Nick Cave * '' Wind River'', soundtrack (2017) composed with Nick Cave * '' ''Kings'''', soundtrack (2017) composed with Nick Cave * '' Carnage'', studio album (2021) * '' La Panthère Des Neiges'', soundtrack (2021) * ''

Blonde Blond (male) or blonde (female), also referred to as fair hair, is a hair color characterized by low levels of the dark pigment eumelanin. The resultant visible hue depends on various factors, but always has some yellowish color. The color can ...

'', soundtrack (2022) composed with Nick Cave * '' Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story'', soundtrack (2022) composed with Nick Cave

Other collaborations

The Blackeyed Susans ''For the American band with a similar name, see Blackeyed Susan.'' The Blackeyed Susans are an Australian rock band, which formed in Perth in 1989. Long serving members are Phil Kakulas on bass guitar, guitar and vocals; and Rob Snarski on vo ...

' album '' All Souls Alive'' (1993) *

Kim Salmon Kim Leith Salmon (born 24 January 1957) is an Australian rock musician and songwriter from Perth. He has worked in various groups including The Scientists, Beasts of Bourbon, Kim Salmon and the Surrealists, Kim Salmon and the Business, and Dar ...

's album ''Hey Believer'' (1994) * David McComb's album '' Love of Will'' (1994) * Played live music for Chicago

neo-burlesque Neo-Burlesque, or New Burlesque, is the revival and updating of the traditional American burlesque performance. Though based on the traditional burlesque art, the new form encompasses a wider range of performance styles; neo-burlesque acts can ra ...

performer Maya Sinstress in 2000 * Cat Power's album ''

You Are Free ''You Are Free'' is the sixth studio album by Cat Power, the stage name and eponymous band of American singer-songwriter Chan Marshall. It was released in 2003 on Matador Records. The album features guest appearances by Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters ...

'' (violin on "Good Woman") (2003) *

Loene Carmen Lo Carmen (also known by her full name Loene Carmen prior to 2012) is an Australian singer-songwriter, musician, author and actress. Carmen has independently released seven solo albums in the Americana alt-country indie rock vein. In February 20 ...

's album '' Slight Delay'' (2004) * "Crazy Love" by

Marianne Faithfull Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull (born 29 December 1946) is an English singer and actress. She achieved popularity in the 1960s with the release of her hit single " As Tears Go By" and became one of the lead female artists during the British I ...

/ Nick Cave, with

Isabelle Huppert Isabelle Anne Madeleine Huppert (; born 16 March 1953) is a French actress. Described as "one of the best actresses in the world", she is known for her portrayals of cold and disdainful characters devoid of morality. She is the recipient of sev ...

on '' Before the Poison'' (2005) * "Hell's Coming Down" from Primal Scream's album '' Riot City Blues'' (2006) * Theo Hakola's album ''Drunk Women and Sexual Water'' (2008) * Jim Yamouridis' album ''Into the Day'' (2011) * "

Pirate Jenny "Pirate Jenny" (German: "") is a well-known song from ''The Threepenny Opera'' by Kurt Weill, with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht. The English lyrics are by Marc Blitzstein. It is probably the second most famous song in the opera, after " Mack the Knife". ...

" with

Shilpa Ray Shilpa Ray is an American singer-songwriter from Brooklyn, New York with a DIY punk experimental sound. Her music has been compared to Blondie, The Cramps, and Screamin' Jay Hawkins and her singing has been compared to the style of Patti Smith ...

and Nick Cave on '' Son of Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs & Chanteys'' (2013) *

's album ''

Give My Love to London ''Give My Love to London'' is the 20th solo album by British singer Marianne Faithfull. The 11-track album was released on 29 September 2014 on the Dramatico and Naïve record labels. In America and Canada, it was issued on 10 November by Easy ...

'' (2014) * "Stepkids" from

The Avalanches The Avalanches are an Australian electronic music group formed in Melbourne in 1997. They are known for their studio albums '' Since I Left You'' (2000), ''Wildflower'' (2016), and '' We Will Always Love You'' (2020), as well as their live and ...

' album ''

Wildflower A wildflower (or wild flower) is a flower that grows in the wild, meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted. The term implies that the plant probably is neither a hybrid nor a selected cultivar that is in any way different from the ...

'' (2016) * "A Common Truth" by Saltland (Rebecca Foon) (2017) * "Le Brasier Shelley" with Augustin Viard, audio cinema film featuring

and

Gaspard Ulliel Gaspard Thomas Ulliel (; 25 November 198419 January 2022) was a French actor. He was known for having portrayed the young Hannibal Lecter in ''Hannibal Rising'' (2007), fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent in the biopic '' Saint Laurent'' (2014 ...

France Culture France Culture is a French public radio channel and part of Radio France Radio France is the French national public radio broadcaster. Stations Radio France offers seven national networks: * France Inter — Radio France's " generalist" sta ...

(2018) * Five tracks on Amadjar by

Tinariwen Tinariwen ( Tamasheq: , with vowels , pronounced ''tinariwen'' "deserts", plural of ''ténéré'' "desert") is a collective of Tuareg musicians from the Sahara Desert region of northern Mali. Considered a pioneer of desert blues, the group's gu ...

* Co-credit with Marianne Faithfull - ''She Walks in Beauty'' (2021)

Books

* ''Nina Simone's Gum'' (2022, Faber & Faber; )

Awards and nominations

* 2005 AFI Awards: Best Original Music Score (''The Proposition'') * 2005

Inside Film Awards The Inside Film Awards (now known as the IF Awards) is an annual awards ceremony and broadcast platform for the Australian film industry, developed by the creators of Inside Film Magazine, Stephen Jenner and David Barda, and originally produced fo ...

: Best Music (''The Proposition'') * 2005

Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards The Film Critics Circle of Australia (FCCA) is an association of cinema critics and reviewers. It includes journalists in "media, television, major national and state papers, radio, national and state, online and freelance writers, Australian ...

: Best Musical Score (''The Proposition'') * 2010 Kermode Awards: Best Score (''The Road'') * 2016

César Award for Best Original Music This is the list of winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Original Music (french: link=no, César de la meilleure musique originale). Before 2000, the award was called "César Award for Best Music". With three awards out of ten nomina ...

: Best Original Music Score (''Mustang'') ;APRA Music Awards The APRA Awards have been presented annually since 1982 by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), "honouring composers and songwriters". ! , - , rowspan=2, 2014 , "Jubilee Street" (with Nick Cave) , rowspan=2, Song of the Year , , rowspan=2, , - , "We No Who U R" (with Nick Cave) , , - , 2021 , "Ghosteen" (with Nick Cave) , Song of the Year , , , - , 2022 , "Albuquerque" (with Nick Cave) , Song of the Year , , , - ;ARIA Music Awards The ARIA Music Awards is an annual ceremony presented by

Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing ...

(ARIA), which recognise excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of the

music of Australia The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions of ...

. They commenced in 1987. , - , 2006 , '' The Proposition'' (Nick Cave with Warren Ellis) , Best Original Soundtrack / Cast / Show Recording , , - , 2007 , Nick Cave (honorary inductees Harvey, Ellis, Savage, Casey) , ARIA Hall of Fame , , - , 2013 , Lawless (with Nick Cave) , Best Original Soundtrack / Cast / Show Recording , , - , 2021 , ''Carnage'' (with Nick Cave) , Best Adult Contemporary Album , , - ;Australian Music Prize The

Australian Music Prize The Australian Music Prize (often shortened to the AMP) is an annual award of $30,000 given to an Australian band or solo artist in recognition of the merit of an album released during the year of award. The award was made by Australian Music Pri ...

(the AMP) is an annual award of $30,000 given to an Australian band or solo artist in recognition of the merit of an album released during the year of award. It commenced in 2005. , - ! scope="row", 2021 , ''Carnage'' (with Nick Cave) , Australian Music Prize , ;National Live Music Awards The

National Live Music Awards The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse and successful live industry, celebrating the diversity and success of the Australian live scene – recognising the best vocal talents and musicians alongside ...

(NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse live industry, celebrating the success of the Australian live scene. The awards commenced in 2016. , - ,

National Live Music Awards of 2020 The National Live Music Awards of 2020 are the upcoming 5th annual National Live Music Awards. The nominees will be revealed on 7 September 2020, which is when general public voting commences. The event is scheduled for 20 October 2020. The 2 ...

, himself , Live Instrumentalist of the Year , , -

References

External links

Dirty Three
-- DEAD LINK-->
Nick Cave official siteGrinderman official site
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ellis, Warren 1965 births Australian male composers Australian composers Australian violinists Male violinists Australian film score composers Male film score composers Australian emigrants to France Australian expatriates in France Living people Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds members People from Ballarat Musicians from Melbourne Dirty Three members 21st-century violinists